In the fall of 1994, as a college Freshman at Kansas State, I ventured down to the TV room in the basement of my dorm to watch the series premiere of a new medical drama. I was pre-med at the time and had every intention of spending my life in a white jacket. 15 years later, I sat on my couch watching the final episode of the same show. In those 15 years I never missed an episode. Even during the Retro Dance craze of my early twenties when Thursdays meant slinging $1.00 pitchers and $0.25 draws at the Granada. My VCR did my dirty work and I was able to escape into the perfect disasters that could only happen at County General. However, around year 11 I began to feel a disconnect from the staff. I would sit down at 9:00 Central (10:00 Eastern) Time and take a deep breath, pumping myself up to sit through another hour hoping I would feel the same draw to the characters and County General that I once had. Unfortunately, I never did. Still, every single Thursday night you would find me in the same place, waiting to take a glimpse into the ever changing world of my once favorite hospital. As I sat and watched that final episode I expected to be sad. I expected to feel a tremendous sense of loss. After all, I had spent every Thursday night for the past 15 years immersed in this imaginary world. I expected that I would mourn the loss of the characters and stories. However, as the dust settled I felt something very different than loss. I felt relief. It was as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I was finally free from the world of Cook County.
Today, at 4:22, I (among every other person in my office) received an email telling us of the future of the organization for which I have worked the last 7 years. A company that I love and feel proud and lucky to have been associated. At first I was sad. Thousands of people all over the country will be unemployed. Access to a product I love will be diminished. Yet, once I had a chance to feel the pain and sadness, I felt relief. Relief that I will not be living with a constant block in the pit of my stomach. Relief that I will not have to wonder every morning if this will be the day that another round of massive layoffs will take place. For the first time in 4 years I will lay my head down on my pillow and not fear what will happen tomorrow.
Please don't misunderstand... I am worried about the sacrifices we will have to make going forward to survive as a single income family. I am sad and worried for myself and my co-workers in this challenging job market. I am sad that I will no longer have daily conversations with the people I have grown to respect over the last 7 years. I am sad. I am concerned. I am human. I am, however, ready to move forward. I am ready to see what the next chapter of my life holds. I am ready to see what else is on Thursday nights at 9:00 Central (10:00 Eastern) Time.
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Monday, July 18, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
I am sad, so very sad...
I am sad. I am very sad.
I am sad because last week Borders filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
I am sad because one of the exhibits of that document included a list of 200 Borders stores that will be closing.
I am sad because thousands of smart, intelligent, knowledgeable booksellers will be losing their jobs as soon as the liquidation of the stores is complete.
I am sad because these people will have a very hard time finding another job as a bookseller due to the reduction of brick-and-mortar bookstores.
I am sad because my children, everyone's children, will not have the access to books that they did last week.
I am sad for new authors trying to break into the business because the loss of 200 stores will impact the first print run and result in a lower advance.
I am sad for readers who will not have as many places to discover their next favorite book.
I am sad because during the first weekend of liquidation bookscan numbers for publishers as much as doubled. Sales at the closing stores are 20% off, 20%... People were lined up outside of closing stores before they opened for 20% off. They can get 40% off NYT Bestsellers and popular paperbacks everyday at every Borders. Even better, for a mere $20.00 a year, they can always get 40% off Hardcover Bestsellers, 20% off select Hardcovers and 10% off almost everything else in the store EVERYDAY. On top of that, had they shopped with the same ferocity before, they may have saved some local booksellers their jobs.
I am sad because last week Borders filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
I am sad because one of the exhibits of that document included a list of 200 Borders stores that will be closing.
I am sad because thousands of smart, intelligent, knowledgeable booksellers will be losing their jobs as soon as the liquidation of the stores is complete.
I am sad because these people will have a very hard time finding another job as a bookseller due to the reduction of brick-and-mortar bookstores.
I am sad because my children, everyone's children, will not have the access to books that they did last week.
