S1: Welcome in San Diego. It's Jade Hindman from Unique Gifts and Books. We're talking with local businesses for your holiday shopping guide. This is Midday Edition , connecting our communities through conversation. The malls are busy. Everyone's getting packages delivered to their doorstep. The spirit of shopping , at least , is upon us. The National Retail Federation expects holiday spending to reach record levels this year as people buy gifts from big retailers. But what's the forecast for our small local retailers ? Those shops where you find unique gifts that you just can't get anywhere else ? Well , Theresa Favreau and Tanya McNair have their fingers on the pulse of that. They're both small business owners. Theresa owns Amethyst Moon , along with home and soul retail shops in la mesa. She sits on the board of the la mesa Village Association , and Tanya owns Bad Magic in South Park. She also sits on the board of South Park Business Group. Theresa , welcome. Hi.
S2: Hi. Thank you.
S1: Yeah , Tanya , welcome to you as well.
S3: Hi there.
S1: So glad you guys are both joining us today. Um , first off , how is business going for both of you ? So far this shopping season ? Theresa , I'll start with you.
S2: Well , we're gearing up for a later holiday season. Um , it's a little bit slower this year , but we just had our holiday in the village event last weekend and which was very , very well attended. It kind of kicked off the holiday season. So now we're waiting for the mad rush to get here. Um.
S1:
S3: Uh , you know , it's definitely been a lot slower. Um , I'm always looking at my square all day long to see what kind of sales come in. Uh , we had our annual walkabout , uh , last Saturday , and it was just phenomenal. I think it was the same day as their event , and we had a really , really good turnout , record turnout. So that's exciting. So I think , you know , it's kind of up and down. It's a little bit of a roller coaster. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. Well Theresa Black Friday and Cyber Monday we know are huge for larger retailers as I mentioned before.
S2: But as a small business , we don't mark our products up like that. So we always have the best price. Um , so we can't , you know , we can't advertise 70% off or half off because , uh , we just don't we don't work our , our numbers like that. So the small Business Saturday is more important for us because it reminds people to come and support local and small businesses. So we have a lot of customers that we've known for years , and they bring their friends. And being here in la mesa village , and I'm sure South Park is the same where we have a lot of customers that have out-of-town guests , so they want to bring them down to the village to eat and shop. So it's always a lot of fun for Small Business Saturday.
S1: Yeah , and Small Business Saturday was right after everyone ate their turkey. Uh , over the holiday.
S3: Um , compared to last year , we were down a little bit. Um , I've been kind of talking to some of the other retailers out there in , you know , in South Park and other retailers that I know. And for me , I'm always looking at my numbers and , you know , what is my margin ? And , you know , are we up ? So the two years , the last two years , 21 and 22 , I feel like almost were an anomaly because of Covid. And , you know , when things opened up , it was like a floodgate. So we're doing well. However , I'm down from last year. So it's kind of a weird it's really hard because you look at last year and it was just people literally were like , you know , desperate to shop. And this year it's a little more , you know , people are holding back. They're a little more price conscious. I think you know , it definitely. We're seeing a slowdown from of definitely from last year.
S1:
S2: And you can't really compare to last year. You have to go back to 2019. Um , and then we're still a little bit slower than that. I think people are really being cautious , and they want to be more creative with their gift giving. We're trying to put together 5 to $20 gifts so that people can buy more gifts with their money. Um , and we don't like to see anybody panicking. You know , we think if gifting should be fun. Not not a big pressure. So we're trying to , you know , give customer service and a relaxing atmosphere instead of the hustle and bustle of the mall. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. And I know that people are sort of waiting a little later in the season to buy their gifts. Yeah.
S2: You know , everybody's kind of paycheck to paycheck. And groceries are so expensive. Um , people are putting their priorities in order , you know ? And of course , the priorities are gas and food. So I think they'll wait till the last minute to see what kind of deals they can get and see how far they can stretch the dollar. And we're here to help them do that.
S1: Tanya , is that what you're experiencing , too ? Yeah , I.
S3: Think people are really budget conscious and are looking for things that are unique and are fit within their budget. They definitely are shopping around more. Um , the thing , you know , having your phone at your fingertips at all times , you can do , you know , searches. I also think that people are really aware of how San Diego is so expensive. And , you know , like she said , if you can't buy food or , you know , put gas in your tank , you're not going to be buying presents. So I think people are very wary and they're holding back.
