Dear Booksellers and SinC Members,

 

Happy New Year! I am thrilled to share fellow Sisters in Crime board member and award-winning author Wendy H. Jones’s article about the Bookhouse, her favorite local bookstore in Dundee, Scotland.

 

Speaking of Scotland, I would also like to announce that the Sisters in Crime board voted to expand the eligibility to apply for the $500 We Love Bookstores award to include all countries with active Sisters in Crime chapters, which currently includes the United States, Canada, the UK, and Europe. Please check the Website for the full updated application requirements, which will be up soon.

 

Finally, I am delighted to announce the January We Love Bookstore Award winner is Scrawl Books in Reston, Virginia!

The Bookhouse, Broughty Ferry, Dundee, Scotland by Wendy H. Jones

The Bookhouse is a family run independent bookshop in Broughty Ferry, Dundee in Scotland. When I say family, every member of the family from youngest to oldest, works in the shop at some point every week. They cater to a wide range of reading tastes, from the classics to the latest best sellers with everything else in between. Of course, if they don’t have what a customer is looking for, they will order it in. There is always a warm welcome and if a customer needs advice on the perfect present, the owners’ extensive knowledge of books means the perfect present is found. They listen and discuss everything with the customer to ensure they are happy with their purchase.

 

They, of course, carry a broad range of Scottish literature, embracing both traditional and independently published books, but the international writing and reading community are not ignored. The staff supports authors through events such as book signings, author talks and discussions, all of which happen on a regular basis. New books are highlighted, especially those by local authors, who are championed at every turn.

Children are not forgotten with a cheerful and welcoming area for younger readers. All the old favorites are stocked alongside newer offerings to widen their reading tastes. The owners embrace events such as World Book Day and Book Week Scotland, ensuring the reading public have several events to attend, no matter their age.

 

Bookshops are essential to the community and The Bookhouse is firmly entrenched in the community it serves—a historic fishing village on the Tay Estuary. It is a welcoming beacon of literary light at any time of the year. I certainly enjoy a visit and always leave with a pile of books to keep me entertained for weeks to come. In fact, as I am writing this the week before Christmas, I can feel a visit coming on for books for myself as well as family and friends.

 

I will finish by urging you to support your local bookshop. They are literary gold dust.

 

 

Website: https://www.wendyhjones.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wendy.jones1

 

The January Winner of the We Love Bookstores Award – Scrawl Books in Reston, Virginia!

Supporters of the mystery community, Scrawl Books were the booksellers at the most recent Malice Domestic, a convention for mystery readers and fans. Established in 2015, Scrawl Books offers a thoughtful and relevant selection of new books for children, teens, and adults in a welcoming space where people can browse, gather, and explore new ideas. The bookstore supports local literacy efforts and freedom of speech, and strive to reflect and contribute to the diversity of Reston and Herndon and the surrounding area. Owner Rachel Wood is a librarian and Reston resident with more than 20 years of experience connecting books with people.

 

Website: https://www.scrawlbooks.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scrawlbooks/

 

 

It is easy to apply for the $500 Sisters in Crime We Love Bookstores award. Winners are selected every other month. Find details and the application on the website.

Contact Robin Agnew (WLB@SistersinCrime.org) if you have questions about the application process.

 

Would you like to write an entry for We Love Bookstores News about your favorite shop or something else? Did you put together or see an amazing bookstore display? Submit your ideas to Susan Hammerman, Library and Bookstore Liaison at librarian@sistersincrime.org 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Library and Bookstore Liaison: Susan Hammerman, a former rare book librarian, is the Library and Bookstore Liaison and coordinator of the We Love Libraries program. Connect with Susan: www.susanhammerman.com and, Bluesky, Instagram or email: librarian@sistersincrime.org

 

 

 

 

WLL and WLB News Editor: Gail Lukasik’s latest book is What They Never Told Us: True Stories of Family Secrets and Hidden Identities Revealed. It’s the follow up book to her best-selling memoir, White Like Her: My Family’s Story of Race and Racial Passing, which was named one of the most inspiring stories of the year by The Washington Post. She’s also the author of five mystery novels. The Darkness Surrounds Us is her first gothic, historical mystery. Gail appeared in the documentary, History of Memory, which is available on Amazon Prime. https://www.amazon.com/What-They-Never-Told-Identities/dp/1510780181