Skylight Books
independent bookseller in Los Angeles since 1996 
www.skylightbooks.com     [email protected]

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

December at Skylight Books
December/2008
In This Issue
Skylight Books Bestsellers
More Online Holiday Help
Skylight Books 2008 Holiday Recommendations
Gift Cards Available!
Get Exactly What You Want--You Deserve It!
Now's a Great Time to Check Out Skylight 1814
Author Events in the New Year

STORE HOURS 

 10 am - 10 pm daily
 
Christimas eve: 10 am-6 pm
Christmas day:   CLOSED
 
New Year's eve: 10 am-6 pm
New Year's day:  12 n-10 pm
 
Mon, January 5: CLOSED FOR INVENTORY
Skylight Books November Bestsellers
Find out what everyone else is buying!  Here are the top ten bestsellers for the month of November:

1. The Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer
2. 2666 by Roberto Bolano
3. Vidalia in Paris by Sasha Watson
4. If You're Reading This, It's Too Late by Pseudonymous Bosch
5. Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
6. Acting Class by Milton Katselas
7. Sad Animals by Adam Meuse
8. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
9. Dreams from My Father and Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
10. Writing Los Angeles, ed. David Ulin
11. The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein
12. A Mercy by Toni Morrison
 
Quick Links
 
 
Join Our Mailing List
More Online Holiday Help
After you've finished setting up your cool IndieBound wish list, why don't you stop by our websiteYou can order gift cards and books and have them shipped to you or directly to your gift recipients, or you can have them ready for pickup here at the store.  For delivery by Christmas, order by December 15.  Our website is open 24/7 and is happily holiday crowd free.  See for yourself at www.skylightbooks.com.

CUSTOMER SERVICES 

We are happy to order books if we don't have them in stock
 
Free Gift Wrap
 
Gift Cards (redeemable at many other independent bookstores)
 
Senior Discount:  10% on Tuesday before 4pm
 
Ask bout our Frequent Buyer program
 
We have a special Business to Business program
 
We are happy to provide bookseller services to organizations, schools, and author events at non-bookstore venues.
Dear Friends of Skylight Books,
 
For the 7th year in a row (or is it the 6th?), our neighbors Christine Blackburn and Matt Bardocz (this time assisted by their 23-month-old daughter Alabama) have assembled the delightful and quite complex holiday village and train set in our display window.  It takes them much of the day to set up, and is their gift to the neighborhood.  I'm revealing my age, but it always reminds me of when I was a kid in San Diego, excitedly getting dressed up for a trip downtown (before there were malls!) to see the great department store holiday windows. 
 
 
This will be the first holiday season with our new store next door (the annex we call Skylight Books 1814) -- which is a terrific spot for beautiful gift books.
 
 
kerry drawingEverything seems to take me longer these days (weren't computers supposed to make things go faster and easier, rather than making them more complex?)  So I was late getting this newsletter out.  But staffmembers Mary and Emily decided to start pulling it together themselves -- and have done a terrific job.  We are still missing the online version of our staff's holiday guide because we have had trouble figuring out how to do it, but it will be up soon.  Do come in to pick one up in the store... I think it's quite remarkable.
 
 
We know these are challenging times to many of us--just when it's particularly meaningful to be around friends and a warm, inviting environment... and the time to sit back occasionally with your feet up to read a great new book!
 
Kerry Slattery
General Manager/Co-Owner

2008  Skylight Staff Holiday Recommendations

We are very proud to present our own 28-page 2008 Holiday Gift Guide, available now at the store (and shortly online).   It's like taking the collective book-obsessed brains of our staff home with you, and then asking the brains what on earth you should get for your uncle Ed, who doesn't read fiction but sure is a foodie (Kevin recommends A Day at elBulli, an impressive-looking $50 hardcover about "the best restaurant in the world").

Pick up a copy of the gift guide by the registers (and soon online).

Here's a small sample of what wonderfulness you're in for:

Snakepit 2007 by Ben Snakepit (Gorsky Press). Recommended by kevinKevin: "Ben Snakepit is a punk rocker who, for the past several years, has documented every day of his life in a three-panel comic strip--think Chester Brown plus MTV's Real World minus much of the faux drama. A perfect cheap Christmas gift for the friend who likes comics but who you don't want to spend too much money on because they still owe you a favor."

The Ulysses Guide to the Los Angeles River, Vol. 1 by U.L. Zemanova (Uglar Book). Recommended by Kate: "This beautiful coffee table book covers the murals and graffiti painted on miles of river walls and the ecosystems you probably didn't know were hidden there."

Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America's Farmer's Markets by Deborah Madison (Broadway). Recommended by Liz: "Something elegant and extremely useful for anyone who lizlikes to cook. It's beautifully done, lots of pThe Adventures of Tintin hotographs, and lots of information about how to best take advantage of your local farmer's market. Madison's recipes, as always, achieve just the right balance between impressive and doable, interesting and simple."

Demon in the Spring by Joe Meno (Akashik). Recommended by Kerrie: "Funny kerrieshort stories in a sophisticated cloth-bound hardcover with full-page gorgeous illustrated art by the likes of Charles Burns and other cool comics artists."

Adventures of Tintin The Adventures of Tintin hardcover boxed set by Herge (Little, Brown). Recommended by Arlo: "I grew up reading these. Way more influential and inspiring to me than any Disney stuff I remember. Made me want to learn about the world and about people. A classic."