S1: Um , and , you know , I know that Terri , you spoke about the personalized shopping experience that you have in your store. I mean , this is for you both as small business owners.
S2: We had , um , we just had our Oktoberfest and our holiday in the village. We are doing more emails and social media , and we have our farmer's market here. And it's right , you know , outside of my both of my shops , uh , every Friday between 3 and 7. So that helps a lot because people are here , they come out for something to do and they end up shopping in the shops. So we just keep giving good customer service.
S3: Yeah , I was just going to chime in there. I think for us it really is about customer service and we know a lot of our customers names. We know what they like. We really connect with the customer. I mean , I think you're seeing all these , you know , news reports about how target and Walmart and all the big box retailers are , you know , getting hit by so much theft and they're having to lock all their product up. And when you're going into a small boutique , you're most likely dealing maybe with the owner or at least someone who is very invested because they like working there and they've chosen to work in a small , you know , small retailer. It really makes a difference. I mean , I have an amazing team and they really care about the customer. And I think people see that. And it's also an experience , you know , when you go into a shop like ours , um , you have an experience and that experience is , you know , all your five senses are being , you know , activated , whether it's , you know , you get to smell a nice candle and you're engaging in the fun music and you really get to connect with people. And you don't get that in the mall. You don't get to connect as much as you do in a small retailer. You really have an experience.
S2: And we get to hug people all day. Uh , we do. Do we.
S3: Have concrete ? I think that we have so many dogs in South Park , and people come in with their dogs and the dog gets a treat.
S2: And every day.
S3: We have candy canes for the kids. And , you know , it's just it really makes , uh , we're a we're definitely a community. And I think people are looking for that. They want a community connection. You know , we all live on our phones and , you know , we're we're so kind of disconnected in a lot of ways in our lives that going into a small boutique or small retailer , you get a much different vibe than you go into a big box retailer. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. Speaking of which , I feel like each shopping district , each area kind of has its own vibe , um , its own flavor. So what makes your shopping district unique ? Uh , Tanya , I'll start with you on that one.
S3: Well , I think with South Park , you know , we like to refer to ourselves as , like , the hidden gem in San Diego. We're a very small , you know , shopping footprint. And there it's all small mom and pop owned shops. Many of us have been there. I've been there almost 13 years. So it really has this really kind of family environment. Lots of moms walking with their kids and pushing a stroller. What I mean , it is a dog parade for sure all day long. So I think people really enjoy walking around South Park. It is a walking neighborhood. And you know , if I can refer a customer to another store in our neighborhood for something that I may not have and giving references , I think that , you know , we're very much about supporting each other , and it has this really sort of it's a fun place to be. And you want to stop and linger. And I tell people , you're going to experience a lot of what I call FMD friendly neighbor delay. You're going to run into neighbors , you're going to say hello. So there's a lot of that.
S1: And , uh , Teresa , how is it going in la mesa ? What's the.
S2: Flavor there ? I'm laughing because it's exactly the same here. Because you. You can't walk down the street without running into everybody and having the conversations and petting the dogs. And especially with the farmer's market , you run into your neighbors and it's like a big family and everybody's happy to see each other. It's just very comfortable and I think it feels very safe , you know ? And we have all these new lights in all the trees and everything that we're going to have year round now. Thank you to the la mesa Village Association. And it just makes it feel charming and safe. And it's just a great walkable community , uh , a good alternative to going to the shopping mall and fighting the traffic.
S1: And we've seen the rise and decline of the mall as the ultimate shopping destination. And now online retailers are growing in popularity.
S2: So I think with crystals , people like to touch and feel. Sometimes when you buy online , you're not getting what you think you're getting. So I have a lot of customers that come in and they're frustrated because they've ordered online. So they they just want to be able to try on the clothes and touch and feel the merchandise. So I think you have to really as a small business , you have to find your niche , um , and your customer service. Um , it just has to be different than online shopping and in the mall.