I am sad for new authors trying to break into the business because the loss of 200 stores will impact the first print run and result in a lower advance.
I am sad for readers who will not have as many places to discover their next favorite book.
I am sad because during the first weekend of liquidation bookscan numbers for publishers as much as doubled. Sales at the closing stores are 20% off, 20%... People were lined up outside of closing stores before they opened for 20% off. They can get 40% off NYT Bestsellers and popular paperbacks everyday at every Borders. Even better, for a mere $20.00 a year, they can always get 40% off Hardcover Bestsellers, 20% off select Hardcovers and 10% off almost everything else in the store EVERYDAY. On top of that, had they shopped with the same ferocity before, they may have saved some local booksellers their jobs.
I am sad because Borders has been a significant part of my life since the day my husband became the Inventory Manager of the new Borders Superstore in Olathe, KS 12 years ago. I can't possibly count the number of Borders stores I have visited over the last 12 years. We would plan trips around visiting Borders stores, sometimes going out of our way. I love Borders and it is difficult to watch something you love struggle.
I am sad because something I love is at risk of disappearing right before my eyes. Not Borders, although as I have mentioned I do love Borders, but books. Is it possible that books will go the same way as music? Is it possible that someday people will think of books as unnecessary, even burdensome?
I am sad because my job security is questionable at best.
I am sad because it is possible that the few authors who are scraping by will have to cut back on the number of books they write. Speculation is that with 200 fewer Borders, profits for publishers and authors will decrease by 10%. We saw musicians struggle with the decline of album sales, but they had tours and merchandise that helped make up the difference. They still had a way to survive as musicians. Authors don't have that same luxury. They tour and sign books for people to buy at bookstores, without bookstores they won't even have that.
If you have any thoughts at all about books, brick-and-mortar, author's or Borders... please share. I would love to hear them, but please be gentle... after all I am sad.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Reading Wednesday - Charles Jessold, Considered as a Murderer
If we have ever had a conversation about books or music, then you have heard me talk about Wesley Stace aka John Wesley Harding. If not, you should know... I love him.
His music, although not typically my taste, has a very special place in my heart. His voice is strong and clean and his lyrics are storytelling at it's finest. His live shows are amazing! If you ever have a chance to see John Wesley Harding, I strongly suggest you do. Not only does he interact with the audience on stage, you will find him selling cd's at the end of the night. Usually providing lively conversation while signing autographs.
I remember the first time I heard that Wesley Stace was writing a book, I was crazy excited. I couldn't fathom a better person to tell me a story. Misfortune is still among my favorites. Stace was able to weave this story in the most intricate of manners. The gamut of emtions felt while reading this story was unbearable. I was literally awed as I turned the last page. I have said for years that it is among my favorite endings to a book, ever. If you have not read Misfortune, I highly recommend it.
Yesterday, Stace released his third novel, Charles Jessold, Considered as a Murderer. Below is some sort of silly interview that someone, somewhere thinks is clever... I am not one of those people. Although I have been told that Eugene Mirman is funny, I don't think this video is a good example. Regardless, I plan to run out tonight and buy this novel at my local Borders and hope you will do the same.
Oh and if you are at all curious, Stace's second novel, By George, is also fantastic.
If you have never read, or heard, anything by Wesley Stace, you must do so immediately. I am sure your life will be even more full once you allow this creative genius in.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Reading Wednesday - Ivy and Bean
I am madly in love with the Ivy + Bean series (Annie Barrows + Sophia Blackwell, Chronicle Books).
I tried forcing these beautiful (yes, I totally judge books by their covers) books on Izzy every trip to Borders, but to no avail. Then, one day, Izzy told me that she needed more books for her book box at school and asked me to pick her up a couple. I asked what she wanted and she said the magic words, "I don't know. You decide." Wohoo! I rushed out that night while Iz was at a birthday party (so she couldn't go with me) and snagged the first book of the series, Ivy + Bean.
