In honor of the publication of his delightful book, The World's Strongest Librarian, we bring you a guest post by Salt Lake City Public Library librarian, strength trainer, book lover, wonderful guy and author Josh Hanagarne.

 

 

I'm writing this on what is basically Book Tour Eve, and I'm embarrassed at how sweaty and frantic I feel. I've never considered myself a comfort eater, but I'm fighting the urge to go buy a box of marshmallow Peeps and cram them down my gullet. It's particularly surreal when these feelings are competing against the most profound gratitude and excitement I've ever known.

 

The Week Of The Launch is finally here, but I suddenly feel like I've been in denial for the past eighteen months. As I've watched my publication day creep closer,  it has been with a mixture of delight and terror, but also with an odd sense that it's all happening to someone else.

Delight: Well, what debut author wouldn't be delighted to have his or her book finally hitting the shelves? Defying The Odds, Never Giving Up, Achieving My Dreams, etc. And I get to go on tour! I'm still such a bumpkin that just going to a new place, even if it's the outskirts of Topeka, is still a huge treat. But I get to go and talk about not only books, but my book!

 

It's bizarre to work a normal shift from 8 - 5 at the reference desk, answering questions about anything and everything, and to have my relatively normal day interrupted by emails that say things like, "You'll be doing a USA Today feature while you're in New York."

And I'll squint at those emails and think, "Wait, what? Who is this email for?" And then I'll remember who wrote the book.

 

The press has been great, the support from bookstores, locally and nationally, has been humbling, and it's already led to more opportunities to do the work I cherish most -- traveling and speaking to children with special needs and their parents.

 

But yes, I'm scared, because even though I've never been out on tour before, I know what I can expect from my disorder.

 

Terror: I have extreme Tourette Syndrome. It's not always bad, but apparently it's always bad in the run-up to a book tour. At a bookseller lunch about a month ago, Catherine Weller said:

 

"I'm curious, Josh, you say that the increased visibility and publicity might make your tics worse. How's that going to affect your book tour?"

 

"Good question Catherine!" I said, then changed the subject quickly, deftly, in a way I hoped didn't look like I was avoiding the question that scared me.

 

The part of me that whimpers when my tics are injuring me and trapping me in my house is saying, "Yes, this is a dream come true, but let's not forget that nightmares are dreams as well!" To which I say, "You shut up." And sometimes it even works. 

 

The truth is, I know how the tour and publicity are going to affect me, because I've had three decades to pay attention to the situations that most reliably exacerbate my tics:

Crowds

Being out of my house

Being the center of attention

Bright lights

Flying

Hotels

Fatigue

Public speaking

Having my picture taken

Being interviewed

Being awake

 

It's bittersweet. With every new layer of publicity and media support, I'm a little more visible. With every bit of increased visibility, the story I've told in the book gains the potential to be more useful as it reaches more people, which is wonderful. And yet, stepping onto a bigger stage is probably going to be the worst possible thing for my health in the short-term. The busier I get, and the more people I meet, the worse the tics tend to get.

 

But meeting people, and being busy, and talking about books are also the things I enjoy most. And most of the things I enjoy most come with a cost, because they involve being out and about and mingling.

 

My search for a normal, quiet life, one in which I can sit still in public and not yell and twitch and bark and yammer and hit myself has led me to an improbably, increasingly public place.

 

But for all the nerves, I'm far more scared of being bored than anything else, and I'm certainly not bored.

                                                                                                                    

If you're reading this, I hope you'll get the chance to come and say hi.  

 

 

Gotham Books is releasing Josh's book this week. It is a wonderful read. You should buy it.

Josh, despite his worries, is a treat to meet and listen to. Here's a link to his book tour. If you're lucky enough to be in a city where he's appearing, go see him. Tell him we sent you.

And finally, here is a link to Josh's blog, World's Strongest Librarian.

 

One of the great things about working at Weller Book Works is that you can find books from a variety of eras in a variety of formats. Our staff reads broadly: new books, old books, out of print books, classics and the truly strange. Here's what some of our staff are recommending right now.

