A Tale of Two Bookstores…

Hedleys Bookstore, Masterton

Right in the main street of town, on its original site, Hedleys is currently under the ownershop of the son of the original proprietor. The original store had half the geographic footprint and a delightful upstairs mezzanine in which educational text and commercial stationery in bulk were housed.

By catering for the educational market, as well as fiction and non fiction and the magazine and technical readers, the business grew. Probably due to the extreme helpfulness of all staff from proprietor down. Dave the current Hedley has assisted local writers to get published, he assists with book or reading promotion events, and he caters for the collectors of antique or limited editions books – the latter now firmly ensconsed in the mezzanine. Over time the lower retail sections have moved into new space created from the premises next door.

‘The whole store is still a reader’s delight.’

I used to have one magazine on permanent order there “MS” (no longer in publication.) My husband had Hedleys hold his motor sports magazines. I used to go collect the magazines and browse for hours, always finding some new treat to read. It was from Hedleys I was able to get McCall-Smith’s No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, before we left town.

The next generation of happy readers at Hedleys…

McLeods Bookstore, Rotorua

As an avid reader and book buyer, moving out of reach of Hedleys was a wrench – luckily, I found McLeods. They are generous in sponsoring the Rotorua Writers Group’s newsletters, and assist the group in book launches and promotions.

Their staff are also helpful, and boy do they know their stock: ask for something and they’ll tell you (or walk and get it) before their computer has responded to a stock search request.

Under new management, the current owner is supporting the international NaNoWriMo locally, by offering to host two “write-in” sessions right there in the store – close to the coffee and reading corner – ideal for writers with a mission! (Also congratulations to McLeods for their recent business awards win. Look here.)

The last book I bought via McLeods was Nalini Singh’s Angels’ Blood, the first of her Guild Hunters series (hoping to receive a review copy of the fifth in the series) at her book signing at the local public library.

Both bookstore reviews by Lynne Street – an avid bookshop fan.

(Photos for this blog taken by Rachael Street.)

My Cat Likes to Work in Bookstores!

Two weeks ago I used a picture of a very handsome cat in a bookstore, to draw attention to this blog where we are asking YOU – the people of New Zealand, the readers, the book lovers, the bookstore lovers – to write reviews of your favourite bookstores. (Please get in touch with us at info@booksellers.co.nz to contribute)

Little did I know that the cat in my photo does indeed live in a bookstore and is already quite famous…

Dear Booksellers,

A friend just alerted me to your New Zealand bookstore appreciation page and there, at the bottom, is my store cat Hodge. Since we’re, oh, something like 10,000 miles away, give or take, I wondered how in the world he got there? Is he really that famous? I really do promote him, tongue in cheek, as Chicago’s Most Famous Cat, but now I wonder if I”m being too modest…

Best, Keith Peterson, Selected Works Used Books & Music,Chicago

Dear Keith,

I am sorry I poached your photo of Hodge! It was only in the spirit of attracting more attention to our blog about great indie bookstores. If there is one thing most people like to look at online it is a photo of a cat – famous or otherwise.

I actually trawled Google for some time and Hodge was chosen from a cast of many cats in bookstores. I felt Hodge portrayed the right amount of acumen and alertness. His eyes are bright with interest, he looked capable of reading across many genres, or at least lying across books of many genres. I have now gone to your website and found even more wonderful pictures of Hodge. (My own cat’s name is Barney, but alas he does not live or work in a bookstore.)

Very kind regards to you and of course to Hodge, Megan

Hi Megan,

I don’t mind at all that you used a photo of Hodge to bring attention to your local bookstores, and I’m delighted that Hodge was chosen from an array of bookstore cat candidates. He is quite a character, smart, playful, exasperating now and then, and quite photogenic. People are always taking pictures of him, and the one you used is not one of mine – he keeps popping up on various bookstore blogs, and most on-line consumer reviews of my store mention him as one of the attractions of Selected Works.

In fact, about a year ago my store was named Best Bookstore With A Cat in Chicago by a local independent weekly paper – which really means best cat with a bookstore.

Hodge in Action

Some local media students at Columbia College here did a short video on my store a few months ago, and there is a section devoted to Hodge. (Hodge clips 3.36m into video. This is a lovely overall review of Selected Works bookstore.)

And here’s a video a customer posted a week ago or so, of Hodge selected books. He seems to be doing his part in adding to the avalanche of cat videos on the web.

