|
|
|
|
Before going into December, let me first and foremost say Thank You for all the support through 2020. It was probably one of the toughest years a small business owner will ever face. It's one thing to say the store wouldn't make it without you guys (well, you know, without customers of course we wouldn't), but it goes farther than that. Without everyone's support I don't know that I, personally, would have made it. A day didn't go by that I didn't have someone coming in and reminding why this store needs to keep going. It cannot be said enough how much it meant to me to know people were cheering me on, and that I always had a crew to fall back on if I needed some pick me up.
Now! December. It was a weird one. Didn't really see much of a day to day increase in business like you expect in the holidays. I think everyone really heeded the advice to shop early. I had a lot of customers that were done or at least ordered what they needed by Thanksgiving. Sales wise it was still a good month, just not as good as I thought it would be, which is ok.
Columbia Bank decided to give me another round of funding for the Pass It On program! SO much fun giving out more books. I got more money this time, so was able to do a little more and in fact still have a little bit of money that I'm working with a couple schools to fulfill library lists. I sent books to HomePlate, Lionheart, Family Promise again. But also gave a stack of books to a teacher that was laid off for a while and was trying to be smart. She'd been eyeing a certain series all year and it was really fun to surprise her. Also, a new mother (baby was born in December) had a list of books that she wanted on her registry and got none of them... So I got them all for her =)
Let's talk books! On top of what I read in December, I thought it would be fun to recap my favorite books of the year, and the big sellers for the store for the year.
First, my favorite books of the year: both of Talia Hibbert's books were awesome, but her 2nd book Take a Hint, Dani Brown spoke to me in so many ways! Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall was one of the most perfect romances I've read in a really long time. Strange Love by Ann Aguirre was quirky cute, and just what I needed for a vacation read. They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera was the first book without a HEA (happily ever after) that I've read and enjoyed in a REALLY long time.
Stores biggest sellers this year: Local Author Lono Waiwaiole's latest book White Swan was a big hit with his readers. But also, Lono made sure that my store was the only location you could get a copy of the book to try to help the store keep going. It was a HUGE effort on his part and so appreciated on my part. The new releases from Twilight, Hunger Games, both Dog Man and the Cat Kid books that came out. Wings of Fire became a big series with the store. The entire Science Comics line was a hit. Bluey is a new show that everyone has been loving and the books are becoming very popular. Untamed by Glennon Doyle, A Promised Land by Barack Obama, of course Nora Roberts, Sharon Sala and Lee Child's releases were all successful. Stamped, How to Be An Anti-Racist, Me and White Supremacy, and I'm Still Here were probably some of the most popular non-fiction. Dune has been flying off the shelf this year, of course there's a new movie coming so that's probably why.
My December reads:
I'm still going through the In Death series by JD Robb, currently on number 29. I'll honestly say I skip a good portion of the actual solving-the-crime part, but I'm enjoying reading the side characters journey for now at least.
The Cowboy Who Saved Christmas - Our romance bookclub pick for December. It was... kinda boring. I hate to say it cause I usually enjoy anthologies, but the stories fell flat for me. I also will say I was the outsider, book #2 was my favorite of the 3 and I did quite enjoy that one, while everyone else tended to like #2 the least and enjoy #1 and #3 the most.
Instant Karma by Marissa Meyer - This was our YA bookclub selection for December. This book gave me all the feels. I related so much to the heroine. I loved that her journey never became her making a fool or herself or people pushing her down. The only thing I missed was a really good grovel scene when the hero figured out he was wrong.
180 Seconds by Jessica Park - This was actually a re-read, but I've never talked about it so I figured I'd tell you why I liked it. After Instant Karma I wanted a book that would make me keep feeling so I picked this one because the 180 seconds scene is pretty intense. I forgot that the ending of the book was so EMOTIONAL! I literally couldn't put the book down, but I would read a sentence and be crying. But I was at the store so I couldn't! It was horrible! Oh so good.
Here's to 2021! I know the spring is out for any events at the store, outside of maybe doing some more author live events. But in the summer, I'm looking to doing some outside events (hopefully)! March is the store's 40th anniversary, which bums me out that I won't be able to do a party, but I've got my thinking cap on for something fun.
|
|
Happy New Year! As I think back over the past year not all of it was awful. I did get to travel though not as I had dreamed of it but it was a good trip. We saw our kids and met the new granddaughter who is quite the cutie. I got to explore parts of Route 66. That alone was worth the trip. We stayed in a cement wigwam and we out ran states shutting down on our way home.
I haven’t really thought about travels for 2021, I will see where COVID-19 takes us. My trip with my book people that was cancelled last May has been postponed from this May to sometime in the fall.
While waiting for things to open back up a bit I have been reading, binge watching Virgin River for the second time, the Bridgerton’s and I just signed up for STARZ so I can watch beyond season three of Outlander, of course I have to go back to the beginning and watch all of the seasons again. Normally I don’t reread books but I watch movies etc over and over. I can’t tell you how many times I have watched Pretty Woman and Dirty Dancing.
So what have I been reading you ask. Well I am still hooked on Robyn Carr, I’m on Sullivan’s Crossing now and I am in need of book 4, The Best of Us could you turn it in to Lori or allow me to borrow it?
Deep in the Valley, Just Over the Mountain, Down by the River, What We Find, Any Day Now all by Robyn Carr.
The Awakening by Nora Roberts, after reading the prologue I wasn’t sure this was a book I could finish. How could I doubt Nora, so so good. Now I have to wait a year for the next one.
The Family Gathering by Robyn Carr.
Thin Ice by Paige Shelton. This is a new author and I devoured this book. It grabbed me on the first page and didn’t let go.
Happy New Year everyone 🥂
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
