Winter Solstice

This is a poem for the longest night of the year.

          Winter Solstice

          The shortest day
          The darkest night
          The ice
          The winter weary heart

          Strike a match against the darkness
          Cup your hand around the flame
          for warmth
          Hold up the light against the blackness
          of the sky

          And know that tomorrow
          The sun will stay a moment more
          And the dark won't be so cold.

Final Open Book Gala

The process of closing The Open Book has been a grueling one.  It feels like attending an extended wake.  The Open Book family is sad, the customers are sad and the shelves are beginning to look empty.  I have always enjoyed coming to the store, now unlocking the door is bittersweet.

And then Antonella had an idea.  Antonella worked at The Open Book in 1999, the very first summer.  She has remained a dear friend of the bookstore as she has gone from a bright college student to a professional young woman. Whenever she comes to visit, she gets put to work selling books and charming customers.  Antonella said that we needed a party......a final gala to send the store out in style.

So last night we held the Final Open Book Winter Gala.  Friends, customers, employees and a few confused passer-bys paid a $5 cover charge to come into to a balloon filled store.  Wonderful food and wine was provided by Antonella and Jane.  We held a bake-off and ended up with some delicious desserts.  Some of us were in costume; literary characters from Valley of the Dolls, Perks of Being a Wallflower, David Copperfield, Les Miserables and the Bible were in attendance. People ate and drank and shopped for books.  It brought the happiness back to The Open Book and made me remember all the good times we have enjoyed over the years.

Now we have about a month left in business.  In that month I want people to feel the spirit of the bookstore.  Not the sadness of closing, but the happiness and hilarity and kindness and intelligence that I hope have always infused this business, no matter where we were located.

Mostly, I want people to feel my gratitude.  I know that I am incredibly lucky to have had this bookstore in my life for nearly 13 years.  I know that I am blessed by the friends that have come into my life because of The Open Book. I say thank you every day for the adventure this has been and the way my life has been enriched by a little store full of books and joy.

The Last Chapter

Just about thirteen years ago, I was getting ready to embark on the great adventure of opening a bookstore. Armed with some shelves, ninety boxes of books and a hand-me-down cash register, I was nervous and excited about what kind of place The Open Book might turn out to be. I wondered what kind of people would walk through the door to browse the shelves. I could not have even imagined the last thirteen years: the customers who became friends, the authors who came to visit, the talented and intelligent people who went to work behind the counter.
Sadly, the difficult economy, the rise of the popularity of ebooks and the arrival of another bookstore down the block have combined to form a set of circumstances that will result in the closing of The Open Book by the end of the year. We have tried everything to stay open but it is just not financially feasible to keep going.
The Open Book has always been more than a business to me. The store is the place where my children grew up, where the employees worked on their school projects and rehearsed their plays. Movies were filmed, songs were sung, books were read aloud, customers shared their favorites, a few romances bloomed and throughout it all, I sat back and smiled about this amazing little world that had grown up around a few books. I will miss all of this. I will miss all of you. But I am happy that for a few years, The Open Book existed in Westhampton Beach and enjoyed the privilege of being your local bookstore.

For the next few months, we are asking our old friends to come by and say hello. We need to sell everything in the store, so come in and buy a book at a healthy discount and while you are at it, buy a chair, bookshelf or some window decorations. We will continue to have free coffee, as well as a journal in which to set down your memories of The Open Book and the good times you have had with us. We will also set out a box of photos of our various events over the years. Dig through and see if you can find some pictures of your children at a Harry Potter event or a story time.

Finally, thank you all for your support. The store may not have been able to survive the competition, but I know how many of you made the extra effort to shop at The Open Book. Your loyalty and kindness will not be forgotten.

Keep turning those pages.......

True Confessions

I like to think that I am an educated person.  I own a bookstore and work in a library.  I have read widely, including some of the more challenging classics.  But here we go......my name is Terry Lucas and I have never read anything by Charles Dickens.

