Around Indies

Vroman’s Hosts Signing by Supreme Court Justice

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor signed her new book, My Beloved World (Knopf), at Vroman’s Bookstore on Friday evening, January 25.

Here, Sotomayor (in blue blouse) is surrounded by  Vroman’s staff members.

Boston Indies Recognized for Unique Offerings

Three Boston indies — Brattle Book Shop, Harvard Book Store, and the Brookline Booksmith— were recognized by the Daily Free Press, Boston University’s student newspaper, for their unique features.

“What makes any of us stand out is that we each have our own personality, style selection (both physically and what we carry), and who we hire,” said Brookline co-owner Dana Brigham. “Each one is quite unique.”

When it comes to competition, Harvard owner Jeff Mayersohn told the paper that it’s important for indies to know their strengths.

“There are things that we do that Amazon can’t do,” he said. “We create a community around our bookstore.”

Brattle Book Shop owner Kenneth Gloss said he is not worried about the future of his store.

“For as long as I plan on doing this, I think our business will be fine,” he said. “How the world will change in a few years, is hard to tell.”

Alamosa Books Puts Focus on Kids

Alamosa Books‘ dedication to connecting kids with books was featured in New Mexico Style.

“Alamosa Books is unapologetically for kids,” said Sean Anker, who owns the store with his wife, Elizabeth. “We are a kid’s bookstore. We focus on that time in your life when you’re developing. We give the kids — through college — the tools that they need for their classes, but also to develop as an individual. That’s really what sets us apart.”

Anker also said that sales of young adult books are continuing to rise, in spite of slight declines in the demand for physical books in general.

Investors Look to Open Bookstore in Dallas

Two investors, Javier Garcia del Moral and Paco Vique, are hoping to open a bookstore inside a residential building in Dallas, according to the Dallas Morning News, which said the new business would be a venue for readings and lectures, browsing and buying with offerings of coffee, wine, beer, food and vinyl records.

 “We love the neighborhood. There’s a lot of cool places there,” said Garcia del Moral. “We want to have a place for creative people to hang out.”

The investors are calling the bookstore The Wild Detectives, a word play on the title of a novel by a favorite author, Roberto Bolaño. They still need city permits for renovation of the 1,200 square-foot house in the north Oak Cliff neighborhood, as well as state approval, but they hope to open by late spring.