S3: And for us at Bad Madge , we carry a very wide range of products , but we do specialize in vintage. So when people are looking for something super unique , we're going to have that something that's really not around at any other place. I mean , you know , you can definitely , you know , search online. But if you walk into our store , um , you know , I tell people , make three laps because you're going to see something at every time you get around the store because there's so many interesting things. We carry local designers , we carry , you know , some fun retro pieces that you're not going to see anywhere else. So you are getting a curated , um , experience that you don't get online. You know , if you're maybe you're looking for one particular thing , you're not going to stumble onto something really unique online. You're going to do that in a store like ours , because every corner has something different and it's really highly curated. So it's really thought out. And as a as a business owner , I really care about each piece that comes into the store , and I want to make sure that the customer is finding something that they're they're excited about. And , you know , one of our mottos is , you know , all things that make you smile and you know , you're going to have , um , so many things to find in , in , in a , in a different experience. Yeah.
S4: Yeah.
S1: You know , post-Covid , I at least really came to appreciate the value of small shops , restaurants , coffee shops and other places that really make up the fabric of our community. Uh , Tanya , do you think customers will show up for these types of businesses , even if the prices aren't as competitive as , say , Amazon or something like that ? Yeah.
S3: I mean , I think a lot of people realize that if they don't keep small businesses open , you're not going to have a community because the small business is the heart of your community. They're the ones that are donating to the , you know , school fundraiser. They're the ones that are , you know , coordinating a cleanup. They're the ones that are , you know , like she mentioned , putting lights up on the trees. You know , we had a had a sign lighting last week with Chris Ward. You know , we're the ones that are connecting with our council members and our assembly members. We're the ones that are making our voices heard to make our community safe. If you don't have small businesses that are connecting with the community , with their neighbors , you're going to have issues. You're going to have more theft. You're going to have more , you know , um , just not a not a fun place to live. So really keeping your small businesses open makes your community stronger.
S1:
S2: You know , we we all take care of each other. And that's so important right now when , when people are not feeling safe and we look out for each other , you know , when they're shoplifters , we call each other and let you know , just kind of a chain of calls saying , hey , look out for this person. And then we do.
S3: The same thing.
S2: Yeah , yeah. You just have to be all connected and , and and that makes it fun. You know , I , I wouldn't , I wouldn't have it any other way.
S1: Employee shortages are impacting a wide range of industries.
S5:
S2: Haven't been impacted because a lot of people want to work here. Um , it's a fun place to work. You know , we have so many cool things to buy and the customers are so nice. And like I said , we get to hug people all day. So I haven't had any problem finding employees. And then my daughter works here as well. So we we have some great employees and it's like a big family. Yeah.
S3: Yeah. I mean I feel like also it is hard because payroll is one of our biggest expenses as a business. And , you know , obviously I want to pay my people what they're worth. And San Diego is expensive to live in. So it is it is a , you know , a little bit of a tightrope that you have to walk. You have to make sure that you can pay your people well to keep them and also be able to , you know , meet other expenses. So that's one of the things that I do find a challenge as a challenge as a small business owner is being able to pay people what I'd like to pay them and be able to , you know , have money at the end of the month to pay the rent and all the other expenses. So , you know , it is it is a little challenging at times , but my team is just amazing. I'm so grateful for how awesome they are and they really love where they're working , I think.
S1: Yeah , and love everything that the shops have to offer to. It sounds like , yeah.
S2: They spend all their money here. Yeah.
S1: Well , I mean , Terry , you say your shop , you've got crystals and all sorts of things. Tanya , you say you've got retro things. Tell me a bit about what your shops have to offer. Tanya , I'll start with you. Okay.
S4: Okay.
S3: So we've been here. We're been in San Diego for 13 years. Uh , March will be 13 years. Primarily , we carry vintage , uh , mid-century items. 50s , 60s , 70s. Um , we are starting to carry a little bit. You know what ? I , I still think , oh , my gosh , it's new , but , you know , like Y2K , a lot of the younger kids like the Y2K fashion. I carry furniture , home goods , accessories , fashion. And then we incorporate some retro items which look vintage , but they're not. They're new. And then we are very proud to carry a lot of local designers. We carry , um , all female owned , small business , local designers. We're very proud to be able to say that we love supporting our , uh , small businesses as well in the store. So , you know , I think we find we have a nice eclectic mix. And I'm always looking for fun things to add to our mix , vintage wise especially. And yeah , I mean , I carry candles and art and typewriters and amazing dresses for holiday. So yeah , a lot of great things.