And yes, Hodge is a male cat, named after Dr. Johnson’s cat Hodge, as mentioned in Boswell [Johnson had to personally buy oysters for his Hodge so as not to make the servants resentful] – there’s a statue of this Hodge in London somewhere in front of one of the places Johnson lived. We think our Hodge is a Korat, one of those ‘blue’ type gray cats – I don’t know for sure since I got him at the city pound. I do know that I’ve heard many people exclaim that he’s the most beautiful cat they’ve ever seen.

Selected Works has been selling used books and sheet music since 1984 here in Chicago, first on the north side and now in the famous Fine Arts Building, which has been a sort of informal art colony for about 100 years. In the past, it has been the home of Poetry Magazine, The Cliff Dwellers, The Little Review, and Frank Lloyd Wright, and was an important element in Chicago’s Literary Renaissance back around the first world war.

Please feel free to use this email or any part of it as a blog post about Selected Works – I think it makes an amusing story how Hodge’s photo ended up in New Zealand. Perhaps this will encourage other booksellers in far away lands to use him as a symbol of the intriguing wonders that wait inside one’s local bookstore…

Best, Keith Peterson, Selected Works Used Books & Music, Chicago IL 60605

WE WANT YOUR BOOKSTORE REVIEWS: If you have a bookstore you’d love to blog about – either in NZ or abroad – please get in touch with us I have a bookstore review!

Indie bookstores are wonderful places inhabited by wonderful beings like Hodge.

Here are 10 great reasons to buy books from local bookstores: Here’s what you just did!

10 Reasons to Shop Local: Here’s what you just did!

1. You kept money in the local economy
Based on US research, we know that for every $100 spent in a local business, $68 is likely to stay in the community, versus $43 when spent in a national business.

2.You embraced what makes us unique
You wouldn’t want your house to look like everyone else’s in New Zealand. So why would you want your community to look that way?

3. You created local jobs
Local businesses are better at creating higher-paying jobs for local people.

4. You helped the environment
Buying from a local business conserves energy and resources in the form of less fuel for transportation, less packaging, and products that you know are safe and well made, because we stand behind them.

5. You nurtured community
We know you, and you know us. Studies have shown that local businesses donate to community causes at more than twice the rate of non-local businesses.

6. You helped keep the high street healthy
Supporting local business means more colour and variety on the high street and creates more reason for local authorities to support them.

7. You created more choice
We pick the items we sell based on what we know you like and want. Local businesses carry a wider array of unique products because we buy for our own individual market.

8. You took advantage of our expertise
You are our friends and neighbours, and we have a vested interest in knowing how to serve you. We’re passionate about what we do. Why not take advantage of it?

9. You invested in entrepreneurship
Creativity and entrepreneurship are crucial to our economy. Nurturing local business ensures a strong community.

10.You made us a destination
The more interesting and unique we are as a community, the more we will attract new neighbours, visitors and guests. This benefits everyone!

Print a copy of the Here’s What You Just Did flier here!

And remember…

Customer Love: Unity Books, Wellington

A love letter to Unity Books Wellington

The second-worst location of a Wellington job I ever had was in the building next to Unity Books on Willis Street.  The worst location was on the other side of town to Unity.

I have a bad book-buying habit, and Unity Books is my enabler.  It’s really hard for me to walk past on my way elsewhere (“I’ll just pop in for a quick look to see what’s new”).  I’m sure I’m not the only person who has missed buses, because the bus stop is right outside, but there’s a new book in the window and the cover looks really interesting and you decide to pop in and read the blurb, and then something else catches your eye …

For me, there are several things that make Unity stand out from the chain bookstores.

The staff are great; they’re knowledgeable and helpful and they’ve always gone the extra mile for me, whether it’s tracking down a book that’s not shelved where I thought it would be, or making an order for something that’s a bit obscure.

I love the layout of the store.  It’s spacious, and yet jam-packed.  Everything is laid out clearly by subject or genre, so it’s easy to find your area of interest, but it’s just as easy to get drawn into another zone (the proximity of biography and cookery being almost fatal to my bank balance on a number of occasions).  The displays are interesting and eye-catching; my first port of call is always the new arrivals display near the front entrance, and I usually end up carrying one or two books with me while I wander around the rest of the store.  There are little recommendations and reviews by staff dotted around, which have often helped me to decide which book needs to go back, and which will come home.

It’s great that the only thing you can buy at Unity is a book.  That’s not quite true – they sell a range of gorgeous  greeting cards, a little bit of gift wrap, and in spring they carry a small but great range of calendars and diaries.  That’s it.  No stationery, no lotto, no DVDs, no Woman’s Day.  You’re in Unity because you’re a reader; and in my opinion, being a reader is a wonderful thing to be.

