Q&A: Bestselling Author to Visit Five Towns Book Store

Seeing a “niche to fill,” Five Towners Rachel Greenbaum and Sharon Garber opened Blue Door Books in June of 2010. This Sunday, the Cedarhurst shop will welcome Jane O’Connor, the bestselling author of the “Fancy Nancy” books.

Patch spoke with Greenbaum about Blue Door and what she’s calling a “coup” for the store.

Why open a bookstore in 2010?

We didn’t have a bookstore. Every community that is thriving should have a bookstore.

How do you compete with the likes of Amazon and big chains?

It’s like a brand loyalty. When people come, they have a good first experience and want to stay with us, however that is — whether they come once a month or call us for an order. They trust us. All those little things keep us going.

The independent bookstore will survive longer than chains. If you go into the big bookstore, you’ll find an hourly employee that doesn’t have a commitment to book reading.

Is that the main appeal of small shops like yours?

Almost every book that comes into our store is read. We’re going to give you a heartfelt recommendation. That personal experience is what people want. You can go online, but what are you getting? You’re not getting a personal experience or recommendation. The charm of an independent bookstore cannot be replaced by Amazon or a big store.

So you really do read a lot.

If I’m not working or being a human being, I’m reading. It’s the air that I breathe. For me, I’m old school, I like books in its natural form. I like to hear the crack of the spine. I’m never going to feel differently.

This Sunday, Jane O’Connor is the store to do a signing. How did that come about?

Lucette Lagnado, author of the Man in the White Sharkskin Suit and a Wall Street Journal reporter, came in for a signing and reading a month ago and saw that we had a display in the store of Jane O’Connor’s books. [Lagnado] told her about us. Then my partner started talking to [O'Connor's] publicist.

Our store is beautiful. It’s a different experience even for an author. We sent [O’Connor] pictures and she said she was blown away.

It was like a coup. She’s a number one bestseller. She’s world-renowned and she’s coming to Blue Door Books. She’s getting behind us and showing people what we have to offer. It’s totally a privilege for any bookstore.

What can people expect this Sunday?

She’s reading from her latest Fancy Nancy book. She’ll do a signing. Each little girl will get a crown and boa. It’s a whole thing — it’s a following for that age group. It’ll be a riot for any parent of a Fancy Nancy fan.