S1:
S2: It sounds great. I never get out of East County. Uh , yeah , we in both of our stores , we have wonderful aromatherapy candles and essential oils. Um , we have clothing , tea , coffee , beautiful wind chimes. Uh , most of our jewelry is sterling silver. And we have stones from all over the world in our jewelry. Um , we just have a , like , bath and body products , and we try to , you know , use very high quality things at a good price so people can afford to have their luxury items. And it's always changing. We're always changing the merchandise , um , because people request different things. So we're always shopping , always getting new things in pretty much every day.
S1: Theresa Favreau owns Amethyst Moon , along with home and soul retail shops in la mesa. She sits on the board of the la mesa Village Association , and Tanya McNear owns Bad Marriage in South Park. She also sits on the board of South Park Business Group. Theresa. Tanya , it was really great talking with you both.
S3: Thank you so much.
S2: Thank you for having us.
S1: Coming up , San Diego's independent bookstores weigh in on books that make great holiday gifts.
S6: There are honestly so many great books all the time it's overwhelming. My to be read list is just endless.
S1: You're listening to Kpbs Midday Edition. Welcome back to Kpbs midday Edition , I'm Jade Hindman. The holidays are in full swing , and many of us are still doing that holiday shopping. We wanted to give listeners a few ideas , so we checked in with some of San Diego's independent bookshops to get recommendations. First up , here's Ginny Marcus Soto , one of the owners of Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore located in Point Loma.
S7: Mysterious Galaxy has been in San Diego for 30 years. We celebrated our anniversary this May , and we are a genre focused bookstore , meaning we specialize in sci fi , fantasy , mystery , Ya , romance , horror , young adult , sort of everything but regular fiction. All the fun stuff. Basically , if we were going to talk about young adult , so generally that's for ages like 12 to 18 , but I would really recommend sinners. I'll buy Angela montoya. She's a California author. It's her debut novel. It is a fantasy with romance. It is very unique in the way the world is crafted. I really enjoy the magic system that she sets up , but essentially , the female protagonist is trapped on an island where they have sent all of the witches and sort of she's getting prepared to be auctioned off as a weapon with her magic and a marooned pirate come. They come across each other and they together sort of work to escape centers aisle. And the magic is great. The world building is super exciting and different and I really enjoyed it. Overall , if you're looking for younger kids and need sort of picture book recommendations , our favorite. My daughter's favorite is an zoo , The Great Kaiju by Benson Shum. It is about a kaiju. Which kaiju are monsters like Godzilla or Mothra and sort of giant monsters of destruction ? But Andrew doesn't have destructive powers. His power is flowers , so he kind of is struggling to make his family proud , but also embrace making people happy as a kaiju. And it's lovely. We probably read it in our house about four times a week. Let's see. Four middle grade or ya , there's a graphic novel that my sister in law adores and it is called The Princess and the Grilled Cheese. And it is full of really , really cheesy puns. And it's a little romance graphic novel that's just delightful and will make everyone smile. So in terms of adult , if you have someone who who loves fantasy or who loves sort of epic fantasy , and really the evolution of sort of original worldbuilding and action , I would very much recommend The Hurricane Wars by Theo Johnson. That's one of my favorite reads from this past year. It starts at the end of the hurricane wars , theoretically , and you really plunged right into a ton of action and sort of a there is a slow , slow burn romance , but it really is following sort of the political machinations of the main two characters and sort of discoveries of different peoples and families , and finding her place while trying to also save and keep safe her people who have lost the war , essentially. I also really love horror , so one of my top horror recommendations from the past year would be Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-garcia , which is set in the 90s in Mexico City , and two friends meet up with or sort of run into a infamous film director , and together they have to sort of finish this unfinished film from many years before. And it turns out this unfinished film is also tied to a very ominous sorcerer. And in sort of finishing the film , they fulfill some some spells that are going to potentially kill them. Um , and so it's very like spooky , ominous , really cool setting , really great characters because it's really just focused on those three characters , and it's very much driven by that silver. Myrna Garcia is one of my favorite authors. She can write almost , well , pretty much anything , and I will read it. Any of her books are wonderful recommendations , but I really enjoyed Silver Nitrate , which is the most recent. If you are looking for something a bit lighter. We also have had a lot of requests for sort of what has become known as cozy fantasy. Uh , this past year. It's become pretty. Big. Um , but essentially it's it's books that feel like a warm hug and a blanket and that are still magical. And the most recent , in November , Travis Baldry came out with Bookshops and Bone Dust , which is the prequel to his previous novel. It's about an orc and a radical who owns a bookshop bookstore that is failing , and they have to save the bookstore. But also there is an evil sorceress that they have to fight , and it is will warm your heart like a nice cup of tea.
