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This month we have six staff members saying goodbye to their time at Bookshop. All for good reasons--to move closer to a significant other, to travel to Bulgaria, to move with a fiance who got into a great graduate program--but it is one of the larger transitions we've had in the last few years. Unlike when my parents bought Bookshop Santa Cruz in 1973 with a total of six employees, the store now employs over 35 people making comings and goings a part of our ongoing operation. Like any family, it is hard to say goodbye but Bookshop alumni are never too far away. Take for instance that when I walked in my son's preschool class of 14 kids last fall, I discovered two former employees among the small group of parents. Among our favorite alumnus are the ones who met at Bookshop, fell in love and got married or are life partners. I can count at least 10 couples in that category, including the addition of several Bookshop babies--born out of a passion for books that turned into a passion for something else entirely. Our first two employees were dancer Tandy Beal and her partner, musician Jon Scoville. But there were already hard shoes to fill. Bookshop's predecessor, Hip Pocket Books, employed none other than Neal Cassady--the inspiration for Jack Keroac's novel On the Road. I am not sure how much work Neal or anybody did in the 60's given the fact that the bookstore had a waterbed in the center of the store, but he was at the beginning of a long line of creative and smart booksellers who shared the same passion for spreading their love of books. We've employed the daughters of author Jane Smiley and children's book author Mary Ann Hoberman (A House is a House for Me) among many other authors and poets in their own right.
During our job interviews, one of the most common questions coming from a potential employees is what we like most about working at Bookshop Santa Cruz. My response is always the same: We love books, but most of all, we love being around other people who love books as much as we do. When you spend day after day with people who are smart, well-read, and who are curious about the world, it means that you are always learning and are constantly inspired. As I watch a new batch of UCSC students graduate this week and start the process of figuring out what they want to do in life, my advice would be this: It is not so much about what job you do as it is about who you do that job with. On this point, I count myself very lucky indeed. Casey Coonerty Protti
Owner
Bookshop Santa Cruz
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Don't forget to join us in the store next Thursday, June 20th at 7:30 for our event with debut novelist Anthony Marra. You've heard us shout from the rooftops about how much we love his new book, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, and you've likely noticed all of the accolades from the critics, too: STARRED REVIEWS in Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Library Journal, Shelf Awareness, and more. ACCOLADES from Ann Patchett, T.C. Boyle, and Pulitzer Prize winner Adam Johnson. This is an event you don't want to miss! Read more.
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Summer is the perfect time to get swept away by a great mystery or otherworldly tale. Below are some of our staff's favorite mystery and science fiction/fantasy titles (you'll find many more on our website). Don't forget to use the coupon above to save 20% on these books (or any in those genres) through the end of the month.
by John Harwood
I was immediately intrigued by the premise of this book, which begins with everyone's worst nightmare: waking up in a mental institution where everyone thinks you're someone else and you have absolutely no evidence to prove otherwise. Once the story begins to take its course, it offers something for everyone, from lovers of historical fiction, to those who just want a great psychological thriller to sink their teeth into. --Laura
by Jess Walter
Before Beautiful Ruins, Jess Walter wrote mysteries. His first book, Over Tumbled Graves, is a riveting, cerebral thriller that uses the chilled drizzle of Spokane to capture the mood as two troubled detectives search for a serial killer while struggling with the confusion and uncertainty of a high profile police investigation and their own issues. This is a well-crafted, tense, and thought provoking mystery by an incredibly talented writer. --Flannery
by Karen Joy Fowler
I cherished this charming, creepy, and thoroughly absorbing collection of stories. Fowler leaps effortlessly between a mental reform camp for teenage girls to the boarding house of Mary Surratt; from the 839 steps of an odd Italian town to the forests of Santa Cruz. Each tale has something sinister hiding just beneath the surface and at the end of each peek into an intriguing world, you'll be dreaming of strange shadows and subtle magic. --Andrea
Read more Mystery & Science Fiction/Fantasy recommendations on our website
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