 

Elizabeth: Evil Guest by Gene Wolfe and Nietzsche's Kisses by Lance Olsen

Jason: Various Atmospheres by Alex Caldiero and Nowhere Man by Alexander Hemon

Joan: Dublin Student Doctor by Patrick Taylor and Death of a Prankster by M. C. Beaton

John: Cold Days by Jim Butcher and Black Prism by Brent Weeks

Jose: Gods Without Men by Hari Kunzru and Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle

Lane: Rin Tin Tin by Susan Orlean and Blood Bones and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton

Tony: Where the Heart Beats: John Cage, Zen Buddhism, and the Inner Life of Artists by Kay Larson and Curious Sofa by Ogdred Weary (Edward Gorey, y'all)

 

 

March's Rare Book Collectors' Salon will feature an address by our fellow book dealer, Brent Ashworth of B. Ashworth's Rare Books & Collectibles in Provo. Brent is an extremely knowledgeable bookman and genuinely nice guy. We're looking forward to hearing what he'll have to say AND what you'll have to say when you join us.

 

 

Rare Book Collectors' Salon. Friday, March 29 at 6:30 p.m.

 

 

 

I am a person who really loves the book: the feel, the smell and the texture of paper, the ink marks on the blank page. Recently I downloaded a review copy of a book that has not been published to the WBW Kobo ereader. I had my doubts, and sure, I had trouble reading it -- too many distractions. But late at night in in bed with the lights out, I found that yes not only could I read with an ereader, but I found it an enjoyable experience. Not that it will replace the physical book in my mind, but it does what it does in an efficient way.

 

We offer two styles of Kobo ereaders, and by going to Kobo through the link on our web page you can down load books to the ereader you currently own and also support us, your local independent bookstore.

It's snowing again this morning. A lot. I feel grumpy when I awaken to this kind of weather. Putting on extra layers of clothing, scraping my car, and watching drivers skid about on the street just aren't my idea of a good time. But then I remind myself that the snow will provide us with water throughout the summer and I feel better. Thinking of summer reminds me of gardening and that is my idea of a good time. So join me in throwing off the snow and slush blues. Here's some reading to help you get started:

 

All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew is a classic for gardeners who don't have a lot of space or who want to maximize the space they have. People have used this book for years with good reason, its advice works.

 

Essential Urban Farmer by Novella Carpenter and Willow Rosenthal isn't just a gardening book by authors with perfect names to write such a book, it's a compendium knowledge about different types of garden beds, starting seeds, pruning, building beehives, etc.

 

Garden Primer by Barbara Damrosch is another of those classics that just sells and sells. It's a guide to garden essentials with odd little tips and lore and it's, as the cover says, 100% organic. This book also has a great index (so essential!) and further reading list.

 

How to Make and Use Compost by Nicky Scott may seem like overkill to you. But I wish I had had this book around when I decided to change my composting method and set myself back for an entire season. The author is from the UK but his clear, knowledgable writing make this guide usefull in any climate.

 

Moleskine Gardening Journal is part of the Moleskine Passions series. It's got ten tabbed sections to help you record and track your gardening activities: Plants, Pots Tools Ect, Design, Visits, Garden Log, and five tabs for you to name. It includes pages on plant leaves and habits, hardiness zones and a double accordian pocket -- all in the signature Moleskine hardy black cover.

 

Why Grow That When You Can Grow This? by Andrew Keys provides 255 alternatives to standard plantings. Tired of looking at that Juniper shrub or Vinca? This guide can give you ideas for plants with similar forms that will grow in the same sort of conditions.

 

 

 

Just remember: This too shall pass. And when it does, it will be time to plan, plant, and prune. For now, it's time to dream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Near the end of each month I watch Tony diligently prepare for the Rare Books Collectors' Salon. He does everything from secure and communicate with the speaker, to create a carefully edited playlist, invite attendees and arrange for the food. He even considers what to wear. While he does all of this, I watch from the sidelines, offering opinions and assistance if needed. If I'm free on the last Friday of the month, I show up and enjoy myself with bookish chat and intelligent presentations. Except for this month.

 

I am the speaker for the February Salon. I'd actually agreed to speak back in October but a family emergency prevented me from doing so. So the Salon goers presented to each other that night, taking turns talking about their favorite books.

 

When I was orginally preparing for the Salon, Tony suggested I choose an unexpected topic not likely to be addressed by other speakers. So I'll be discussing the part of my collection that is publisher marketing materials. I don't mean Advance Readers' Copies (ARCs). I mean the ephemera produced by publishers as part of a marketing campaign. ARCs sometimes come with little packages of kleenex (for those tear jerker titles), maps (world building anyone), or .......? You'll have to come listen to me to find out what I've managed to accumulate over the years. It's been fun revisiting those items.

 

So now I just have to time my presentation and gather the ephemera together. And I have to figure out what to wear. Suggestions?