Until now.  I am in love with David Copperfield.  Now strictly speaking, I am not reading David Copperfield; I am listening to the book on tape as I commute to my library job.  Simon Vance, the narrator, (who, oddly enough, also narrates the Steig Larsson "Girl Who" books) does a marvelous job of capturing the pacing and the voices of the many characters. But it is the timelesss writing of Charles Dickens that brings readers to his work year after year.  What was I thinking by skipping this author all these years?

From the lovely Peggotty who loves little David as if he is her own boy to the malevolent Jane Murdstone, the people who inhabit the world of David Copperfield spring to life.  You can see the little graveyard in David's hometown and imagine the boat that is a house, inhabited by Mr. Peggotty, Ham, Little Em'ly and the eternally suffering Mrs. Gummidge. Mr. Micawber and Uriah Heep appear in this novel and I now have personalities and stories to go with those well-known names. By turns funny and touching and even a little frightening, David Copperfield is a pure pleasure. 

Keep those pages turning......

A Bookstore Friend

This last weekend I attended a memorial service for an elegant, intelligent and lovely woman.  As I looked around at her family and friends, I was grateful that I had been included in the gathering.  Because while Carla and I had spent hours over the years talking about everything under the sun, we had never sat down to a meal or even a cup of tea.  I was Carla's bookseller.

If you sell books to a person over a period of time, a special relationship develops.  I am privileged to know so much about the lives of my regular customers.  But "customer" is just not the appropriate word.  There is a deeper connection that a retail description does not cover.  Sometime I say that certain people are my "bookstore friends".  I have bookstore friends that drop in just to say hello without the thought of money exchanging hands.  I know about their joys and sorrows.  I have watched their children or grandchildren grow up.  I have been through the loss of a spouse or the celebration of a birth.  I also know what kinds of books take them away from the many distractions of a busy life or bring them comfort in a dark moment. And they know me too.  They have seen my daughters grow, experienced bookstore celebrations and sympathized with my struggles.

Of course there are people who are just passing through.  I hope that those people find a book that they love and enjoy their little time at The Open Book.  There are bookstore friends who have become "real world friends" as well.  My bookstore friends, however, hold a special place in my heart.  How lucky am I to have a world of people to care about, to share a love of books and a quiet talk on a rainy afternoon?

I will miss Carla.  Her gentle sense of humor.  Her love of good mysteries.  Her knowledge of the world.  I was fortunate that she walked into my door so many years ago and became my bookstore friend.

Big Sigh of Relief

Our Morning With Jodi Picoult was a success!  A few over 300 people were there to celebrate the publication of Sing You Home, talk to Jodi and hear the beautiful music of Ellen Wilber.  Here are some photos of a special day......

 Thanks to Cheryl Dorskind for the wonderful photographs!

Keep those pages turning!

Waiting For Jodi

As a bookstore owner, I have played host to many authors over the years.  From the launch party for Justin Kramon's Finny, to the impromptu Dr. Ruth afternoon to the lovely Christian McLean and his Duckhampton, I have been lucky to meet people who love to write and have put their words out into the world.

Soon we will be hosting another wonderful author.  Way back in 2000, a popular author published a book called Salem Falls and was kind enough to come to Westhampton Beach for lunch with the bookclub and a book signing.  Twelve years later, this author is extremely POPULAR and is coming back.  Jodi Picoult is an author that draws hundreds of people to her booksignings and we are going to get to be her host again.

I am thrilled, it goes without saying.  But I am also a little nervous. This is the kind of event that goes beyond the four walls of my tiny bookstore.  I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about the space, the chairs, the books, the lines, the people.  Will my customers be happy?  Will Jodi be happy?  Can The Open Book pull this off?

I think we can.  With every employee and a few volunteers, we will welcome Jodi Picoult and musician Ellen Wilber on March 5th to celebrate the publication of the new book Sing You Home.  She will speak in the beautiful ballroom overlooking the ocean at the Westhampton Bath and Tennis Club.  We have strategies to make the autograph line move along smoothly and plans to have plenty of books available for sale.  Bagels and coffee will be offered at the store after the signing.

