Five lessons I learned from working at a bookshop (and five books that nurtured me)
1. With a new job comes great liability
A tricky lesson for people who, like me, entwine their self-worth with their ability to work. When I realised that my presence in the bookshop was going to make my manager’s life objectively harder until I got the hang of things, I felt overcome with despair. There was so much to learn: navigating the maze of different sections, using the computer system, even the basics of good customer service. I set myself the ambitious goal of being across everything within my first month on the job. When that didn’t happen – and when I found myself still asking for help – I thought it was a personal failing.
That first month was a lesson in grace. I had to accept that I was going to make mistakes, and ask questions I was self-conscious were obvious, and generally be a bother while I fumbled around trying to remember how to do things. And I had to trust that, eventually, I would reach a tipping point.
A book that brought me solace: Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, by Benjamin Stevenson. I had been recommending this new release to crime buffs and book clubbers alike, some of the shop’s most prominent clientele. I decided to do my homework and read it myself; it was the most fun I had with a murder mystery since watching Knives Out.
2. Socialising can be difficult, but it’s worth it
Before the shop, I spent the lockdown years working from my bedroom. I already skew towards introverted, but the experience left me even more unwilling to socialise. Talking to strangers felt wrong. I stumbled my way through conversations, more so than usual.
Small talk was a nightmare, until suddenly it wasn’t. In fact, it became a genuine delight; most customers, and all of my co-workers, were book nerds ready to geek out about their latest bedside read, or gush over the author whose work they’d fallen in love with. They were fellow writers, artists, gardeners – creatives with a deep love of learning. They were my people.
A book that helped me prepare for social interaction: My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell. People are funny creatures, and this classic biography celebrates the eccentricities and peculiarities that make them so interesting. It also prepared me for a customer who loved the classics and travel writing. My Family and Other Animals provides the best of both.
3. It helps to slow down
My manager once told me that I was like a horse she had when she was a kid – I just couldn’t settle. She meant it as a compliment. She said I had flames kicking up under my feet from whipping around the shop, shelving and serving customers. My work ethic, she said, was impeccable. I just needed to work on the side effects; I was talking too fast, trying to reach a level of perfection too fast.
I’m getting better at slowing down. This was a timely reminder that I was coming across as agitated and restless instead of focused and efficient. To help regulate my emotions, I took to reading picture books when the shop was quiet, which also doubled as ✨research✨.
A book that brought me peace: These Precious Days by Ann Patchett. My mum and I loved her previous novel, The Dutch House, but this essay collection is one of my favourites. Each piece is to be savoured; I read them in the mornings before my shift started, nourishing myself for the day ahead.
4. You can always go to work and then go home
I’m one of those people who combines their passions with their work. My logic is that I’m going to spend so much time working that it might as well make my life richer – financially and spiritually. From shelving in a library to freelance writing, my ideal workplace celebrates what I love and what I’m good at.
I thought working at the bookshop would be just like that. I could talk about books all day and learn about the publishing industry from another perspective. But working in a bookshop isn’t as fun as being a customer in a bookshop. I got to celebrate what I loved, but I didn’t feel like I was thriving there.
Once I realised this, I felt freer. I found it easier to alleviate the pressure I put on myself to be the most perfect, invaluable worker. Some days, I was more excited to get to the end of my shift than show up for the work itself; the best parts of my life were happening away from it.
A book that celebrated life outside of work: How We Love by Clementine Ford. Another nourishing read, this is a gorgeous meditation on love in all its forms. It landed at the top of my TBR pile just when I needed it – and the people I love – the most.
5. Publishing Time goes faster than Normal Time
In the publishing world, the biggest influx of new releases comes between September and December. This captures the lead up to Christmas, when people are buying gifts or getting their summer holiday reading ready.
I finished up at the shop just shy of this busy period. Even then, new books were arriving every week, from highly anticipated releases that spanned multiple boxes to three copies of lesser-known titles, just to test the waters. Stock quickly rotated from being on display to making room for the latest arrivals. Books that felt they urgently needed my attention were forgotten within weeks; I was no longer looking at them all the time. Despite this, and the fact that my TBR pile is constantly teetering, there are several books I kept recommending to customers that I would like to experience for myself. Maybe someday I will.
A book I took the long way round to reading: Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors. A new release when I arrived for my first shift, and one I finished reading just before my last. This novel is one endless party; in every chapter someone ends up out for drinks or in a swanky apartment. As effervescent as a white wine spritzer, it’s one of my favourite reads from 2022.