 

Join us on Friday, Feburary 22 from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m.

Everyone likes to make lists at year's end. I prefer to make year end lists at the beginning of the succeeding year. After all, what happens if I read an excellent book on December 26th? I'd hate to not mention it because I jumped the gun.

 

I also prefer to make the list's parameters broad. Our staff reads new books, used books, out of print books. That's the kind of store we are and that's the kind of readers we are. So I asked our staff for the best books they read in 2012 regardless of publication date or topic. Without further ado:

 
Bruce:

Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barberry

Good Soldier by Ford Maddox Ford

Saturday by Ian McEwan

Wake of Forgiveness by Bruce Machart

 

Catherine:

Battleborn by Claire Vaye Watkins

Capital by John Lanchester

Gone to the Forest by Katie Kitamura

Magic Hours: Essays on Creators and Creation by Tom Bissell

 

Debra:

And Then It's Spring by Julie Fogliano

Embassytown by China Mieville

Rookies by Scott Sigler

Something Red by Douglas Nichols

Elizabeth:

Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Rising Up and Rising Down by William Vollman

Social Conquest of Earth by Edward O. Wilson

 

Frank:

Battleborn by Claire Vaye Watkins

Orchardist by Amanda Coplin

Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher by Timothy Egan

 

Jennifer:

Magician King by Lev Grossman

Round House by Louise Erdrich

 

Joan:

Brigham Young by John Turner

Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child by Bob Spitz

Limpopo Academy of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith

Racketeer by John Grisham

 

John:

Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

 

Jose:

Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway

Gods Without Men by Hari Kunzru

Mirage by Matt Ruff

Some Kind of Fairy by Graham Joyce

 

Lane:

Baseball in the Garden of Eden by John Thorn

Wherever I Wind Up by R. A. Dickey

 

Neil:

Tick comic books by Ben Edlund

Two Guys Named Joe by John Canemaker

 

Stephanie:

Battleborn by Claire Vaye Watkins

Fifty Year Sword by Mark Z. Danielewski

 

Tony:

Anarchists by James Joll

Emperor Wears No Clothes by Jack Herer

Moment in the Sun by John Sayles

 

Travis:

Night Angel by Brent Weeks

What's Eating You by Eugene Kaplan

 

 

 

We've been buzzing like mad little book worker bees because of the imminent release of the final book of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, Memory of Light. Jordan died in 2007 leaving many fantasy fans dejected by the thought of his series ending without conclusion. Luckily for them, and for us, Utah's own Brandon Sanderson was chosen by Jordan's editor to complete the series.

 

As we have for the past several years, we partnered with Brandon Sanderson to sell signed and numbered copies of his latest release. We've sold 500 - 600 copies of each book at a pop, all timed to ship for arrival on or closely after the release date. Because it is the last book in the Wheel of Time series, we knew Memory of Light ( or AMoL if you prefer) would be big. Oh my goodness! Every step of the way has been big.

 

We originally thought we'd increase the amount available to 700 if Tor was ammenable. They were so we did. But orders were coming in so quickly we couldn't keep up and we feared we'd have to turn away too many people. So with Tor's permission we increased the number to 1000. That's as many as I believed we could handle efficiently and effectively. Those 1000 sold out in 14 days. The crazed pace we kept up to take the orders has been maintained ever since.

 

We do a considerable amount of processing for the signed and numbered orders. Some of it's necessary just to get the job done; some of it is OCD, but it helps us feel like we're in control and that's important. Since we're an indie bookstore, our operations are idiosyncratic and at times antiquated. So a lot of our back end processing is done by people doing data entry, not computer processes. Then there's our packing. It's also informed by our long history as an independent book store and our appreciation for physical things. So we package each book carefully: wrapping in paper and bubblewrap, then using peanuts if necessary before putting into a box. We like the books we ship to arrive without further damage, even if they didn't arrive in pristine condition.

 

Along the way there were a few delays caused by damage to our shipments from the bindery and the illnesses of a few people. But as of today, all the shipments are all out. We're inputting tracking numbers this afternoon (yes, this is one of those processes that requires data entry) and hope to email them out tonight or tomorrow. The books should begin arriving tomrorow, January 8th so hopefully no one will have to use them.

 

Below are some choice shots of the processing process. Don't let this post lead you to believe that we believe the Sanderson signed and numbered mailings are just a lot of work. We genuinely enjoy seeing requests from those of you who've ordered from us before. Some of you have ordered signed and numbered copies so many times we know your names and eagerly await your orders. And then there's your excitement. Nothing warms a bookseller's heart like being around people who are genuinely enthusiastic about a book. It's one of the things that makes our jobs enjoyable and worthwhile.

