This weekend, I dedicate my blog to my friends and coworkers at Barnes & Noble. Tonight your patience will be tried. You will carry many heavy boxes of books. You will answer the same questions over and over. The store will be a huge mess. You will be there later than you have ever worked. And some of you will endure all of this while wearing itchy costumes and face paint. You are a strong bunch.
I invite you to share your stories from this weekend here. Did you have a funny or a sweet moment with a child? Did anyone actually cry in happiness when you sold them the book? Were there some really good costumes that you'd like to mention? How many brownies or plates of chips and dip did you consume in the break room at our potluck?
Please remember, we will follow work guidelines and not answer any questions about how many books were ordered or sold (a lot). And, please, do not spoil any details from the book here. We will all know soon enough.
I also welcome comments from non-Barnes & Noble staff. Did you buy the book this weekend? See the movie? Eat Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans?
And you fast readers may show off. Who will finish reading it first? Someone by Saturday night? Sooner than that?
I have read only the first two books in the series and don't plan on reading further. In my house, Jim and Olivia will share the book, using the patented two-bookmark system and reading in shifts.
I am now off to work a short midshift in magazines, but I will be there again tonight with my 10-year-old and her friends.
Fellow workers, we will probably not live to see another phenomenon like this in the book world. Congratulations and good luck.
One reader's thoughts as she steps from book to book.
Books I've Finished
- "A Christmas Memory"
- by Truman Capote 12/8/12
- "Child's Christmas in Wales"
- by Dylan Thomas 12/7/12
- "One Christmas"
- by Truman Capote 11/29/12
- "The Thanksgiving Visitor"
- by Truman Capote 11/29/12
- Inside Mrs. B's Classroom
- by Leslie Baldacci 11/28/12
- The Bee Eater
- by Richard Whitmire 11/15/12
- There Are No Shortcuts
- by Rafe Esquith 10/28/12
- I'd Like to Apologize to
- Every Teacher I Ever Had
- by Tony Danza 10/21/12
- Corked
- by Kathryn Borel 10/15/12
- Year of Learning Dangerously
- by Quinn Cummings 9/30/12
- A Hologram for the King
- by Dave Eggers 8/23/12
- To Kill a Mockingbird
- by Harper Lee 7/18/12
About Me
- Christine
- I often have a few books with bookmarks in them at once. I enjoy classics more than contemporary works of fiction, often read historical fiction, and love to get glimpses into other people's lives by reading memoirs and biographies.
9 comments:
But Christine, it doesn't start getting good until the third book!!! That's when (to me) it stops being "just a children's book" and becomes much more! It gets darker, longer, more intense...And the third book was my favorite for the longest time, and my still even be.
...and I love me some Sirius Black.
Since my copy won't arrive until Monday (darn you Amazon!) I might have to swear off your blog for a while Christine, in case there are any spoilers.
I understand. But I hope there won't be the least bit of spoiling here.
Just got back from B&N. Nothing doing yet. The only two people to come in dressed up were two men in long velvet capes, but I recognized them as locals who actually dress like that year-round!
Just back from the release party. We left at 11:30 without the book. Not going to keep three girls out that late. Jim will go pick it up tomorrow morning. That was our plan all along. The building was at capacity! People were being held outside waiting for others to exit. We had a great time doing the scavenger hunt, face painting, fortune telling, and house sorting activities. And the girls enjoyed the potions demonstration. Thank you to everyone who worked so long and hard to put on the party. Oh, only six minutes until they start selling copies of the book!
Hello all!
I'm writing this about 4AM. Got home from the store about an hour ago after much revelry, many books and much cleaning.
It truly is an event I'm glad to be a part of. There really is nothing like seeing a book light that spark of imagination in a kid's eyes.
This event was the biggest thing I've seen in a long time. Here in little old Dekalb, we filled the store and even had to keep about 150 people cooling their heels outside, just waiting to get in. And while I can't give hard numbers, this book looks to be about double the sales of the last one. Now THAT is cool.
And, yes, it's also cool to see a store full of little wizardlings all practically vibrating with excitement over the release of "their" new book.
I worked the cashwrap line tonight and so had the chance to talk to many of the people just before they were getting the book. And while most everyone seemed pretty excited, I was struck by a couple of things. First, the Too Cool For School teens who just couldn't keep up the facade and dashed to the counter with the same excitement as any middle schooler and the number of families there together, the HP phenomenon being a nice way for parents and children to bond.
Finally, an example that really struck me, one young lady, unable to speak except in squeaks, as she waited (barely) for her (very own) copy of HP7.
I was glad to be a part of something that in this day and age can still bring that kind of excitement.
How wonderful! Thank you, Don. Now get some sleep!
Michelle and the morning crew are getting ready to open again right now. . .
Jim will be going back to B&N to buy the book for us this morning.
You'll all notice that the time display on my blog is off by about an hour. Maybe I'll get that figured out sometime.
Got our book this morning. The store looks great. You'd never know there were hundreds of people milling around and moving merchandise till early this morning. Great clean-up, everybody.
Olivia is outside on a blanket in the sun reading her new book.
It's 11:44. I just finished a cartoon of a chipmunk falling into a ball pit. I am going to go read Harry Potter, as I have been thinking about it ALL DAY. At first, i was all "Oh, I can put it off until later..." But now, I JUST HAVE TO READ IT . AUGGHHHH
I finished the book at 1:00 am Sunday morning. Satisfying, stressful, and now I'm sleepy.
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