S1: That was Ginny Marcia Soto , one of the owners of Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore , located at 3555 Rosecrans Street in Point Loma. Next up , we have Maxwell's House of books located in downtown la mesa. Here's store owner Craig Maxwell.
S8: I've had this shop for 20 years and we are a general used bookstore. We sell everything from rare , signed , out-of-print books to mass market paperbacks , thrillers and mysteries and fantasy and sci fi in general fiction. So we have a little bit of everything here. The vast majority of the authors in here are long dead , so it's a used bookstore in the full sense of the word and thinking about a recommendation. Actually , two books come to mind. Which are pretty closely related. And sometimes I think world events bring certain titles to mind , certain authors. And that's certainly the case with me when I think about all that's going on in the world today , both George Orwell and all this Huxley come to mind , I think , of 1984 and Brave New World and the differences between them , and I think they both have a lot to teach us. These would be my recommendations if I or we're talking about books to recommend to a reader who wanted to read something that is excellent , read something that is classic , and read something that you know really couldn't have a greater relevance to today. I do like American poetry as well. I love Emily Dickinson. At one point , my grandfather , who was a used book seller , and his wife encouraged me to memorize poems. They said , if you if you make a poem your own by committing it to memory , you'll never you'll never forget it and never regret it. It's it's with you and it becomes a part of you. I think that's true. And so that's that's something I did when I was quite young. The individual poems are the things I remember quite well. Just to take a random example , I mean , Emily Dickinson wrote a book ample Make This Bed , and I've always found that to be a very profound poem.
S1: That was Craig Maxwell of Maxwell's House of books , which is located at 8285 la mesa Boulevard in La mesa. Now we head to meet Cute Romance Bookshop in North Park.
S6: My name is Becca title I am the owner of Meet Cute Romance Bookshop over in North Park , which is a queer owned feminist bookshop focusing on genre romance with a nice side of queer nonfiction. It is a place for romance readers and people who are maybe romance , curious to find each other , find books , and generally get nerdy about romance. One of my favorite books this year is a historical romance called Hotel of Secrets , which is set during a somewhat uncommon time period for historical romances. It's set in the 1870s in Vienna , and one of our characters runs a hotel that she's trying to get to sort of bring back to its glory days , and her love interest is an American spy. A great book for you , or perhaps the teenager in your life would be a book called Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert. Um , it's about two high school students who are rivals , but they have to head off to an academic wilderness camp , and in the process of surviving , they become friends. And then more. Another book I love this year is called Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilner , which is a great read for anyone who was really into watching the Women's World Cup , or who is perhaps a fan of San Diego Wave. It is about two professional women's soccer players who end up on the same team and want to play the same position , but instead of being rivals , they become lovers. A recent release that I absolutely loved is called Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Canas. It is a second chance romance set in 1840s Mexico , and it's a western , but there's vampires. If you're looking for a good non-fiction read , I would recommend How Far the Light Reaches a Life in Ten Sea Creatures by Sabrina Ambler. They are a queer mixed race writer who works in a largely white field of science and conservation journalism , and in ten vignettes talks about growing up in Northern California , attending Brown University , and working as a journalist. One of the books I read early this year that has really stuck with me is called Something Wild and Wonderful by Anita Kelley. They have written a book in which two men are hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. They meet while they're hiking and they fall in love along the way. It's quiet and soft and everyone is so sweet and you just want to give everyone a big hug.
S1: That was Becca title from Meet Cute Romance Bookshop , located at 4048 30th Street in North Park. And finally being the home of Comic-Con , we wanted to hear from a comic book store.
