The Bluestocking Bookshop

Interview with R. Aimee Chipman of The Bluestocking Bookshop

When did you get started in bookselling?

I was brought in to a bookshop as the Events Coordinator and Marketing Specialist as they moved to a new location. Slowly over the time I worked there, I began running the register, then the deliveries, then the finances... So I have opened my own storefront.

What drew you to bookselling?

Friends and former teachers have laughed, hearing that I opened my own bookshop. It's agreed that, had it been an option in high school, I would have been voted "Most Likely to Open a Bookstore". I've always been a voracious reader, including flashlights under the covers and my own books hidden by an open textbook in class. The idea of being able to share that love of books makes each day open worth it.

Did you have any mentors in becoming a bookseller?

There's a fabulous Facebook group that I joined while still previously employed - Indie Booksellers - and they all made me realize I had the knowledge base and confidence to sell books in my community.

What are your specialties as a dealer?

I deal primarily in used books, so my specialty is giving opportunities to revisit old favorites and titles we may have missed the first time around.

What's the most amazing book you've ever sold?

Norman Rockwell's "332 Magazine Covers" - this massive tome of artwork from one of the most loved modern artists. It went to a local bed and breakfast, as I now believe all Norman Rockwell should.

What is your favorite part of being a bookseller?

I had a father come in to the store, looking for a book for his daughter. She had just won vice president of the student body at her school, and he wanted a gift to help her celebrate. He chose a novelization of the movie "Penelope" because his preteen daughter struggled with self-image. He came in a week later to thank me. She loves the book so far, and I'm now waiting until she gets to the twist ending that makes it such a powerful story for helping self-doubt. I love connecting someone with a book that they identify with and relate to. I always enjoy the moment that a child says "I hated reading, until I read..." or the moment an adult says they've read a book for enjoyment for the first time in years. Being a part of that is my favorite part of books.

Do you have an open storefront or have you in the past?

I do - The Bluestocking Bookshop in Holland, MI.

If so, do/did you have any bookstore pets?

As much as I would love to, my customers have allergies and I would hate to limit their enjoyment of the books due to an animal presence.

What is the funniest / strangest / scariest thing that ever happened in your store?

When I first moved in, my door was a bit damaged. When unlocked, it couldn't close tightly. The air conditioning would kick on and the door would blow open slightly - for a little while we had our very own bookshop ghost!

What is your favorite bookshop (other than your own)?

I was visiting the UK and in Lincoln, on Steep Hill, there is a book cavern. It's called The Bookstop Cafe and it's built into the historic ruins of the city. From the street, you descend a few steps into the uniquely shaped shop, which serves drinks and baked goods among a few bookcases. Their book inventory was very small, but it was easily one of my favorite spots on the trip.

What do you personally like to read? Collect?

I am a romance novel reader from way back. I used to sneak them from my mother's shelves. My taste in romances has changed and I'm getting out of my genre quite a bit more lately - I've enjoyed titles in contemporary fiction, mystery, suspense, historical fiction, and scifi and fantasy. I only collect books that have personal sentimental connections, like my childrens' favorite picture books and the books of poetry I've received from my great-grandmother.

What's your favorite book you personally own? Would you sell it, if the price were right?

My first foray into publication - I was selected to be included in a short story anthology with international distribution. It's the only copy I have and it's only available as a print-on-demand title now, so I wouldn't sell it.

What one book would you buy if price were no object?

Kushiel's Legacy, complete, first editions, hardcover, signed. The fact that their author, Jacqueline Carey, lives nearby is my bookish brush with fame.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could bring three books, what would they be?

Kushiel's Avatar, the complete works of Shakespeare, and "How to Build a Raft"