Shelf Life
Suzanne Strempek Shea
2004
221 pages
Published by Beacon
Purchased by me, and the blame lies with Literary Feline
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This book was interesting at times, and a bit self-serving at other times, but I was pretty invested in it until I got about 2/3 of the way through. And then I was betrayed. Yes, betrayed.
You see, I saw two blatant errors on the same page. Now, normally I can be forgiving of an occasional typo, but when Artemis Fowl is Artemis Foul and Paulo Coelho becomes Pablo Coelho, then I pretty much lose all respect for the author/editor. Because if you’re an author/editor, you damn well better spell your fellow author’s name and/or book correctly when you talk about them. Especially if it’s a compliment. Because otherwise…it’s not a compliment. And it can pretty much ruin a book for a reader. At least this reader.
Okay, rant over.
After undergoing cancer treatment, Strempek Shea took a part-time job in a local indie bookstore as a way of getting out of the house and back into the world. Although the book is billed as “Romance, mystery, drama, and other page-turning adventures from a year in a bookstore,” there are also a lot of asides about the author’s own experiences with book tours, and other indie bookstores, and even a bit about a trip toIrelandto work on a book. Of course, my favorite parts were the bookstore parts because I would love to work in one myself (and I totally would…if they paid as well as my current job and we had a good indie around here, which they don’t and there isn’t, making my dream quite unrealistic, which is a total downer when you’re a realistic person).
I love books about books and bookstores, so I would probably love this one. I do think she should have spelled the other author’s names right though, and am wondering how that got through her editor? I might have to look for this one. Thanks, Jill!
zibilee´s last [type] ..Summer Giveaway Winners!
You have the same dream job I do – more or less. I want to be a book store owner and have a little coffee shop on the second floor. In my head – it is very eclectic and has attitude – not a box shaped store but corners and curves….
Basically if you have ever read the The Three Sisters trilogy (and man I recommend them to anyone if you have not) by Nora Roberts (I know, I know – but trust me)…. I want to be Mia and I want to own the bookstore she owns in those books.
Sheila (Bookjourney)´s last [type] ..Morning Meanderings…. Mischief Managed and Placing The Sorting Hat High On The Shelf
Working in a bookstore does sound good, except for the fact that you have to put up with customers. Not sure this one’s for me.
bermudaonion (Kathy)´s last [type] ..Midnight in Paris
I worked in a bookstore for 3 years and loved it, although . . . yeah, you do have to put up with humans and they can be problematic. The ones that upset me the most? Mothers who came in with children and told them, “Don’t touch anything!” or “No, you cannot have a book. You have three, already!” Those women, without fail, always ended up buying a cookbook. There’s more than one way a child needs to be fed, you know?
Artemis FOUL? it’s almost spiteful!
As someone who types almost impossibly fast, I make a lot of typos. It’s something I’m working on. But still, Artemis Foul seems like a typo even I would be able to avoid, especially after some initial editing. I’m sorry that this book betrayed you so egregiously — especially since the premise sounded pretty good. I currently work in a library — its the closes I can get to a bookstore at the moment. Some days I love it, most days I hate it.