S9: My name is Aaron Trouts. I'm the owner of Now or Never Comics downtown , and we just passed our fifth year anniversary. We are the only comic shop downtown and the closest comic shop to San Diego Comic-Con. Probably the favorite book in the shop at the moment is Do a Powerbomb. It's one of the books that everybody on staff loves. It's a wrestling comic book , which is a little bit outside the traditional superhero norm. Do a powerbomb is a wrestling comic from Daniel Warren Johnson. It is about a young girl who watches her mother , a professional wrestler , die in the middle of a wrestling ring , and when she grows up and becomes a professional wrestler herself , she is approached by a demon who gives her the opportunity to wrestle in a tournament to win her mother's soul back and bring her back to life , but she has to team up with the opponent who was responsible for her mother's death. It's an action packed , incredibly kinetic story. It draws heavily on manga influences , but it's also an incredibly heartbreaking story about family and loss. Daniel Warren Johnson is one of our absolute favorite creators in the shop , and he manages that balance of over the top action and and heartbreak probably better than anyone in comics right now. Human target from DC comics was another one of our favorites. It is written by Tom King and art is by Greg Smallwood. Uh , it takes a kind of forgotten 70s DC comic character , the human target. He's kind of a stand in , like , if somebody is trying to kill you , you hire the human target to impersonate you , and then he's able to kind of avoid being assassinated weasels his way out of difficult situations. But in this series , he impersonates Lex Luther , and when somebody tries to kill Lex Luther , they accidentally poison the human target. Uh , and so he has 12 days to live. And in those 12 days , he has to solve his own murder before he dies. Um , very quickly , the suspects become the member of the Justice League. And so it's issue after issue of him interrogating different members of the Justice League , trying to find out who hates Luther enough to try to kill him while trying to save his own life , falling out of , uh , falling in love at the same time. It's a really cool , uh , superhero crime story. It's very hard boiled the art style. Greg Smallwood does this unbelievable kind of color wash that feels very retro , very 60s. Everything is , you know , sun bleached. Uh , this kind of , you know , Southern California sun drenched , private eye story. It's a it's a really , really cool take on a superhero crime story. Next up , I've got nice house on the lake. Uh , this is from DC comics. It's from their Black Label imprint that is intended for mature readers only. It's kind of DC's new version of the old Vertigo imprint , which was home to , uh , Sandman and Swamp Thing and other kind of , you know , highbrow , more mature readers. Comics. Nice House on the Lake is written by James Tynan , the fourth. He's probably the most popular writer in comics at the moment. His book , Something Is Killing the Children is one of the absolute best sellers. He had written Batman a while ago. Um , Department of truth. He's. An absolute powerhouse. He's writing so many different books and they're all terrific. And the art is by Alvaro Martin Martinez. Bueno. It's a really cool kind of closed room horror story. It's hard to dig into without giving too much away , but it is about 12 old friends who are invited to the nice house on the lake by a mutual friend , and while they are there , the world ends. Everybody who is in the house is safe , but everything outside the house is completely gone. It's a mystery of them trying to figure out who's responsible , what's happening , why are they the ones that are saved ? Who can they trust in the house ? Who can't they ? But it's this really dark , closed room , like very Agatha Christie but ratcheted up like modern horror story in this , um , in this isolated kind of , you know , beautiful bucolic house on the lake. And last but not least , Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Last Ronin is probably our best selling book of the last year. It's published by IDW , who's based right here in San Diego. So there's a nice local tie to it. It was released as individual issues last year , and the hardcover has remained one of our , uh , one of our biggest sellers. It is a darker , alternate future of the Ninja Turtles , where three of the four turtles have died and there's only one Ninja Turtle left. He is absolutely broken. He's , uh , he's ruined by the loss of his brothers , but is is still trying to fight the good fight is still trying to hold the city together. It's a it's definitely a more adult version of the Ninja Turtles. Um , almost like Dark Knight Returns. An older Batman still trying to do everything he can in his later years , but the same kind of ideas of , uh , you know , preserving legacy and family and fighting for the memories of people that you love and , uh , and people that you've lost. It's really kind of unexpected from from the Ninja Turtles to kind of work in that slightly darker direction.
S1: And again , that was Aaron Crites , owner of Now or Never Comics. The bookstore is located at 1055 F Street. You can find the full list of book recommendations , as well as information about the stores at Kpbs. Org.