Tales for Little Rebels by Julia L. Mickenberg (NYU Press). Recommended by charlesCharles: "An amazing overview of radical children's literature from the 19th century pamplets to Dr. Seuss."

justinThe Ghastly One by Jim McDonough (Chicago Review Press). Recommended by Justin: "This is one of the best biographies you will ever read. And it doesn't matter if you've never heard of Andy Milligan. From the off-off-Broadway scene in New York, through the birth of queer cinema, the grindhouses of 42nd Street, and finally to Andy's last days curning out cheapo monster movies in Echo Park, this book is filled with crazed hustlers, sex-mad actresses, gothic melodrama, and a critique of the water at they serve at the Bright Spot (Andy loved it). This book is a masterpiece, even if Andy himself was an asshole."

George and Martha by John Marshall (Houghton Mifflin). Recommended by Liz: "There's no such thing as too much George and Martha. Thankfully. There's now this lovely hardcover volume of all 35 stories, each one  a very brief glimpse into the lives of the silliest hippos ever. In just a few sentences per story, they somehow teach the true meaning of friendship...and they're just plain hilarious."
Gift Cards Available!
Indie BoundThere are times when all the holiday gift recommendations in the world, no matter how pithily written and brilliantly chosen (see above), don't help you with your biggest problem.  What to get for the person who has everything.  May we suggest a Skylight Books gift card?  Not only will you be supporting a local independent business and keeping money in our community, you'll also be giving a surprisingly flexible gift.  Skylight Books gift cards are accepted at independent bookstores nationwide as part of the IndieBound program (see here for a list of skylight gift cardparticipating independent bookstores).

Get Exactly What You Want--You Deserve It!

Peace Love BooksHow're people to know what you want for the holidays unless you tell them?  IndieBound, the awesome indie bookstore organization we mentioned earlier, has a new Wish List feature that looks great and is truly easy-to-use. 
 
Just create your account, pick your books, and pick a few of your favorite bookstores.  IndieBound will set up your list (illustrated with book cover images), and e-mail it to your friends and family.  Now your loved ones will know what you want and where they can get it; they can even order books online by using the links in the wish list.  Just go to www.indiebound.org/wishlist to start. 
Now's a Great Time to Check Out Skylight 1814
 
skylight 18184 photo by Beige Luciano-AdamsIn case you haven't heard, Skylight Books has expanded!  In addition to our original store, we have created an annex, Skylight 1814, located next door at 1814 N. Vermont.  (photo by Beige Luciano-Adams)
 
Already a great shopping destination year-round, our annex really shines during the holiday season.  Filled with books on art, photography, design, architecture, film, theater, and music, as well as graphic novels and magazines, the annex is jam packed with big, beautiful books that make great gifts, and that your giftee will be proud to feature on his or her coffee table or bookshelf.  Check out our gift guide for some specific recommendations, or come in to browse and talk to our staff.
New Books of Note
 
November and December are filled with so many major book releases, it can be hard to keep track.  Here are a few that are making a splash among our staff and customers:

26662666  (and 2666 boxed set) by Roberto Bolano (Farrar, Straus & Giroux). It's long, it's epic, it's brilliant.  The posthumously published novel by the Chilean writer (The Savage Detectives) is garnering rave reviews and stirring up a lot of excitement in the book world.  Just named one of the New York Times 10 best books of 2008. Available in a hardcover or three-volume paperback edition.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling (The Children's High Level Group). For all those Harry Potter junkies (presumably pretty much everyone who's read a book in the last 10 years) these are the fairy tales that prompted much discussion in the final Harry Potter book.  This slim volume includes the tales themselves (translated from the ancient runes by Hermione Granger), commentary by Albus Dumbledore, and footnotes and line drawings by Rowling.  A very fun read.

abc3dOutliers by Malcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown). The latest from the New Yorker journalist and author of The Tipping Point and Blink. Early signs indicate this was will be just as popular and just as fascinating as those perpetual bestsellers.

ABC3D by Marion Bataille (Roaring Brook Press). An alphabet book that's stirring at least as much excitement among adults as kids in our store. Beatifully crafted pop-ups transform from one letter to another, inciting oohs and aahs.  An art book?  A kids book?  You decide.
Author Events in the New Year
 
Ms. Hempel ChroniclesFollowing tradition, we won't be hosting any author events in the month of December, and January is devoted to annual inventory and re-grouping/revamping our store and systems, but we're really excited about our schedule of upcoming events in the new year.  More to be added, so check our website for updates, but here's a taste:

Thursday, January 22 at 7:30 p.m.:
Amity Gaige (The Folded World) and Sarah Shun-Lien Bynum (Ms. Hempel Chronicles)

Tuesday, February 3 at 7:30 p.m.: 
An evening with Dzanc Books, featuring Joshua Bearman, Kyle Minor, Kathleen Rooney

Friday, February 6 at 7:30 p.m.:
Cristy C. Road (Bad Habits: A Love Story)
 
Saturday, February 7 at 5:00 p.m.: 
Write Girl -- readings from girls and their writing mentors
 
Thursday, February 12 at 7:30 p.m.:
Aaron Glantz (The War Comes Home: Washington's Battle Against America's Veterans)
  
Friday, February 20 at 7:30 p.m.: 
Hot emerging authors Ching-in Chen (The Heart's Traffic) and Ely Shipley (Boy with Flowers)
 
Saturday, February 21 at 5:00 p.m.:
 
Poets Carine Topal (In the Heaven of Never Before) and David St. John
 
Monday, February 23 at 7:30 p.m.:
T.C. Boyle (The Women)
Happy Holidays!

Skylight Books

1818 N Vermont Ave (between Hollywood Blvd and Franklin; next to the Los Feliz Cinema)
Los Angeles, CA 90027