But the thing that is most wonderful about Unity Books is the quality of the stock.  It’s outstanding.  Unity is to bookstores what Logan Brown or Martin Bosley’s are to restaurants – you’re getting superior product.  Unity Books is not the place you head when you want to buy a handful of those books that some other stores offer at 4 for $12; it’s the place you head when you want to read something challenging, funny, thought provoking or just plain good.  If you’re someone who believes that life is too short to read bad books, Unity is your place.

It is possible to imagine Wellington without Unity Books, but why would you want to do that?  Wellington would be a poorer place.  Without Unity I would probably miss fewer buses, and would definitely have more money in the bank; but I would know less, laugh less, and escape less.  And there’s always another bus.

What was the last book you bought from Unity Books?

Ha!  If only I could stop at one book.  I last bought Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson, Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories, and The Food of Spain by Claudia Roden.

How often do you visit Unity Books on average?

A couple of times a month.

What is irreplaceable about bookstores?

For me, the ability to handle the merchandise, to flick through the pages, have the weight of the book in your hand, to compare and contrast, to decide if you like the quality of the paper or the feel of the cover … it’s the tactile nature of book buying that I love.  That, and good staff who really love books and are happy to talk to you about them.

By customer, Rachel Moore.

Also –  Congratulations to Unity Wellington who have been on Willis Street for 45 years this week. We can’t imagine Wellington without Unity either. Celebrate by treating yourself to a new book from Unity this week…

Unity Books Wellington, 57 Willis Street, 04  499 4245, wellington@unitybooks.co.nz

Do you love bookstores too?

Get in touch with your bookstore review and share the love!

So far we have only heard from Wellington customers…

email: info@booksellers.co.nz

Customer Love: Pegasus Books

I’m absolutely obsessed with books – I read them constantly, I write them, and I blog about them – and somehow most lunchtimes I find myself in one bookshop or another around Wellington just enjoying the feeling of being around so many stories.

One of my favourites for second hand books is Pegasus Books in Left Bank Arcade, Cuba Street, which just has everything. It’s the kind of place where you go in there looking for something specific, find it, then spend another hour (or two) silently squealing with delight as you browse the rest of the store and find that every second book is one you have on your “must read” list.

A lot of second hand bookstores just stock anything and everything, but Pegasus seems much more selective and they stock a lot of classics and greats as well as new, popular fiction. I was so excited when I saw they had a great selection of Joanne Harris, one of my favourite writers, then a couple of shelves over, a row of Charles Dickens.

The staff are really helpful there. I was looking for some books for my 13-year-old (boy) cousin and had no idea where to start and the guy there was so great, he showed some that he loved as a young man and even suggested a few others that they didn’t have, but I should look elsewhere for.

Wellington is a wonderful place for book lovers, as you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to bookstores. Even though things are moving quickly into the digital age, I think bookstores, if the owners are creative and innovative, have the potential to survive, because there’s something irreplaceable about being ensconced in a room where you’re surrounded by thousands of stories just waiting to be discovered and read. It’s a feeling you just can’t get from a little digital device.This quote sums up the value and potential survival of bookstores perfectly: “Books are no more threatened by Kindle than stairs by elevators.” ― Stephen Fry.

Sarah is an avid reader, writer and blogger from Wellington. Check out her blog, You May Say I’m a Dreamer at: http://youmaysayimadreamer-sh.blogspot.co.nz/

Do you have a favourite bookshop too? We’d love to hear about it. Email: info@booksellers.co.nz 

Customer love: The Wellington Children’s Bookstore

It’s absolutely no competition when it comes to naming my favourite bookshop: it’s The Children’s Bookshop in Kilbirnie, Wellington.  Ever since I discovered this gem, hidden away down an arcade off Kilbirnie’s main shopping street, I have harboured fantasies about secretly moving in and living there.  And once I had children of my own to shop for, my visits became even more regular.

Don’t tell my husband – but I am in the store at least a couple of times a month and I very rarely leave without buying something, even if I only intended to stop and browse.I could browse the shelves for hours – and frequently come close to doing so.  It’s hard to say which I enjoy more; rediscovering all my old childhood favourites or finding new modern stories to share with my children.

John and Ruth, and their staff, are incredibly knowledgeable.  It’s impossible to stump them.  “I need a birthday present for a tomboy 9 year old girl, no fairies, no princesses, she likes animals, okay find me something” and they will conjure up just the perfect book.  My nephews and nieces are all grateful recipients of books bought on recommendations from the clever staff.

