Book Sense

The PDF flier of the 20 December "We Also Recommend" titles, which includes bibliographic information, jacket images, and booksellers' quotations, is available on the Book Sense Picks page of BookWeb.org or to download the flier now, click here.

Meg Smith, associate director of Book Sense marketing and ABA media relations, sends a reminder to booksellers that, in the throes of their busiest season, it's important to keep reporting to the Book Sense Bestseller Lists each week.

With the holiday shopping season now in full swing, and gift card popularity on the rise, more and more consumers are planning to buy gift cards for family members and friends. With many media reports warning potential patrons of gift card "fees," "inactivity fees," and "expiration dates," participants in the Book Sense Gift Card Program should be sure their customers understand that Book Sense gift cards carry no expiration dates or fees.

At Morning Star Bookshop in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, you can start a good book in a cozy antique rocker and then purchase both to recreate the experience at home. Owner Rebekah Ray's two-and-a-half-month-old bookshop occupies a thousand square feet of a 2,500-square-foot space long occupied by Bridge Street Fine Arts & Antiques. Ray and Bridge Street owner Dale Martin cover for each other's shops since the proprietors employ no other staff, and Ray also runs a bed & breakfast, full time.

Based on reporting from hundreds of independent bookstores across the country for the four-week period ending November 28, 2004.

Past Category Bestseller lists are available at www.bookweb.org/read/5677.

Attention Media: Please contact Meg Smith at [email protected] for reprint guidelines for your newspaper or magazine.

The Winter 2004/2005 Children's Book Sense Picks can now be previewed on BookWeb.org. To see the full list, click here.

Booksellers should be receiving the Children's Picks fliers at their stores within a week.

Very many thanks to all the booksellers -- both children's specialty stores and general independents -- who sent in their enthusiastic nominations, without which there would be no list!

Though it smacks of nothing less than chutzpah -- given that retail's Black Friday is only days away -- Book Sense Picks Editor-in-Chief Dan Cullen (very respectfully!) reminds booksellers of two key Book Sense Picks deadlines:

December 3 - February Picks
December 10 - Valentine's Day Top Ten

After December 31, 2004, ABA will no longer sell Book Sense Paper Gift Certificates to stores. However, orders to meet bookstores' holiday needs may still be placed by calling (800) 637-0037, ext. 1292 or 1293. Orders will be fulfilled as long as supplies last.

As holiday shoppers begin to flock to bookstores looking for just the right gifts, Book Sense would like to bring a few timely troubleshooting tips to the attention of gift card booksellers. Although we don't anticipate problems, sometimes during the holiday frenzy even the best-laid plans can go awry, so keeping these tips handy will help to answer some frequently asked questions.

Lee Booksellers is the only locally owned, full-service independent bookstore in Lincoln, Nebraska. And this year the store's owners, Jim McKee and Linda Hillegass, celebrated 25 years in business and 26 years of marriage. The couple had celebrated their nascent marriage with a bookstore venture romantically named for both of them -- each happens to have the middle name Lee.

Here is a preview of the titles to be featured on the Book Sense December "We Also Recommend." Downloadable PDFs of the flier and shelf-talkers, which include bibliographic information and booksellers' quotations for the 20 titles, will be available next week at www.bookweb.org/read/6977. The PDF flier also includes jacket images.

For the past few years, the popularity of gift cards among consumers has grown dramatically, and, according to a number of recent surveys, this year doesn't appear to be any different.

To ensure delivery by Friday, December 17, Givex must receive orders for Book Sense gift cards by Monday, November 29, at 5:00 p.m. EST. This includes orders from booksellers who wish to join the program before the end of the year, reorders of cards and presenters from participating booksellers, and orders for optional equipment.

Last weekend, BookSense.com brought a new production database and server online, and now, with the upgrade complete, it's time for BookSense.com participants and their customers to enjoy the increased speed and stability of bookstores' BookSense.com Web sites.

Based on reporting from hundreds of independent bookstores across the country for the four-week period ending November 14, 2004.

Past Category Bestseller lists are available at www.bookweb.org/read/5677.

Attention Media: Please contact Meg Smith at [email protected] for reprint guidelines for your newspaper or magazine.