September 24, 2019
Because I work as a librarian, the way I discover new-to-me books has changed from when I was younger and not a librarian. I see what titles cross the circulation desk; peruse the records in the library catalog; read entries in themed book lists from Barnes & Noble and Orbit; and find books or DVDs when I straighten the library…
February 7, 2019
This is, first and foremost, the question that defines my job. As a bookseller, it is my duty to help you find a book (or more than one) that will satisfy you. Whether it’s a specific title or just a general idea of what you need, as long as I can help you in some fashion, my duty is fulfilled.…
November 4, 2017
Welcome to November! I hope that you enjoyed the last little bit of October and our Halloween-flavored shenanigans. November is in full swing here at Speculative Chic, and we intend to enjoy every second of it. Have you kept up with this week? Whether you have or not, I’m here to put all of last week’s links in one handy…
October 5, 2017
Walking into a bookstore you’ll find a plethora of categories. Fantasy, science fiction, history, children’s picture books, cookbooks, and so much more. But not every store will have a section for every genre. This includes horror. While horror is still a strong subject, there are plenty of stores out there that tend to put those books into other areas. Some…
September 7, 2017
Booksellers may seem like they live the good life, working in a bookstore, surrounded by books and dragon plushies and hosting the occasional Harry Potter party. But bookselling isn’t always fun and games. Sometimes it can be difficult when you have a customer who just doesn’t have the title right and you’re unable to figure out what it is they…
May 4, 2017
When it comes to books and bookstores, it’s a bit like a revolving door. Books come in, they sit on the shelf, books go out. Oftentimes they get purchased, but sometimes they go out the back door. The shipping door. The door that customers never see. So why do they go out the way they came in? What reason is…
April 6, 2017
No, we’re not getting on a giant boat with a lot of animals — that’s an ark. ARC stands for Advance Reading Copy. Or Advance Review Copy. Or Advanced Reader’s Copy. Or you might see ARE for Advance Reader’s Edition. The point is that a book that is labeled as such is an early copy that hasn’t yet hit the…
February 22, 2017
A lot of people get confused when faced with a book that has two covers. Is the inside different? Is this the same book? The confusion only deepens on those rare occasions when the title changes. However, gentle readers and moviegoers, this is simply a cover change up.