A Velveteen Rabbit is a century-old story about authenticity, an essential theme that Jennifer Egan explores in The Candy House amidst the complexities and innovations of a current and future context. Join the full discussion of her latest novel, THE CANDY HOUSE, on April 27, 7 pm, a Gramercy Book Club program moderated by writer and scholar Nick White!
As an author and a bookstore owner, I am often asked to recommend books. My all-time favorites tower at Gramercy Books (plucked off by customers faster than our booksellers can replace them!) doesn’t change much because I’m very picky about what I will call a favorite. Here are my mini-reviews of the dozen books I’ve read thus far in 2022!
As I reviewed my book diary over this past year—nearly fifty in total—my selections covered a range of themes, characters, settings, and genres. In terms of those I read that were published in 2021, here are my top five picks.
A year ago, we didn’t foresee that everything was about to change. We were facing the shadow of an incipient epidemic, resulting in lives lost and much suffering. It is exactly one year to the day—March 23, 2020—when Gramercy Books had to close our physical doors to you. So, today is a day of reflection and looking forward.
Many in the community have asked how we are doing at Gramercy Books, given the world in which we now find ourselves. Thanks to YOU, Gramercy Books is holding its own. We are so grateful that you, our community, continue to call, visit, purchase books and other fun items (puzzles are back in stock!), and participate in our live streamed programming.
Overseeing a business, organization, or even a household during a pandemic—with its uncertainty as new information unfolds daily—is like driving a vehicle down a mountain through a deep fog. As Gramercy Books looks toward reopening our store later in May, I believe there is a silver lining to this challenging environment.
What follows is a diary of how COVID-19 has affected one locally owned, independent bookstore located just outside Columbus, Ohio. I started keeping a diary, just to keep track of day-to-day adjustments to this unfolding crisis. It now seems like a useful guide, revealing what one small business is doing to adapt to a pandemic.
Effective March 24 through April 6, Gramercy Books will be closed to walk-in traffic, in compliance with Ohio Governor DeWine’s stay at home order. Booksellers will continue to process your online orders from the safety of their homes. We’ll continue to offer free shipping on orders of $25 or more. And we will continue to engage with you every day.
We now have the gift of time: to read to each other, to read for ourselves. Gramercy Books is keeping our doors open to offer refuge when you need a change of scenery. We also have free shipping for purchases over $25 and curbside pickup. We’re here to take your calls, questions, and orders for books, games, puzzles, and more.
To kick off the new year, Gramercy Books will host a panel of serious readers—an author, library associate, and book critic moderated by yours truly—talking about their favorite book(s) of 2019, and those titles they’re most looking forward to this year. Here are my 2019 favorites and those books I am most excited about in early 2020.
