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An inspiring true story about losing your place, finding your purpose, and building a community one book at a time. Wendy Welch and her husband had always dreamed of owning a bookstore, so when they left their high-octane jobs for a simpler life in an Appalachian coal town, they seized an unexpected opportunity to pursue thier dream. The only problems? A declining U.S. economy, a small town with no industry, and the advent of the e-book. They also had no idea how to run a bookstore. Against all odds, but with optimism, the help of their Virginian mountain community, and an abiding love for books, they succeeded in establishing more than a thriving business - they built a community. The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap is the little bookstore that could: how two people, two cats, two dogs, and thirty-eight thousand books helped a small town find its heart. It is a story about people and books, and how together they create community.… (more)
I have mixed feelings about this book; sometimes I really enjoyed it and other times I was sort of meh. I actually enjoyed the content of the entire book---I think I just didn't care for the author's perspectives, from time to time.
I'd say this is a fantastic resource and should be required reading for anyone who wants to run a book shop---which I actually am seriously considering doing once my Father's estate is settled. There was so much good information, even just on how to buy books for resale.
The book was also full of really great quotable thoughts, like this one: "I don't think I have ever left a library without feeling a twinge of regret, a vague sense of panic that I'd missed something important, that stories, people, and ideas were still in there waiting for me to find them so they could tell me secrets."
I am sort of wondering about the wisdom of keeping humor and some romance books in the bathroom. Do people use this bathroom? Because that’s disgusting...
The end of the book features lists of what to read and what not to read---all fantastic until the very last entry on the "not to read" list: Nathaniel Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown. And now you know the real reason I have a chip on my shoulder about Wendy Welch. Nobody insults my 218 year old boyfriend. ( )
I enjoyed this book...at first. And then it sat and sat and sat on my nightstand while I read at least 5 other books. It's a very sweet little book, but it would have been much better as a long-form article. ( )
I am sure after reading this, most people would either want to own a second-hand bookstore in a community like Big Stone Gap, or pursue their dreams. You wish you could be like Wendy and Jack, take yourself out of the rat race, and do something you like. Of course, both worked hard to make the bookstore a success and they must be likable people to be accepted by the community. I don't know why the bookstore is now closed but their success story is heartwarming, and keeps dreams and hopes alive. All is good with this book except it got draggy towards the end. ( )
A straightforward story giving what the title promises, and a lovely personal take on being both a small business owner and the new family in town. Welch and her husband moved to escape a toxic job environment in a big city, and pursued a somewhat impulsive dream to open a bookstore and get to know their new town. If you have interest in rural America, this also is instructive on how local economies fight the good fight against chain retail, and are notching some wins. ( )
I get out to Southwest Virginia at least once a year but never made it to the bookstore at Big Stone Gap. Sadly, it was sold this summer and will revert to a private home. Wendy Welch's memoir of opening and operating the bookstore was an honest and loving tale of the challenges of moving into a close knit community. It could well be a foundational document for others who wish to do the same with lots of "lessons learned" about creating and growing a customer base. Organized in essay style that generally followed the chronology of the store as well as their eventual welcome into the community, the book takes its time and drags a bit in the middle as Welch comes to some understanding of her own role in connecting with her neighbors. It was a nice story, however, and made me nostalgic for this beautiful part of my state. ( )
When you sell a person a book you don't just sell twelve ounces of paper and ink and glue—you sell a whole new life. Love and friendship and humor and ships at sea by night—there's all heaven and earth in a book, a real book. —Christopher Morley, The Haunted Bookshop
Dedication
If you have ever walked away from doing something "important" to do something better, this book is dedicated to you.
It's also dedicated to everyone who loves books.
First words
Three am. Sleep was gone. My mind whirled with boxes to unpack, items to find. (Prologue)
People talk about following their bliss, but if you're stubborn, unobservant sods like Jack and me, your bliss pretty much has to beat you over the head until you see things in a new light.
This is a true story. (Author's Note)
Quotations
Last words
Dear Lord, I hope so,, I prayed silently into the graying light. (Prologue)
An inspiring true story about losing your place, finding your purpose, and building a community one book at a time. Wendy Welch and her husband had always dreamed of owning a bookstore, so when they left their high-octane jobs for a simpler life in an Appalachian coal town, they seized an unexpected opportunity to pursue thier dream. The only problems? A declining U.S. economy, a small town with no industry, and the advent of the e-book. They also had no idea how to run a bookstore. Against all odds, but with optimism, the help of their Virginian mountain community, and an abiding love for books, they succeeded in establishing more than a thriving business - they built a community. The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap is the little bookstore that could: how two people, two cats, two dogs, and thirty-eight thousand books helped a small town find its heart. It is a story about people and books, and how together they create community.
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I'd say this is a fantastic resource and should be required reading for anyone who wants to run a book shop---which I actually am seriously considering doing once my Father's estate is settled. There was so much good information, even just on how to buy books for resale.
The book was also full of really great quotable thoughts, like this one: "I don't think I have ever left a library without feeling a twinge of regret, a vague sense of panic that I'd missed something important, that stories, people, and ideas were still in there waiting for me to find them so they could tell me secrets."
I am sort of wondering about the wisdom of keeping humor and some romance books in the bathroom. Do people use this bathroom? Because that’s disgusting...
The end of the book features lists of what to read and what not to read---all fantastic until the very last entry on the "not to read" list: Nathaniel Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown. And now you know the real reason I have a chip on my shoulder about Wendy Welch. Nobody insults my 218 year old boyfriend. (