"I love the feel of a book."
Here at Parnassus, people say this all the time. Our customers tell us they like to touch the paper, they like the heft of a hardback, they appreciate a beautiful cover. Many people have commented that they like the smell of a book. And we do, too. Maybe ten years ago we didn't give a lot of thought to how we loved books as objects, but today, as so much of publishing goes digital and bookstores become harder to find, perhaps we do. There are people who come in to buy a book they've already read on their e-reader because once they knew it was important to them, they wanted to own a "real" copy, something to put up on the shelf, loan to a friend, and come back to over time.
One of the greatest successes of our store so far has been the extensive staff recommendations. At Parnassus, we're all committed readers, and there's nothing we like better than introducing you to the books we love. We've all gone into a bookstore to browse, hoping to find a great title we've never heard of before, and these recommendations can be just the thing to match us up with a new favorite.
And so we're proud to announce the Parnassus First Editions Club. We're taking these two ideas and bringing them together - the love for the physical book and the appreciation for a good suggestion. Once a month we'll choose a new first edition for you, have the author sign it, and then we'll mail it to you. It's a great way to expand your library, to invest in books that will grow more valuable over time, and to read things you might otherwise have missed. It's also another way to support your local independent bookstore.
- Ann Patchett
Did you know we have four First Editions clubs? The Parnassus First Editions Club (literary fiction with the occasional nonfiction selection), ParnassusNext (young adult titles), Spark Book Club (middle grade titles), and Sprout Book Club (picture books). Click on each to learn more about them!
