Bookshop stuff

[raven]

It’s been a still sort of day, without much wind and not many people. The village was deserted when I got in, and even the shop was sunlit and much too quiet. It got busier as time went on; it seemed everyone in the village was coming in to commiserate with Tony. Yesterday afternoon he and Deb were busy with the computer at the front, and didn’t notice someone go through the shop, slip into the bag, rummage through the pockets in the jackets hanging up, find Tony’s car keys, go out and drive off with his car. This actually appeared in today’s Formby Times – it’s a weekly paper! – and consequently all the other small-shop-owners have been visiting.

Tony is being remarkably good-humoured about it – I think the car was insured for more than its actual worth – and when I got in, he set me to putting out a stack of books. Yesterday featured not the usual three deliveries, but seventeen boxes. The mind, she boggles. Anyway, the first book I picked up had “sexual awakening” in the blurb. I blinked, and started to read. Tony grabbed it from me and went striding off to the section marked “Erotica (female)” muttering that I was much too young for that. In the process of crossing the shop, he started to read. Out loud.

Thankfully Alison and I made enough noise to drown him out before he got to the end of page forty-three. “Is that anatomically possible?”

I didn’t know. The next box was full of Terry Pratchett. Lots of Going Postal paperbacks, and more excitingly, hardbacks of Thud and Where is My Cow?, which is a picture flat tie-in. We are not allowed to sell Thud until Monday – it’s embargoed – but Tony said to me, “You work here. You shelve books. It’s hardly as if I can stop you from looking at them, or reading them in the back where no-one can see...”

With a pause to reflect on the fact I may have the nicest employer in the world, I retreated into the back and read the first thirty pages of Thud. I had to stop before I started to get really into it. When I got back into the shop, it was filled with people and sadly I will never know about the vampire in the Watch. Also at this point, someone came in from next door with the Formby Times. Not only is Tony there as a “victim of crime”, he’s pictured at Deyes High doing the Sefton Super-Reads, and there’s a picture of me on the opposite page. Either we’re all very popular or the local journalists have absolutely nothing to write about. I suspect the latter.

I only work two days more, and am honestly depressed about it. I’ve been so lucky to have a job I’ve really loved, even for minimum wage and random hours. It’s been such fun.

And now, packing. Sigh.

Comments

[quackaquacka.livejournal.com]

*pokes you* Do you want us all to meet up one last time before you go away? It'll have to be soon if you do.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

I really don't think I can. I'm working and packing every day until Monday, when I'm going away. I think it might have to be December now. *groan*

[(Anonymous)]

Yeah, that's why I was thinking it would have to be soon if at all.

Ah well. December it is.

(Also, what date is your birthday? I want to put it on my calendar, but, oddly, 'January' isn't specific enough.)

[quackaquacka.livejournal.com]

GRR (argh).

That was me, by the way.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Anon comments are always Sam or Patrick, so it was nice to have a change. :) My birthday is January 20th. Remember the amazing library synchronicity?

[quackaquacka.livejournal.com]

That's why I remembered the vague period of time, but not the date. I'll write it down now.

[gwynnega]

I only work two days more, and am honestly depressed about it. I’ve been so lucky to have a job I’ve really loved, even for minimum wage and random hours. It’s been such fun.

My favorite job of all time was my bookshop job...

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

I don't know what it is, but working among books and bookish people is so incredibly restful.

[casirafics.livejournal.com]

Where's My Cow? doesn't come out here until Tuesday (for some reason, everything in the U.S. seems to come out on Tuesdays). On the other hand, Terry is doing the reading/signing at the U. Bookstore on Monday night. If they don't cheat and sell Where's My Cow? anyway, I will be very put out. ;)

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Ours is a British edition only embargo, at least judging from what was on the wholesalers' boxes. I read Where's My Cow? in its entirety today, and giggled so much. It's a book-within-a-book and so funny.

[leyo.livejournal.com]

Ooh, is Thud the newest Discworld since Nightwatch? I have trouble keeping track of all Terry Pratchett's books, though I try to keep up with the Discworld ones. *gazes lovingly at her virtually complete Discworld collection*

My second most exciting moment in August was seeing Terry Pratchett walk across a field in Wiltshire. I totally nerded out. :D

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Ooh, no. Since Night Watch (which is my favourite) there have been The Wee Free Men, Monstrous Regiment, A Hat Full of Sky, Going Postal and then Thud. It's the newest Watch book since Night Watch (unless you count MR, where Vimes and Angua cameo).

Eee, I would have nerded too! How cool. :)

[leyo.livejournal.com]

Yes, Night Watch was great. Vimes is such a great character, the Watch books are probably my favourites. I have a soft spot for Pyramids though, because I adore anything to do with the Assassins' Guild.

Argh, I am clearly failing miserably at keeping up with all the Discworld books. I read The Wee Free Men (and gave it away, darn) but I haven't got any of the others. Ah well, I've got a whole bunch of book tokens stocked up, so I can probably go and spend those. *g*

My friend's family have a country house near where Terry Pratchett lives, hence the sighting. I was chatting to a friend who lives in the same village who told me he'd once had a very boring conversation about pooh sticks with Terry Pratchett. All I could think was "O.O I would LOVE to have a conversation about pooh sticks with Terry Pratchett!"

Besides, so many people fail to appreciate the joys of pooh sticks :)

[pinkishmew.livejournal.com]

Packing is fun! Pack! Pack!

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

I would pay you to do mine for me, honestly. :)