What makes me really happy is how excited my customers are.  When you get to meet someone who has taken you to another world with their stories, it is a treat.  When you read their books in the future, you will hear that author's voice and intonation.  It adds an extra layer to the experience of reading.  I am so happy to be able to offer that to my friends and customers. 

Just another reason why being a bookseller is an amazing profession.......

A Little February Magic

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness is not quite a fantasy novel and not quite historical fiction. It is not really a mystery, nor is it a romance novel.  This unusual book is, in fact, a great combination of all of those genres.

Diana Bishop is a scholar of history.  She is fascinated by the era in which people moved from a belief in magic to a reliance on science.  She has spent most of her years trying to deny her own heritage as the last of the Bishop witches.  After her parent's death, she ignored her powers and decided to rely on research and study.

One day Diana requests a book from the library at Oxford and her whole life changes.  The book is bewitched and apparently Diana is the only one who can open it.  Suddenly she finds herself surrounded by witches, daemons and vampires, all of whom want to know what is in the book.  But Diana has returned the book, wanting nothing to do with its magic.

One vampire, Matthew Clairmont, seems to be everywhere that Diana goes. Behavior that at first appears to be a bit threatening, soon evolves into protection.  Diana is in danger, and despite the forbidden nature of their relationship, Matthew cannot help but protect her.

This novel is full of surprises that unfold with the plot.  A library, a romance, a little bit of fantasy.  What else could you want on a snowy day?

Word After Word After Word

I am a bit of a sucker for books about writing.  I love Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird and Stephen King's On Writing.  I like to know what writers think and the process they follow as they create these creatures that fill so many shelves of my life.

Roger Rosenblatt is an Author with a capital "A".  He writes essays, fiction, memoirs, and plays. He is also a teacher, currently with the Stony Brook University Writers Program. Who better to write a book about writing?

I was not disappointed.  Rosenblatt tells us about good writing  as he describes a semester with a MFA class called "Writing Everything." The students in the class, their work, their comments are all springboards for nuggets of wisdom.  At one point he tells his class, "I believe in spare writing. Precise and restrained writing. I like short sentences. Fragmented sentences sometimes,  I enjoy dropping in exotic words from time to time.  Either they put off readers or drive them to the dictionary."

Not every writer would agree with Roger Rosenblatt. But his lessons are straightforward and clear.  He is always kind in his criticism and often a little sarcastic with his praise.  He can laugh at himself and allows his students to do the same.  He may feel great affection for his students, but he is no cream puff. He leaves room for them to find the flaws in their own work and to learn to become better writers.

Finally, what I liked most about this book is that in describing his class and his teaching, Rosenblatt writes with ease and elegance and beauty.  That may be a few too many adjectives, but I needed them.  Rosenblatt ends the book with this, "Both you and the human heart are full of sorrow.  But only one of you can speak for the sorrow and ease its burdens and make it sing - word after word after word".   This one sings for me.......

Re-reading

I am getting to that age......not only do I forget names, dates and other important information, but I can re-read a book that I read in my 20's and it seems like the a brand new book.  I remember the title and the fact that I once read it and liked it, but the plot is barely a fuzzy memory.  This is a bit frustrating, as there are so many books that I want to read for the first time and now I have a growing list of books that I want to revisit.  On the bright side, my TBR (to be read) list is endless and will never be finished so I expect to live forever!

This week, in preparation for the mystery book club that I lead at the library, I re-read The Alienist by Caleb Carr.  I read this book back in 1995 and loved it.  I remembered that it was about a serial killer in New York city but the rest of the details were a little hazy. 

What a nice surprise.  This is not your standard thriller.  The novel is well researched, complex and peopled with real historical figures including police commissioner, Teddy Roosevelt and reformer, Jacob Riis.  The sights, sounds and smells of New York in the late 1890's pop out from the page.  You feel full after reading the description of an endless meal at Delmonico's; you want to wash up after taking in the description of the filth of the tenements. 

If all my re-reads are as good as The Alienist,  I look forward to visiting many more old book friends.

Here we go.....

It is the start of a new reading year and I have been challenged by my library colleague, Beth to read 100 books this year.  She is already way ahead of me but I cannot resist a challenge.  So, here we go with the list for 2011.