I don't know about other parents, but I find there are few books with relatable female characters for girls at Izzy's reading level (Chapter Books, right on the cusp of Independent Reader). The reason I am so in love with these books is the simplicity. It is the story of two young girls who begrudgingly become friends over a common, and totally normal, bond of hiding from an older sister. The beauty of these books is based in the unexpected friendship of these two, complete opposite, seven year old girls. The idea that we sometimes have to see past oddities to really get to know someone, and in the end that someone may turn out to be your best friend. The characters are beautifully written with their own distinct and captivating voice. The black and white illustration continue the elegant simplicity and compliment the story perfectly. They are also proportional to the story, so you don't feel like your handing your child a picture book.
There are 7 books currently available, with the 8th set to be released in the fall. If you have a daughter who tends to be a bit of a realist and loves the idea of "best friends", Ivy + Bean should be on your list of books to try.
Easily, my absolute favorite thing about these books is that the next morning I walked into Izzy's room and she was laying in bed reading. She looked up at me and said "I have been reading since 6:00 this morning and I love these books. Thank you, Mom, these were the perfect choice." I can't imagine a better endorsement for these books, can you?
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
A town without a bookstore
Grand Forks, ND is the third largest city in North Dakota. With a metropolitan population of over 97,000 and home to the University of North Dakota. However, at the end of January, Grand Forks, ND will become a city without a bookstore. According to this article in the Grand Forks Herald, there are some used bookstores and the UND bookstore carries a few new release titles, but nothing more. Starting in February, the fine residents of Grand Forks will have to drive 75 miles south to Fargo or shop online.
While it may seem like buying books online is easier and may save you a couple of dollars, imagine if you didn't even have the option of visiting a bookstore. Would you miss standing in your favorite section and running your fingers down the spine of a book? Would you miss pulling out said book and reading the dust jacket? Would you miss that one sentence that peaks your interest? Is it possible that the demise of the bookstore may just mean the demise of finding your next favorite book?
Really think about the last time you were in a bookstore... Now think about what life would be like without that bookstore.
This is what the poor people of Grand Forks are facing... I don't envy them and I hope I will never be in their shoes.
Do you love the book or the words?
A few weeks ago my Dad and I were discussing the decline of the book and subsequent rise of the eReader. He looked at me and said "There are the people who love to read and then there are the people who love books." Why had I never realized that before? Of course it's true, but I had never recognized the distinction.
I have spent my life surrounded by readers. I have millions of memories of my Dad, in at least half of them (probably more) he has a book in his hand. Dinner's were spent listening to my dad and sister talk about books and stories they had read. Although my Mom rarely read for entertainment, she spent a lot of time with her head buried in a book, furthering her knowledge. Everytime we would visit my Aunt we would leave with a paper bag (or two) full of books that had been passed around our family. Books were comfortable, they were somewhere to get lost and found at the same time.
I will never forget the moment I bought the book that turned me into a reader. I was eight years old and we were at Meadowbrook Mall in Pittsburg, KS for one of our many trips to Waldenbooks. I loved these trips with my Dad, we would pick out a book then go to Baskin Robbins for ice cream (typically a double scoop of vanilla and strawberry). While sitting on the floor of the tiny store, perusing the small selection of Independent Reader books, I stumbled across Noel Streatfield's Gemma. While the book has been passed off as unremarkable and even messy, I fell in love with it. I devoured the other three books in the series and was sad to see Gemma say Goodbye to her cousins in the final book. For the first time I understood what it meant to really immerse yourself in a book, to fall in love with the characters and long for more. It was the day I fell in love with reading.
I am constantly looking for a book that will have that impact on Izzy and once we find it, I will begin searching for Eli's then Emmy's. It is so important to me that my kids know what it feels like to get lost in a book. To be able to leave everything behind and escape to another place, another time, another world. However, as brick and mortar bookstores struggle to stay in business I fear my kids will never have a moment like mine. They may never have the opportunity to experience the moment where they find THE book that will make them fall desperately in love with reading and that terrifies me.
