Wednesday 31st December, 2025
In Which New Year’s Eve Arrives Early and the Shop Dresses Accordingly
Today is New Year’s Eve, and the shop woke up in a mood.
It was a very busy day - the sort that carries the hum of holidays and the faint crackle of fireworks-to-come. Families on vacation drifted in, full of plans and anticipation, and we sold stickers, pins, rings, books (yay!), and an excellent number of t-shirts.
In honour of the day, I dressed accordingly: crown, pauldron, sword sheath - the full ensemble. I spent the afternoon wandering the shop as a queen, which felt entirely reasonable under the circumstances, and was met with approval rather than confusion. The shop seemed pleased.
We filmed a couple of unboxing videos for TikTok as well, opening Obsidian Kiss by Lyn Rose and Tales of Eviiri by M.R. Isaia, which is always fun and involves equal parts enthusiasm, lighting adjustments, and hoping nothing is dropped on camera.
There was more decorating too. Leaf stickers went up around the store, signs found new homes, and we picked up some tables from Marketplace. This means we now have an outdoor book display, designed to gently lure in people who definitely need a book but haven’t realised it yet.
One of our local regulars popped in, full of stories, confidence, and enthusiasm… and while the conversation was friendly enough, it drifted into territory that wasn’t welcome. Nothing dramatic, just one of those moments that reminds you how often female staff are expected to absorb male interest as part of the job. It does make you wonder whether male vendors are asked the same things, or if this is a particular tax paid by women in customer-facing roles. Booksellers are here to recommend thrilling fantasy stories, not provide them personally.
For the record, the shop noticed, and adjusted her posture accordingly.
Later in the day, a particularly lovely moment involved a truly gorgeous pair of boots. We’ve had them for a while - waiting patiently, as good boots do - and today the perfect person finally found them. She tried them on, they fit perfectly, looked fantastic, and were exactly right for the country-themed New Year’s Eve party she was heading to. She left delighted. The boots left fulfilled.
By the end of the day, the shelves (and our hearts) were fuller, the window more animated, and the whole place felt buoyed by the turning of the year. New Year’s Eve has a way of doing that - filling a space with possibility, even before the clock strikes midnight.
The shop is drafting a whole new chapter.