1. The Radleys by Matt Haig (a different kind of vampire tale....starting my year of with a fang!)
2. Rule of Nine by Steve Martini (not my favorite, Paul Madriani is getting a little stale)
3. The Alienist by Caleb Carr (good historical mystery, just a little gruesome)
4. Sherlock Holmes and the Shakespeare Letter by Barry Grant (I can't wait for the next one...some threads were left hanging)
5. Peak by Roland Smith (Go YA adventure with lots of meaty issues for young adults)
6. The Mozart Code by Scott Mariani (Good, DaVinci code-ish, thriller)
7. Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz and David Hayward (Very funny quirky mystery)
8. Unless it Moves The Human Heart by Roger Rosenblatt (beautifully written book on writing)
9. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin (southern, almost gothic, lots of twist....read this one!)
10. A Common Life by Jan Karon (Sweet, a little scattered, Father Tim and Cynthia in Ireland)
11. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (witches, vampires, science, magic, history....what could be better?)
12. Royal Blood by Rhys Bowen ( An old fashioned cozy mystery for a cold day)
13. The Sherlockian by Graham Brown (two mysteries 100 years apart, with Sherlock!)
14. Love, Inc by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout (Sweet and suprising YA girl lit)
15. The Secret Soldier by Alex Berenson (Action, suspense, bodies everywhere....)
16. Unpublished Memoir by a favorite customer (I hope that someone publishes this fascinating story)
17. Sixkills by Robert Parker (I can't believe that this is the last Spenser novel.....)
18. Joy for Beginners by Erica Bauermeister ( pleasant, fun.....liked but didn't love)
19. Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran (Loved it.....historical fiction at it's best)
20. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (classic mystery and suspense)
21. AfterImage by Carla Malden (Affecting, heartwrenching memoir)
22. Withering Tights by Louise Rennison (Georgia has a cousin!  Hooray.....)
23. Family Honor by Robert Parker (The first Sunny Randall book....my heart still belongs to Spenser)
24. Crampton Hodnet by Barbara Pym (Cozy re-read)
25. One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde (weird, but so enjoyable)
26. Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon (Venice, food, mystery......good stuff)
27. Buffalo West Wing by Julie Hyzy (white house chef, kidnapping, mystery)
28 My One and Only by Kristan Higgins (light, fun, just ok)
29. A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear (I can't believe that I finished it so fast....I want more....)
30. You Better Knot Die by Betty Hechtman (Crochet, murder and recipes....the cozy trifecta)
31. The Happiness Project by Gretchn Rubin  (interesting concept with some good ideas)
32. Original Sin by Beth McMullan (wry, funny, suspenseful....good)
33. Secret Sanction by Brian Haig (great thriller.....thanks to Viv for the recommendation)
34. The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen (lovely, a little magical and romantic...perfect for spring)
35. Bossypants by Tina Fey (Funny and smart)
36. My Korean Deli by Ben Ryder Howe (also funny and smart....)
37. The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney (dark and brooding....leaves some questions open)
38. The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly (sweet, fun, light read)
39. The Winter Garden Mystery by Carola Dunn (good cozy, fun characters)
40. Theater Geek by Mickey Rapkin (Interesting look at theater camp)
41. Drawing Conclusions by Donna Leon (the wonderful Inspector Brunetti is back)
42. Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson (lively YA, I had hoped for a different ending)
43. Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks (beautifully written literary and historical fiction)
44. Real Murders by Charlaine Harris (ehhh... I suggest her Sookie Stackhouse series instead)
45. A Bitter Truth by Charles Todd (excellent historical mystery.....Bess Crawford is a winner!)
46. The English Assassin by Daniel Silva (intense thriller with art restorer/spy Gabriel Allon)
47. Dead Spy Running by Jon Stock (just ok....)
48. The Sisters by Nancy Jenkins (good women's fiction)
49. Walking the Perfect Square by Reed Farrel Coleman (Excellent noir mystery)
50.  David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (What took me so long?  So great)
51. Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun by Lois Winston (cute cozy)
52. Strategic Moves by Stuart Woods (wretched)
