Bookstores may be biting their nails over sales this holiday season, but at the deli down the street, the appetite for books seems stronger than ever. According to “Selling Literature to Go With Your Lifestyle” in today’s New York Times (registration required), Mike’s Deli in the Bronx has sold Arthur Avenue Cookbook by Ann Volkwein in the amount of 4,500 copies, which is more than half its total bookstore sales. So the store is going to stock more cookbooks – even though according to owner David Greco, “When you deal with salami and mozzarella, it’s a little greasy. So we keep the books in plastic bags.”
Personally I prefer my books with a shot of espresso, and apparently I’m not alone. Starbucks is doing good business with Mitch Albom’s For One More Day, raising funds to fight illiteracy while moving maple macchiatos – which according to the company “pairs with patience,” and according to yours truly pairs with a tongue scraper.
But when it comes to pairing ideas and food, I’ll confess I’ve had some cravings of my own while cruising the Blurb bookstore. Donald R. Swartz’s Weekend in New Hampshire begs for hot cider:
…while Byron L. Dudley’s Clouds gives me visions of mini marshmallows:
These are the kinds of books I’d hope to find in a ski lodge gift shop, while my fellow Blurberati ski off icy ramps into heated pools (I only wish I were joking about that).
Structures Extraordinaire by Betty Fairbank Griggs reminds me of my tweedy professor pop, who’d probably enjoy this book with a glass of sherry…
… but Alexis Wilson-Castaldi’s Hey Hey Hey demands backstage passes and PBR with a Fernet chaser:
So Blurbarians: What do you recommend as the perfect accompaniment to your book? And are you planning to sell yours in non-traditional venues, such as delis, gift shops, or bars?
