Hicklebee’s Book of the Year
As the year end draws near, many stores like to post ‘Best Books of the Year’ lists. Most of the time I see a number of lists submitted by individual booksellers. While I like this approach and how it spotlights the reading sensibilities of each bookseller, I also like the way Hicklebee’s in San Jose, CA, takes a slightly different approach.
Each spring and fall, the entire staff selects the one title they most want to hand-sell.The books range from picture books to novels, both fiction and non. And the title they end up with stands out as the one they can’t stop talking about.
This year they selected A Hat for Mrs. Goldman: A Story About Knitting and Love by Michelle Edwards, illustrated by G. Brian Karas. They announced the selection through a store eBlast with a ‘find out why’ teaser attached. Those who follow the link end up on a landing page on the store website with a ‘buy’ button as well as a list of previous winners since the spring of 2000.
One of the reasons I like Hicklebee’s approach is that it’s not only a reminder of bookseller expertise, but it also places a spotlight on one book that all of the store ‘experts’ agree on.
