How Do We Love Books? Let Us Count the Events

How about a little retail tough love? According to the National Retail Federation's unromantically named 2010 Valentine's Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, couples will spend an average of $63.34 on gifts for their spouse or S.O., compared to $67.22 last year.

That, my friends, is still a lot of potential book love, and my e-mail inbox this week has been a digital bouquet of newsletters from bookstores nationwide inviting patrons to give Valentine's Day a literary twist.

Greenlight Bookstore, Brooklyn, N.Y., started the celebration last night with a panel discussion "on the subject of bittersweet romance," and tonight "the romance theme continues with chocolate, champagne and paper craft" from Esther Smith's The Paper Bride: Wedding DIY from Pop-The-Question to Tie-The-Knot and Happily Ever After.

There's also a lovefest going on at Nantucket Bookworks, Nantucket, Mass., where owner Wendy Hudson--in her "loverly" e-mail newsletter--showcased an "I heart Bookworks!" video and wrote: "It's that time again when we say... 'We Love You, Dear Reader!'" Also, check out her recap (aka bookseller-to-bookseller video love letter) of a visit to San Francisco's legendary City Lights bookstore during her recent trip to ABA's Winter Institute.

Roxanne Coady, owner of R.J. Julia Booksellers, Madison, Conn., sent a letter to her customers noting: "With Valentine's Day around the corner, I thought, what better time to share some of my favorite reads on love? I will give this disclaimer--my idea of a good read about love does not involve the traditional boy-meets-girl story with a happily ever after ending. I'd rather read a book that explores all the dimensions of love in all its complexity--happy and unhappy." See Roxanne's Picks, as well as the bookshop's Valentine's Day selections for its Just the Right Book program.

Inspired by a line from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night--"If music be the food of love, play on."--the Regulator Bookshop, Durham, N.C., is hosting a cabaret tonight in celebration of Valentine's Day: "Bring your spouse, date, best friend, lover, significant other, main squeeze, life partner, POSSLQ, or soul mate, and see if we can figure out 'What Is This Thing Called Love?'" 

A "Love Your Readers Sale" is being held at the Galaxy Bookshop, Hardwick, Vt., where they wanted "to give a special Valentine to our customers to say 'Thank you for making us your bookstore--we love you!' Shop at The Galaxy Bookshop the week of February 8-13, spend $20 or more on a book, and receive a delicious treat from LePre Bonbons--or--Spend $20 or more on a book to get 14% (in honor of February 14th, of course) off a second book for your Valentine!"

Sometimes love is dangerous. At Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore, San Diego, Calif., "love is in the air when best-selling romance author Joan Brady visits for a Valentine's Day book-signing of her mystical new love story, The Ghost of Mt. Soledad."

Kids love Valentine's Day, too. After all, who do you think actually eats those Sweethearts candies? Odyssey Bookshop, South Hadley, Mass., has invited children "to a very special Valentine's Day Story and Craft Hour with children's author, Corinne Demas and Odyssey's children's manager, Rebecca Fabian" on Saturday.

And the Twig Book Shop, San Antonio, Tex., features an event Saturday titled, "Junie B. Jones Learns Some Valentine's Manners," during which Miss Anastasia and the bookstore are "hoping to help Junie B. Jones with her Tea Party etiquette," with a little help from Margaret Houston, Children's Etiquette Instructor from Protocol School of Texas.

Last Saturday, Tattered Cover Books, Denver, Colo., hosted a "Handmade Valentine Fundraiser" where guests could buy handmade valentines created by the "talented young poets of the Metro Denver Promotion of Letters (MDPL), a writing center for kids." The aspiring poets were available to help "create the perfect message for loved ones," and all proceeds from the event went to "help fund publishing these young authors."

But what would the holiday be without a dissenting opinion? Vroman's Bookstore, Pasadena, Calif., hosts an Anti-Valentine's Day Party this Sunday and proclaims that "Valentine's Day does not have to be the most dreaded holiday of your year anymore....  Make your own voodoo doll, swap stories of dates gone wrong, and enjoy a little food and drink!"

Romance will endure, no doubt, especially if writers have anything to say about it--and they do. In a world that has permitted "tweet me" and "text me" to enter the traditional Sweethearts candy lexicon, it's reassuring to know that old-fashioned love of books and bookshops can still be a great retail aphrodisiac.--Published in Shelf Awareness, issue #1115.