I do recognize the pull of the eReader. They are convenient and they hold a lot of books in one place. As a reader, I get how irritating it can be to lug 3 or 4 different books on a trip, or even worse to finish a book on a plane (or a car in the middle of Iowa) and not have another to start. However, I cannot imagine a world without the ability to curl up on a cold winter night, tucked under a blanket, with a good book. I can't imagine losing the ability to run to my local Borders and grab that new release I have been waiting months for; the sound of the binding as it's opened for the first time, the smell of the paper and ink, the feel of the paper as I turn the page. These are the things I would miss, these are the things that my children could miss.
Therefore, I am making a declaration right here, right now... I am on team book. In my epic battle of the world of books vs. the world of eReaders, books win. In the perfectly written words of my dear friend, S, "I'll be reading actual books when I'm 80 and people will think I'm eccentric." I'm okay being the batty old lady on the corner who still reads those crazy paper books.
Sit back and really think about it... Do you love to read or do you love books? Some of you are thinking that it's the same thing, but is it? Is it really?
I have spent my life surrounded by readers. I have millions of memories of my Dad, in at least half of them (probably more) he has a book in his hand. Dinner's were spent listening to my dad and sister talk about books and stories they had read. Although my Mom rarely read for entertainment, she spent a lot of time with her head buried in a book, furthering her knowledge. Everytime we would visit my Aunt we would leave with a paper bag (or two) full of books that had been passed around our family. Books were comfortable, they were somewhere to get lost and found at the same time.
I will never forget the moment I bought the book that turned me into a reader. I was eight years old and we were at Meadowbrook Mall in Pittsburg, KS for one of our many trips to Waldenbooks. I loved these trips with my Dad, we would pick out a book then go to Baskin Robbins for ice cream (typically a double scoop of vanilla and strawberry). While sitting on the floor of the tiny store, perusing the small selection of Independent Reader books, I stumbled across Noel Streatfield's Gemma. While the book has been passed off as unremarkable and even messy, I fell in love with it. I devoured the other three books in the series and was sad to see Gemma say Goodbye to her cousins in the final book. For the first time I understood what it meant to really immerse yourself in a book, to fall in love with the characters and long for more. It was the day I fell in love with reading.
I am constantly looking for a book that will have that impact on Izzy and once we find it, I will begin searching for Eli's then Emmy's. It is so important to me that my kids know what it feels like to get lost in a book. To be able to leave everything behind and escape to another place, another time, another world. However, as brick and mortar bookstores struggle to stay in business I fear my kids will never have a moment like mine. They may never have the opportunity to experience the moment where they find THE book that will make them fall desperately in love with reading and that terrifies me.
I do recognize the pull of the eReader. They are convenient and they hold a lot of books in one place. As a reader, I get how irritating it can be to lug 3 or 4 different books on a trip, or even worse to finish a book on a plane (or a car in the middle of Iowa) and not have another to start. However, I cannot imagine a world without the ability to curl up on a cold winter night, tucked under a blanket, with a good book. I can't imagine losing the ability to run to my local Borders and grab that new release I have been waiting months for; the sound of the binding as it's opened for the first time, the smell of the paper and ink, the feel of the paper as I turn the page. These are the things I would miss, these are the things that my children could miss.
Therefore, I am making a declaration right here, right now... I am on team book. In my epic battle of the world of books vs. the world of eReaders, books win. In the perfectly written words of my dear friend, S, "I'll be reading actual books when I'm 80 and people will think I'm eccentric." I'm okay being the batty old lady on the corner who still reads those crazy paper books.
Sit back and really think about it... Do you love to read or do you love books? Some of you are thinking that it's the same thing, but is it? Is it really?
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Twilight...
