Confessions of a Shopaholic

Confessions of a Shopaholic
by Sophie Kinsella

In the spirit of Bridget Jones Diary is the heart-warming, spunky tale of a London socialite named Becky Bloomwood. Becky is smart, beautiful, and very, very stylish- she has all the latest clothing and a trendy flat in a stylish neighborhood. She only has one little problem... she's irrevocably addicted to shopping. Ironically she works as a journalist for one of London's top financial magazines, however, she couldn't be less interested in finance these days (she's too busy dreaming of that must-have scarf, or the perfect pair of zebra-print jeans.) That is until one day a story comes too close to home for Becky and she is thrusted into the story of her career and a new-found appreciation for money-matters.

Confessions of a Shopaholic is a fun and funny page-turner that you won't be ashamed to read at your local coffee house. Becky Bloomwood is an unforgettable character with so much charm and wit you won't be able to help loving her. Soon to be a major motion picture starring the unforgettable Ilsa Fisher.

In this shopping-driven season it is especially nice to curl up with a fantastic book, stay out of those scary check-out lines, and reacquaint yourself with the pleasures in life that come price-tag free!

Happy New Year!

Holiday Wrap-up

What a great 2008 holiday season we have had at Fig Garden Bookstore. We anticipated a challenging season but we were delightedly overwhelmed with the support of our loyal customers and new friends. Thank you to all of you who made the powerful choice to shop locally, you have helped make a difference in your community. Thank you to everyone who stopped by just to say Merry Christmas. Thank you for all of the cookies and treats that you dropped off to give us a boost. Thank you to all of our shoppers who let us be part of your families by helping you select the perfect book, toy or gift.

From our Bookstore family to yours, we wish you a very Happy New Year.

More reasons to buy books!

Roy Blount says it well on shopping local

You may know Roy Blount Jr. as a Southern humorist. He's also the current president of the Author's Guild. This past week he issued the following about shopping at independent book stores.

Subject: Holiday Message from Roy Blount

I've been talking to booksellers lately who report that times are hard. And local booksellers aren't known for vast reserves of capital, so a serious dip in sales can be devastating. Booksellers don't lose enough money, however, to receive congressional attention. A government bailout isn't in the cards.

We don't want bookstores to die. Authors need them, and so do neighborhoods. So let's mount a book-buying splurge. Get your friends together, go to your local bookstore and have a book-buying party. Buy the rest of your Christmas presents, but that's just for starters. Clear out the mysteries, wrap up the histories, beam up the science fiction! Round up the westerns, go crazy for self-help, say yes to the university press books! Get a load of those coffee-table books, fatten up on slim volumes of verse, and take a chance on romance!

There will be birthdays in the next twelve months; books keep well; they're easy to wrap: buy those books now. Buy replacements for any books looking raggedy on your shelves. Stockpile children's books as gifts for friends who look like they may eventually give birth. Hold off on the flat-screen TV and the GPS (they'll be cheaper after Christmas) and buy many, many books. Then tell the grateful booksellers, who by this time will be hanging onto your legs begging you to stay and live with their cat in the stockroom: "Got to move on, folks. Got some books to write now. You see...we're the Authors Guild."

Enjoy the holidays.
Roy Blount Jr.
President
Authors Guild

Shop Local

Another Reminder to SHOP LOCAL

In a further indication of how far the "Shop Local" message has come, this week the International Council of Shopping Centers launched a print and television campaign "Give Your Community a Lift ... Shop Locally for Your Gifts!" The ads seek to drive home to consumers the importance of shopping locally this holiday season because it keeps sales tax revenue in the community.
"Many consumers shop online and avoid paying sales tax, and while this may appear to consumers as a way of saving a few dollars, in the end it may cost them more if local tax revenue is eroded and municipalities are forced to cut back on services," said Michael P. Kercheval, president and CEO of the International Council of Shopping Centers, in a statement.
As part of the campaign, the council will be running a 60-second television spot, which stresses that more than 33 percent of a community's annual revenue is generated by sales taxes and this money helps to fund schools, hospitals, and police and fire departments, as reported by Ad Age. Featured in the TV campaign are the mayor of Trenton, New Jersey, Douglas H. Palmer, and Classics Used & Rare Books. Store co-owner Laurice Reynolds told BTW that it was the mayor's decision to shoot the public service announcement at the bookstore. "We've been in this location for three years, and we've always said that we are the pioneers of the redevelopment of Trenton," said Reynolds.
The one-minute public service announcement will air between December 8 and December 22 on CNBC, CNN, Headline News, Fox News, MSNBC, The Weather Channel, Bloomberg and National First Business, as well as during ABC's GMA Weekend, NBC's Today Show Weekend, and The Oprah Winfrey Show. Also, ICSC is encouraging malls to display posters and window and door clings, available from ICSC, to support this campaign.
The International Council of Shopping Centers was one of the early supporters, along with the American Booksellers Association and other trade groups, of the E-Fairness Coalition.

Book Lists

We love this time of year when everyone has a Best Books of the Year List.

Here's Stephen King's Picks.

Stephen King: 10 Best Books of 2008 (Entertainment Weekly)"Okay, gang, pay attention: In 2007, according to the National Association of Theatre Owners, the average price of a movie ticket was $6.88. Let's say it goes up to $7.00 in 2008. And say that you and your sweetie buy $10 of snacks (featuring your Uncle Stevie's famous ''heavy'' bag of popcorn). Even leaving out the babysitter and the cost of gas, that's $24 for two hours' entertainment. For that same $24 — less, with a discount — you can buy a new book and be entertained for days. Plus, your sweetie can read it when you're done (or first, if he or she's the grabby type). My point? Books are still the best bang for your entertainment buck, and 2008 was a great year for reading. Below are my personal best for the last 12 months. (And I've indicated the ones in paperback — even cheaper!) My advice is get them all. Immediately."

And NPR's
NPR's Best Books of 2008 include eclectic lists like Migration And Memory: Top Five 2008 Books; Best Graphic Novels Of 2008; Alan Cheuse's Top Fiction Picks For 2008; Best Political And Current Affairs Books Of 2008; Best Foreign Fiction Of 2008; The 10 Best Cookbooks Of 2008; Top Five Crime And Mystery Novels Of 2008 and more.

And The New York Times
NY Times 10 Best Books of 2008 as selected by the editors of the Book Review
NY Times 100 Notable Books of 2008 as selected by the editors of the Book Review

And Publisher's Weekly
Publishers' Weekly Best Books of the Year includes extensive lists = a general fiction list, then lists by genre like mystery, romance, sci-fi & comics, poetry, nonfiction, childrens, etc.

Holiday for Books

This is definately the Holiday for Books.
Take a look at the American publishers gift message site for some great ideas.

Reading to Kids from James Patterson

A Great Gift from James Patterson

Check out his wonderful read to kids site. My guess is that he's paying for the cool ad campaign out of his own pocket, too.