The Quirkiest Book Organization of any bookstore in existence.
Oh, I have your normal books. When you come in, you'll see a book rack full of literary fiction and non-fiction, in the middle of the store, and just below that young adult novels, below that mysteries. On the other side of the book rack I have science fiction and fantasy.
The selection is somewhat quirky, but recognizable. I tend to be heavy on the 'beat' authors, (Kerouac, Burroughs), the 'hippy' authors, (Robbins and Hunter S. Thompson) the newer hip authors (who I refer to as the McSweeney crowd, because they all publish in that literary magazine; the Dave Eggers, the Chuck Paliniuks, the David Sedaris's.) But I also have the Kite Runners and the Memory Keeper's Daughters. Anything I consider good.
In my mysteries, I tend to focus on the classics, the Dashiel Hammetts, the Raymond Chandlers, the James Ellroy's, the Agatha Christies, but I also have the Janet Evanovich's, and the Sue Graftons.
In the science fiction and fantasy, I carry the Tolkiens, the Heinleins, etc. but I also go heavy on the Harlan Ellisons, the Philip K. Dicks, the H.P. Lovecrafts.
But still, within a normal range.
On the left, as you come in the door, it becomes a little more strange.
First Shelf: 'Real Life Graphics'. Graphic novels about Palestine, and Bosnia, and Iran, etc.
2). Pulp art and pulp fiction.
3 & 4). Faeryland. Gnomes, dwarves, fairies, etc.
5 & 6). Fantasy Art.
7). Hollywood and Noir.
8). Cartoon non-fiction. Cartoon Histories, or books illustrating Darwin or Einstein.
9). New Yorker type cartoonish. Charles Addams, Edward Gorey, Shel Silverstein, Jules Feiffer. etc.
10 & 11). Weird and surrealistic modern art, journals, note cards.
12). Pop Culture; Tiki art, Shag art, etc.
13.) Ninja's, Samurai, and Geisha.
14.) Robots and Westerns
15. Vampires and Werewolves
16 . Zombies
17. Pirates
18. Dragons and Dinosaurs
19). Books about Central Oregon and Bend.
In the back,
20-50) . Manga.
On the far right, as you come in the door, shelves and shelves of art books, a pop-up books shelf, a couple of shelves of Euro-art and graphics.
This doesn't count the whole other half of the store, which consists of used books in the front and comics and graphic novels in the back.
I'm starting to think of myself as a bookstore (no matter how quirky) that carries comics and graphic novels; rather than a comic store carrying books. But the differences are narrowing, as books like The 300, The History of Violence, V for Vendetta, Watchmen, Road to Perdition, Ghostworld, Sin City, Preacher, Sandman (and Stardust), and many more move front and center in pop-culture.
It's kind of cool. I never thought it would happen.
Oh, I have your normal books. When you come in, you'll see a book rack full of literary fiction and non-fiction, in the middle of the store, and just below that young adult novels, below that mysteries. On the other side of the book rack I have science fiction and fantasy.
The selection is somewhat quirky, but recognizable. I tend to be heavy on the 'beat' authors, (Kerouac, Burroughs), the 'hippy' authors, (Robbins and Hunter S. Thompson) the newer hip authors (who I refer to as the McSweeney crowd, because they all publish in that literary magazine; the Dave Eggers, the Chuck Paliniuks, the David Sedaris's.) But I also have the Kite Runners and the Memory Keeper's Daughters. Anything I consider good.
In my mysteries, I tend to focus on the classics, the Dashiel Hammetts, the Raymond Chandlers, the James Ellroy's, the Agatha Christies, but I also have the Janet Evanovich's, and the Sue Graftons.
In the science fiction and fantasy, I carry the Tolkiens, the Heinleins, etc. but I also go heavy on the Harlan Ellisons, the Philip K. Dicks, the H.P. Lovecrafts.
But still, within a normal range.
On the left, as you come in the door, it becomes a little more strange.
First Shelf: 'Real Life Graphics'. Graphic novels about Palestine, and Bosnia, and Iran, etc.
2). Pulp art and pulp fiction.
3 & 4). Faeryland. Gnomes, dwarves, fairies, etc.
5 & 6). Fantasy Art.
7). Hollywood and Noir.
8). Cartoon non-fiction. Cartoon Histories, or books illustrating Darwin or Einstein.
9). New Yorker type cartoonish. Charles Addams, Edward Gorey, Shel Silverstein, Jules Feiffer. etc.
10 & 11). Weird and surrealistic modern art, journals, note cards.
12). Pop Culture; Tiki art, Shag art, etc.
13.) Ninja's, Samurai, and Geisha.
14.) Robots and Westerns
15. Vampires and Werewolves
16 . Zombies
17. Pirates
18. Dragons and Dinosaurs
19). Books about Central Oregon and Bend.
In the back,
20-50) . Manga.
On the far right, as you come in the door, shelves and shelves of art books, a pop-up books shelf, a couple of shelves of Euro-art and graphics.
This doesn't count the whole other half of the store, which consists of used books in the front and comics and graphic novels in the back.
I'm starting to think of myself as a bookstore (no matter how quirky) that carries comics and graphic novels; rather than a comic store carrying books. But the differences are narrowing, as books like The 300, The History of Violence, V for Vendetta, Watchmen, Road to Perdition, Ghostworld, Sin City, Preacher, Sandman (and Stardust), and many more move front and center in pop-culture.
It's kind of cool. I never thought it would happen.