I put up a few cool photos my aunt took at the Village Books reading/signing in the Palisades last week in the site gallery, so check them out! I’d never been over there before, and it’s a really special bookstore–tiny, and cozy–I felt like I was in a simpler time (until I went outside, at least). The folks that run it are excellent at what they do. I watched a few customers walk in before the reading got started and make pretty vague recommendation requests and the staff was able each time, miraculously, to find them something they seemed happy with. They also do that thing I love about small bookstores where a tag is put on books with a little summary and staff recommendation. As we’re all quite aware, these kinds of bookstores are a dying breed, and Village Books is an especially nice one.
As for the reading, it went well–we had a nice little crowd and a fellow workshop member of mine came and read the opening of her novel, titled Greysville, to get us started. She’s a writer who’s simultaneously hilarious and touching, a balancing act that’s always difficult to achieve. I’ll be sure to post info about the novel once it’s published, and will post her web info as soon as I get it so you can check her writing out if you had to miss.
I read for about 20 minutes, old and new stuff, and my book’s now available there, right at the front counter. So any of you westsiders who don’t have my book yet, get on over and pick up a copy, and browse the store. Or, if you don’t live anywhere near the Palisades, stop by on the way back from the beach sometime this summer and check it out.
