By Dana Roberts • The Cardinal Contributing Writer
“Get to Know a Doylestownian” is a monthly feature in which a Doylestown resident or person of interest helps us get to know them better by finishing sentences we provide; in any way they see fit. Since March is National Reading Month, we wanted to celebrate the joys of reading and honor our local bookstore by interviewing Glenda Childs, the owner of The Doylestown Bookshop. Read on to learn the inside scoop on being the proprietor of such a magical place, as well as all of Glenda’s book recommendations. Visit The Doylestown Bookshop at 16 S. Main Street, Doylestown, or its sister store, the Lahaska Bookshop, at 162 A Peddler’s Village, Lahaska. You can also visit the website at doylestownbookshop.com, where you can buy books directly and check out book clubs and special events the Bookshop hosts.
Glenda with her dog, Irene. Irene comes to the bookshop on Wednesdays and loves seeing staff and customers!
If I could describe the Doylestown Bookshop in 15 words or less, I would say it is… A place to get lost in and discover books that entertain, educate, and enrich.
Purchasing the Doylestown Bookshop in 2012 was… So exciting, a dream come true! But it was also overwhelming; I had so much to learn. Luckily, I had a great staff to teach me and a wonderful community that embraced me and the bookstore!
Before I made the purchase, the Bookshop was owned by… Pat Gerney, who bought it 25 years ago from Village Green Bookstore.
My favorite times in the Bookshop are when… the store is filled with people, talking to each other, sitting on the floor looking at books and there are kids laying on the floor reading a book or being read to. My second favorite time is before we open the doors in the morning; all is quiet as the books and staff await the possibilities when we open the doors!
The Bookshop has a staff of… between 18-25 booksellers, depending on the time of year. We have six full-time staff, mostly working in the back offices. We usually have a couple of high school students and a couple of college students. We love when our college students come back on their breaks and work in the bookshop again.
An interview question I always ask people who want to work at the Bookshop is… Why do you want to work at the bookshop and what are you reading right now?
If I had to bring 3 books to a desert island with me, I would bring… Impossible to choose just three! But here goes: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, any Jane Austen book, and some kind of wilderness survival book!
Each year, I read… a Christmas-themed book during December. This year I read the Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories, by P.D. James.
My preferred way to get news is… I’m not a big news follower. I read the Herald and the Patch when I can. My husband, an avid news follower, keeps me posted on the important stuff I might have missed!
Some of the bigger-name authors we have hosted at the Bookshop for readings include… John Grisham, Chris Bohjalian, Anna Quindlen, Debbie Macomber, Jennifer Weiner, Alexander McCall Smith, Lidia Bastianich, Jack Carr, Jason Reynolds, Brad Meltzer, Lisa Scottoline, Nick Foles, Art Garfunkel.
One of my favorite authors to meet in person was… They are all so different and have such interesting stories, I don’t have a favorite!
My favorite part of my previous career in early childhood education was… Inspiring a love of reading and books.
If parents want to cultivate a love of reading in their children, I encourage them to… Read to their children from a very early age and let their children see them enjoying a good book!
The book bans and challenges that are currently going on…. Are truly challenging for everyone. I stay focused on our mission to support and connect to our community through books and events, putting books into the hands of every reader.
I have lived in Doylestown for…. Eleven years.
Previous places I lived include… Nashville, TN; Irvine, CA; Chicago IL; Boston, MA; Jacksonville, FL. I explored independent bookstores wherever I lived, to feed my dream of owning one someday!
My love for reading and books started… when I was six years old and read my first real book. It was a miracle to read words on a page and see a story in my mind. The book was Alice in Wonderland, a great book for imagery!
My family includes…. My husband, Allen, and our dog, Irene. Our daughter lives in Ambler with her family, including our two granddaughters. We have a son in Chicago and a son and his family in Grand Forks, ND with two more grandchildren there! My husband’s extended family lives nearby. It is wonderful to get together with all of them!
The book I recommend over and over to adults is… Last year it was Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus.
The book I love to give for a baby shower or new baby’s library is… Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown, and also Good Night, Gorilla, by Peggy Rathmann.
A book that I love for teens is... I Must Betray You, by Ruta Sepetys.
Besides books, popular items that the Bookshop sells include… Gifts, journals, greeting cards, and puzzles!
If I pop over to Native Cafe, our Main Street neighbor, I usually order… Hot chocolate.
My favorite place/way to read is… In a comfy chair overlooking our backyard, with my dog snuggled close and a cup of tea or coffee.
For me, reading is… My great escape. Whether fiction or non-fiction, reading lets me leave all my concerns behind and get lost in another world!
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