 

 

 

 Some of the 1,000 copies of Memory of Light awaiting Brandon's signature. Yes, it was cold in the storage area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brandon signing and numbering Memory of Light. He did this during his Christmas vacation in the cold room with the flu. Here you also see Josh, a Sanderson fan who has volunteered his time over and over again to help process the signed and numbered books. Not only has he been awesome, he's been invaluable.

 

                                                                                                                                                         

 

 

 

Neil and Travis (moving so fast he's out of focus) wrapping books and building Priority Mail boxes for shipping.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part of one day's outgoing shipment of international orders.

On the cusp of the New Year, the 28th of December, last Friday of the month and the year, we're going to try something different for our Collectors Book Salon. We're asking you to put on a fancy, or outdated, or unusual, or just nice outfit and come to the Salon with your favorite copy of a book that had great influence on you in order to share a roughly five minute passage of that book with other salon visitors. It will be a year-end collectors exchange of readings from books that changed our lives and made us who we are. Readers and collectors are extremely interesting persons and we're really excited to get such very personal introductions to the books our friends and customers value.

 

The Collectors Book Salons occur on the last Friday of each month from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. They are semi-formal but playful affairs with music, snacks and drinks. At 7:30 we group for brief bibliographic presentations.

 

Below are just a few of the books that have influenced my life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November's Rare Book Salon featured our own charming Rare Books Department staff highlighting their picks for the holidays. In case you're interested (and you know you are!), here are the chosen books. Space considerations have limited me to author, title and price. Call the Rare Book Department for more information. They'd love to talk to you about their favorites!           

 

Bruce Christensen:

Bierce, Ambrose. Realm of the Unreal and Other Stories. $50

Derleth, August. Solar Pons Omnibus. $175

Dreiser, Theodore. American Tragedy. $90

Faulkner,  William. As I Lay Dying. $175

Fielding, Henry. Amelia. 3 vols. $75

Gardner, John. Grendel. $50

Joyce, James. Dubliners. $100

Lewis, C.S. Religious Writings of C. S. Lewis. 6 vols $800

Sartre, Jean Paul. Five Plays. $175

 

Debra Evans:

Holy Bible. $175

Child, Julia. Baking with Julia. $300

Fowles, John. French Lieutenant's Woman. $75

Hague, Michael. Where Fairies Dance. $250

Hines, Duncan. Adventures in Good Eating. $90

King, Stephen. Dark Tower Series. 7 vol set $2100

King, Stephen. From a Buick Eight. $250

Rowling, J.K. Tales of Beedle the Bard. $300

Williamson, Jack. Darker than You Think. $200              

                                                                 

Lane Richins:

Baum, L. Frank. Wonderful Wizard of Oz pop-up $65

Doyle, Arthur Conan. Crown Diamond $1000

Forrest, Earle R. Arizona's Dark and Bloody Ground. $250

Hotel Utah Coffee Shop and Empire Room Menus. 5 menus $50

Miller, Arthur. Death of a Salesman. $225

Williams, Tennessee. Battle of Angels. $200

 

Tony Weller:

American Type Founders Company. Specimen Book and Catalog. $225

Baum, L. Frank, By the Candelabras Glare. $6750

Ben-Gurion, David. Israel: A Personal History. $1850

Connors, Philip. Fire Season. $95

Gentry Magazine. First four issues containing the first American appearance of Herman Hesse's Siddhartha. $200

Malory, Thomas. Le Morte d'Arthur. $500

Roberts, B. H. Rise and Fall of Nauvoo. $250

Sanitary Science Club of the Association of Collegiate Allumnae. Home Sanitation. $25

Shakespeare, William. As You Like It $40

Shakespeare, William. Library of Shakespeare.$400

Stanley, Henry M. Through the Dark Continent. $450

Whymper, Edward. Travels Amongst the Great Andes of the Equator. $400

 

December's Rare Book Salon wil be a special treat. Tony is asking each attendee to bring a personally significant book to the salon and tell the rest of us about it. We can hardly wait to see what people bring in! Join us on Friday, December 28th from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

 

 

 

Today the Weller Book Works airport store opened and we couldn't be happier. It's a lovely space full of good books both new and old.