You just don’t get that sort of service when you buy online from some anonymous global conglomerate.  And I’ve never known John and Ruth to ever refuse a request to support our local school.  Try getting that sort of relationship from a faceless website based on the other side of the world!

The last book I bought there was Rachael King’s new book “Red Rocks”. She’s an author I especially admire so I was thrilled to see she’d written a young adults book, set in Wellington.  I sent it to my 13 year old niece in Sydney who tells me she’s really loving it.  I hope I get to borrow it back…

It really is just the best bookstore in the country – for children AND adults.

This bookshop review is by customer, Tiffany Matsis.

Find the store on the map here!

The Children’s Bookstore Shop 26 Kilbirnie Plaza, Kilbirnie, Wellington 6022, NZ.
Tel – 64 4 387 3905 Fax – 64 4 387 3288 Email: books@thechildrensbookshop.co.nz

Love Your Local: Taupo Bookstore goes Indiebound

How Indiebound works for Price’s Bookshop:

I was excited when hearing about the launch of ‘Indiebound’. It was timely as our sales were drastically down on previous years. The traffic bypass was open and Taupo is a small town with a large population of retirees or people on limited incomes, who tend to be ‘one stop shop’ folk. Five book chain outlets exist in town in addition to the on-line options for consumers.

Price’s Bookshop was also in need of a rebrand and revamp so I was looking for ways to lift our shop profile and to actively promote the independent brand. I had begun introducing our new logo in as many ways as I could inside the shop and had become very aware of the need to communicate directly to customers with signage alongside the stock and of the need to display stock in attractive and eye catching ways.

I searched the Indiebound website for display material that would help promote sales, our independent status, and material that would encourage shoppers to shop local. I later began to collect various thematic posters, Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Valentines Day, Christmas and so on. In a one person store it’s really helpful to have a repertoire of display props to choose from quickly.

The judging criteria for our Local Business Awards was a useful guide for our store revamp. Aside from clear branding, store tidiness, and customer service, one of the key criteria was that staff need to be easily identified by shoppers. It was then that I had Indiebound slogans ‘Eat, Sleep, Read’, ‘Peace, Love, Books’ and ‘For the Love of Books’ printed on the front of the shirts and with help from the local printer we decided to include our logo on the right sleeve and our website on the back of the shirts. These looked so good that I had more tee shirts printed with the same range of slogans but without our branding, and these are for sale in the store.

I’m appreciative of Indie Bound’s support. It can be isolating on one’s own among the chain stores. Indiebound provides me with messages instantly that I can be political with to promote my own brand.

Tracey Lidington, owner.

Price’s Bookshop Limited, 95 Tongariro Street, Taupo, New Zealand, Tel +64 7 378 6963, or email: Tracey Lidington

Subscribing to Indiebound is currently FREE for members of Booksellers NZ. Just contact us here.

Indiebound is a growing global movement about the need to shop locally and keep our high streets healthy.

For bookstores we offer an online marketing toolkit that is a one stop shop for all the designs and point of sale you need to celebrate your Independent identity in the community.

The Sea On Our Skin by Madeliene Tobert

 The Sea on Our Skin

This is a beautiful and haunting first novel about relationships between parents and children, about love and betrayal, and about daily life, set in a tiny Pacific Island community. The sea that Amalia regards as the boundary of her world, Ioane uses as his escape route. On one journey he takes their second small son with him – it is years before this close-knit family see him again. The building of a road opens the secluded community up a little to the outside world and strangers are now able to visit. Taking its rhythms from oral story-telling traditions, this simple, lyrical story is beguiling and transports you to a vivid & tangible island.

*Madeliene Tobert is originally from Scotland –lived in the pacific for many years, is married to a Fiiian, & now lives in Auckland.

Hachette, $37

Reviewed by Carole Beu, The Women’s Bookshop

Passport to Hell!

Passport to Hell – Robin Hyde (1936)

Everything by novelist, journalist and poet Robin Hyde (born Iris Guiver Wilkinson) is essential reading. A fiercely productive and independent woman with a blazing literary talent, her stark journalistic style of writing is perhaps best illustrated in her war novel Passport to Hell. Hyde’s sharp and diagnostic realism punctuates an unsparingly brutal and graphic yet intimate account of the first World War, and is told from a front-line soldier’s perspective.

While Passport to Hell was highly praised at the time, few reviewers were aware it was written by a woman.

I’m also looking forward to the forthcoming book Your Unselfish Kindness: Robin Hyde’s Autobiographical Writings edited by Mary Edmond Paul (due end of March).

Reviewed by Kiran Dass, Unity Books Wellington