I am a book whore. I will read anything that is put in front of me. With this book weakness, I have been lucky to have a husband who was a book buyer for a major book retailer and is now in publishing. I tend to salivate when my husband tells me he is going to Borders on his way home from work. All I have to do is ask him to bring me a book and he always obliges. The fun of this method is that I never know what he is going to bring home and it is often a book I never would have picked out for myself.
One Friday night, about a month ago, the above scenario occurred and my wonderful husband came home with a copy of the book Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. Now, one would think being the book whore that I am, I would have heard of this book…I had not. I started reading at about 9:00 pm and could not bring myself to stop. I finally finished around 4:00 am and collapsed into bed. The next morning my slightly surprised, but not shocked, husband confirmed that the second book (of which book 1 contained a fantastic preview), New Moon, was available for my reading pleasure. I got a much earlier start on that book and was able to finish it by dinner, and guess what... there was another teaser at the end. Yes, there was yet a third book in the series, Eclipse, beckoning me. However, my husband was unwilling to make a second trip to Borders that Saturday (third for the weekend), so I was forced to go and get my own book. I have to say it was well worth the trip. I did not read all night, as I was exhausted from the lack of sleep the night before, but I was able to finish it on Sunday.
This series is one of those guilty pleasures for me, much along the lines of Harry Potter and Stephanie Plum. The books you are not sure you should be reading, but can't help yourself. It is the story of a young, forbidden love that can't be denied. I have fallen in love with these characters and I am anxiously awaiting the fourth book, Breaking Dawn, to be released in August.
So, my friends, if you have a few minutes and want a light hearted read about a teenage girl and her much older, vampire boyfriend, look no further than the saga of Bella and Edward. I hope you will read them and enjoy them as much as I did. Oh, and let me know what you think. I would like to know if you fall in love as easily as I do...
UPDATE
Although I still recommend the first three books of the series, I was utterly disappointed in Breaking Dawn. It feels as if this book was rushed to publication and was desperate for another revision. I don't expect anyone who has read the first three books of the series to not read this book... I just recommend borrowing it from some poor sap who already bought it or checking it out at the library.
I have decided to pretend the series ended with Eclipse.
One Friday night, about a month ago, the above scenario occurred and my wonderful husband came home with a copy of the book Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. Now, one would think being the book whore that I am, I would have heard of this book…I had not. I started reading at about 9:00 pm and could not bring myself to stop. I finally finished around 4:00 am and collapsed into bed. The next morning my slightly surprised, but not shocked, husband confirmed that the second book (of which book 1 contained a fantastic preview), New Moon, was available for my reading pleasure. I got a much earlier start on that book and was able to finish it by dinner, and guess what... there was another teaser at the end. Yes, there was yet a third book in the series, Eclipse, beckoning me. However, my husband was unwilling to make a second trip to Borders that Saturday (third for the weekend), so I was forced to go and get my own book. I have to say it was well worth the trip. I did not read all night, as I was exhausted from the lack of sleep the night before, but I was able to finish it on Sunday.
This series is one of those guilty pleasures for me, much along the lines of Harry Potter and Stephanie Plum. The books you are not sure you should be reading, but can't help yourself. It is the story of a young, forbidden love that can't be denied. I have fallen in love with these characters and I am anxiously awaiting the fourth book, Breaking Dawn, to be released in August.
So, my friends, if you have a few minutes and want a light hearted read about a teenage girl and her much older, vampire boyfriend, look no further than the saga of Bella and Edward. I hope you will read them and enjoy them as much as I did. Oh, and let me know what you think. I would like to know if you fall in love as easily as I do...
UPDATE
Although I still recommend the first three books of the series, I was utterly disappointed in Breaking Dawn. It feels as if this book was rushed to publication and was desperate for another revision. I don't expect anyone who has read the first three books of the series to not read this book... I just recommend borrowing it from some poor sap who already bought it or checking it out at the library.
I have decided to pretend the series ended with Eclipse.
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