I have been away to my parents for half term. Had a horrid time. I came home Friday arvo, and worked yesterday. It's odd having a Costa suddenly appear in the shop. It takes up half of the third floor and smells good. However even with their offer of 10 percent off for us book folk it is still more expensive to buy from them than to nip next door to the Pret. Plus Pret has nicer mocha and almond croissants. But, yeah, there's the whole ethics thang, and Costa = good and Pret = big bad McDonald's apparently. Hmmm, my book store employee's wage just doesn't stretch so...
I wasn't the only one either, we guiltily tried to hide our tell tale take out bags as we walked by the coffee guys.
(We could always make our own in the staff room, but hey, it's my Saturday morning treat, I take lunch from home dammit, I will not be deprived.)
The other problem with it is that it's so darn noisy. Well of course, people chat over coffee, and they laugh too and yell and it's all good. Except that it sounded like a big party was going on every time I picked up the phone which didn't seem too customer friendly. Whatever, really I am all for coffee and book shop marriages.
I saw a new book of short stories yesterday that looked ultra enticing;
Magic for beginners by Kelly Link.
I am a little weary of some short stories, I have read so many that they often blend and become just more of the same, from what I could see this looked intriguing and fresh. Of course I haven't actually read them yet! But anyhoo, worth checking out I would say.
http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/displayProductDetails.do?sku=5567773
She also has an amazingly gorgeous site at http://www.kellylink.net/index.html
4 days ago
5 comments:
Hi Sara
I guess coffee bars are a way of keeping the customers in the shop rather than losinmg them to elsewhere... but it's always felt a little odd to me. How can other customers concentrate if they are surrounded by the noise and wafting smells of a coffee bar?
Hey ho.
I'm thinking of doing some flash writing at some point this week... Happy to fit iin with you if you want to join in again
vanessa
I think that the idea is also that it will encourage people to go up the stairs to floors they don't usually make it to. A lot of times customers are surprised that we actually have 5 floors in total. If it increases book sales it's good.
"Safe world gone" is now in stock and displayed on the ground floor in our bookseller recommends section!
Boys are back to school tomorrow, so any day after 9.30 would suit me for a flash session. Thanks, count me in.
Wow they're everywhere - we just got a Starbucks in our tres crumby college! I must say Costa is a bit rubbish, too milky. I love having a coffee in a bookshop though. It's never quite like Ellen's bookshop, but it's the closest we'll get.
Wow thats lovely.(Safe World Gone)
I know a good handful of people said they were going to buy it... butI have no idea if they actually did, or if they relied on amazon.
Thanks though. Makes me feel all warm n fuzzy.
we are flashing thursday morning if you and anyone else wants to join in... 9.30?
v
kellie...I am jealous, I think Starbucks would be better. It's funny when you think how there were zero coffee shops when we were younger, it was a cup of tea at Wimpy or the Littlewoods cafe. Progress is good, and it's all about the Ellen experience for me. If only we had the sarky coffee guy too.
Vanessa, Thursday is good for me. Enjoy the warm fuzziness!
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