53. A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny (dark and wonderful.....Three Pines continues to be a wonderful place for a murder)
54. Falling Together by Marisa de los Santos (lovely story of friendship and love)
55. The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted  by Bridget Asher ("grief is a love story told backwards")
56. The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card (good fantasy novel)
57. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett (dark, beautiful, disturbing)
58. Corduroy Mansions by Alexander McCall Smith (light look at an entertaining cast of characters)
59. Gods of Greenwich by Norb Vonnegut (so-so financial thriller, learned lots of new slang)
60. Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem (interesting, well written, hardboiled, literary)
61. The Borrower by Rebeccas Makkai (Amazing!)
62. Whose Body by Dorothy Sayers (old-fashioned, politically incorrect but enjoyable mystery)
63. The Leftovers by Tom Perotta (ehhhh.....)
64. The Dog Who Came in From the Cold by Alexander McCall Smith (charming, enjoyable)
65. Redemption Street by Reed Farrel Coleman (well written, intriguing characters, good mystery)
66. Adrenaline by Jeff Abbott (excellent thriller)
67. Spanking Shakespeare by Jake Wizner (edgy little YA novel)
68. Kingmaker by Brian Haig (exciting spy novel)
69. The Orange Blossom Special by Betsy Carter (picture of Gainesville in the 50x)
70. The Wedding Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini (mushy and good)
71. The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill (unusual, well-written mystery)
72. Children and Fire by Ursula Hegi (subtle and powerful)
73. Portrait of a Spy by Daniel Silva (always a good read)
74.  Zeke Bartholomew Superspy by Jason Pinter (Really fun middle grade adventure)
75. A Suitable Vengeance by Elizabeth George (complicated and interesting mystery)
76. Jenna and Jonah's Fauxmance by Emily Franklin and Brendan Halpin ( things are bad when I start reading pink YA books.....)
77. Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer (good saga)
78. Anthem for Doomed Youth by Carola Dunn (historical cozy mystery....good storm reading)
79. Shug by  Jenny Han (Good YA)
80.  Rip Tide by Stella Rimington (so-so spy novel)
81. It Looked Different on the Model by Laurie Notaro (really, really funny)
82. The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory (wonderful, romantic, fact filled historical fiction)
83. The Call by Yannick Murphy (unusual and very good)
84. The Christmas Thief by Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark (ok....not the right season)
85. Wicked Autumn by G.M. Malliet (definitely the right season, very Agatha Christie)
86. The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman (good, if wordy, mystery)
87. The Affair by Lee Child (not my favorite.....or I am still upset that Tom Cruise is playing Reacher?)
88. A Test of Wills by Charles Todd (good English mystery)
89. Naughty in Nice by Rhys Bowen (fun cozy)
90. Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt (enjoyable legal thriller)
91. The Trail of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz (loved this....hope it is not the last)
92. One Day by David Nicholls ( a modern love story)
93. The Confession by Charles Todd (confusing but good)
94. Girls in White Dresses byJennifer Close (connected short stories about girls in the city)
95. Knit One Pearl One by Gile McNeil (sweet, but how do you knit a seahorse?)
96. Death is a Cabaret by Deborah Morgan (audio book with a terrible narrator distracted from the mystery.
97. The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny (back to Three Pines.....love these books)
98. Change of A Dress by Maya Gold (cute YA)
99. The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz (Sherlock and Dr. Watson are back!)
100. Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott (wonderful story of her sons first year with his son)
101. L.A. Requiem by Robert Crais (well written, hardboiled mystery)
102. Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich (like coming home but with crazy relatives)
103. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling (funny memoir)
104. You Better Not Cry by Augusten Burroughs (funny, sad Christmas stories)
105. A Killer's Christmas in Wales by Elizabeth Duncan (cozy mystery in Wales)
106. The Matzo Ball Heiress by Laurie Gwen Shapiro (pure fluff!)
107. Aunt Dimity's Death by Nancy Atherton (another cozy....love this series)