The King's English by Betsy Burton

 

In this delightful memoir, Betsy Burton talks about starting a bookstore in Salt Lake City and the years of running it.  She and a friend were both authors and had rented space in which to write.  Talking one day, they decided to expand their goals and start a bookstore.  That started Burton's life work and she shares it with the reader.

Running an independent bookstore is not a career for everyone.  Burton tells about the financial challenges, partners who weren't a good match in plans, the rise of online booksellers, and her personal challenges.  But she also shares her pleasure in hosting and meeting authors, telling about some of the most prominent.  She delights as does the staff in matching each patron with the perfect book (or two or three) for them.  

This is an older book and may not be easy to find but it is a joy that readers will enjoy from the first page to the last.  At the end of each chapter, Burton lists books that she personally recommends in the topic of the chapter.  These lists also make the book a reader's dream.  I've purchased several already and plan to buy many more.  This book is recommended for readers.