 

Cash/Wrap at the WBW Airport Store

One airport bookstore can be quite similar to another so our team has worked to select the titles many customers expect from an airport store as well as some of the outstanding titles Weller Book Works customers expect from our store.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best Wellers Display

                     There's even a rare book selection to peruse.

                                                                                                                   Tony Stocking Rare Books Display    

If your travels include the Salt Lake City International Airport, stop by and visit the new WBW in Terminal 1, just behind the TSA check point. After all, what's a flight without a good book?

It's the centenary of John Cage's birth today. Each morning we have a brief staff meeting before we open the doors to the public. This morning I ended the meeting with a reading in Cage's honor from a piece in one of my favorite books, Silence. The piece is entitled Lecture on Nothing. The spacing may not be exactly right here but the writing is.

 

 

I am here               ,            and there is nothing to say                 .

                                                                                            If among you are

those who wish to get        somewhere                  ,                       let them leave at

any moment                    ,                                  What we re-quire                               is

silence                   ;             but what silence requires

                 is         that I go on talking        .

                                                                                    Give any one thought

                           a push                          :           it falls down easily

;           but the pusher                and the pushed                    pro-duce            that enter-

tainment            called                   a dis-cussion                           .

                        Shall we have one later   ?

                          

Soon the weather will cool a bit and taking a stroll will be a welcome change from blistering heat or refrigerated air conditioning. And thanks to Lynn Arave and Ray Boren, you can now stroll about the greater Salt Lake Valley and beyond with purpose. Their new book, "Walking Salt Lake City," will entice you to put on your walking shoes and hit the pavement.

 

Thirty-four different walking tours are featured, from the Dimple Dell area in Sandy, to Lagoon, and even Antelope Island. Each tour has a helpful map at the beginning, as well as boundaries, distance, level of difficulty, and either where to park or how to use public transportation to get there. At the end of each tour is a list of points of interest (which includes great places to get snacks or full meals), a route summary, and even how to connect some of the walks with each other. If you are up to it, additional tours and sites are suggested. And, you can make these walks as long or as short as you choose.

 

Consider this: an easy quarter mile stroll at the Temple Quarry in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Or how about an easy one mile stroll on the Fielding Garr Ranch on Antelope Island? Ever consider walking the Bonneville Shoreline? That tour is about 3.5 easy miles. Or you could plan a tour of Central City which takes you past the new home of Weller Book Works! (It's in the book folks. Really)

 

At the end of the book is a list of walks by theme: people watching, arts, architecture, peaceful escapes, serious workouts, and dining/shopping. The key word in these walking tours is minutiae. Walking along, seeing the detail of the area will humor you, enlighten you, and occassionally amaze you. And this guide is the perfect companion. The only thing not included are the comfortable walking shoes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bibliophiles from throughout the City will gather here at Weller Book Works tonight at 6:30  for the third Collectors' Book Salon. This month Walter Jones, Special Collections Librarian at the University of Utah Marriott Library and Military Science selector for Marriott's Acquisitions Department, has agreed to speak with us about his experiences with rare books. Walter was a Korean linguist in the U.S. Military and has special expertise in books about the Vietnam War. He's also as delightful as he is knowledgeable.

 

Our last two Collectors' Book Salons were most enjoyable. We donned fancy but possibly unfashionable attire and brought carefully selected food and drinks into the Rare Book Room. July's salon was especially wonderful with live Jazz provided by Rick Baldassin and Lon Durrant. Author and collector Michael W. Homer spoke about the cultural value of bookshops and shared some of his experiences with rare books around the world. And of course our company and conversations were smart and diverse.

 

Join us tonight for the August Weller Book Works Collectors Salon

August 31, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m.

 

Questions? Call Tony or Joan at 801.328.2586

We are so happy and excited to be hosting Joanna Brooks' reading in Salt Lake City tonight. If you haven't read Book of Mormon Girl or heard Ms. Brooks in any of the media from the Daily Show with Jon Stewart to City Views with Jennifer Napier-Pearce on KCPW, you really should come meet her tonight at 7 p.m.

 

Book of Mormon Girl is an intelligent, heartfelt book about growing up as a person of faith in a secular society. It is also a book about the challenges an adult of faith encounters, not all of them from outside the religion. Brooks writing is skillful, honest, and poignant. More than one WBW staffer cried while reading this book. It's also funny. All in all, it's a book we couldn't stop talking about. I'm willing to bet when you read it you'll want to talk about it too.

 

Here's a link to Ms Brooks blog so you can check out her writing for yourself. Then come check out her wonderful speaking tonight!