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Things That Only True Book Lovers Will Understand
You Don’t know why So Many People Don’t Read: As an avid book reader, you don’t understand why more people
A Living Antigone Literature And Mythology
He is one of the most famous characters in literature and mythology, and also one of the most endearing. We
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Ideas for Bookstores to Offer an enhanced Customer Experience
If you are a book lover, you must know how great it feels to immerse yourself in a beautiful book.
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Top 4 Books You Don’t Want to Miss in 2022
Books are one of the most underrated entertaining factors that carry readers to a different zone and provide perspectives that
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Ideas for Bookstores to Offer an enhanced Customer Experience
If you are a book lover, you must know how great it feels to immerse yourself in a beautiful book.
How to Read Self-Help Books Effectively
The self-help genre is growing in the world of books. Not because people are attracted to the stories but because
How to Choose the Right Books to read
Have you ever visited a bookshop and wondered what to buy? If you answer yes, you’re not alone! Many avid
How Reading Books can Positively Influence Your Life
The first novel ever, ‘The Tale of Genji,’ was written in the 11th century by a Japanese woman named Murasaki
Book Review: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
If you’re hunting for a book that changes your life’s perspectives by providing a positive turn to every event in
Book Review: Ikigai
In Japanese, Ikigai means ‘Art of Living and the book justifies every word. It speaks to the heart of readers,
Book reading Tips: Plowing through a long book
If you’ve seen your long and big books sitting on your shelves for a long time now, you need some
5 Teen Books to Promote Positive Thinking
It is no cakewalk to be a teenager in the 21st century! Academic and peer pressure can take a toll
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Top 4 Books You Don’t Want to Miss in 2022
Books are one of the most underrated entertaining factors that carry readers to a different zone and provide perspectives that tickle readers’ minds. Thousands of writers and authors worldwide publish fascinating books, most of which go unnoticed every year. But we can guide you into choosing the right books in 2022 to help you detach from life’s daily struggles and chaos.
Total by Rebecca Miller
This book is a critical niche, which follows a cinematic prose style. However, the author Rebecca Miller is a famous writer, actor, and director who does not shy away from exploring the unknown. This book talks about a young couple who buy a basement house in the Hudson River valley and blogs about their experience with home improvement techniques and their efforts to grow fruits and vegetables in their backyard garden. The book is different from the typical fictional and non-fictional stories the readers are used to, providing a fresh perspective on maintaining a beautiful home.
Also a Poet, Ada Calhoun
This book is a mélange of self-reflection, literary history, rumination, and other critical work written to impress and stay in his father’s good books. The author’s father spent most of his days smoking, writing, and criticizing books until 5 pm, post which he often started drinking and socializing with people in the same boat as he was. In this book, Ada Calhoun talks about her love for her father and how it drove her to produce this masterpiece. If you have similar feelings and events in your life, then this is the book for you!
The Immense World, Ed Young
Ed Young is an Atlantic writer who is often fascinated by his environment. In this book, he dives into the animal world and writes about the parts that help animals sense their perceptual world. From visions of shrimps to sonar used by bats and mosquitoes, young’s work talks about vivid laboratory scenes and interviews with famous personalities in the field. As a result, biologists and people interested in the field can make the best use of the book and savor the essence of the crystalline style.
Young Mungo, Douglas Stuart
Stuart debuted his writing through a marvelous piece Shuggie Bain, which also won the prestigious Booker Award. This book is a recast of Romeo and Juliet, a story no one can forget. The story is written in a classic style, set in 1992, and talks about the turmoil faced by the religious Catholics and the Protestants in Scotland. The marvel language used in the novel also talks about the vicious behavior of the working-class men and their intake of the love story. This is also a must-read for people facing hurdles in their love life.
Tips for running a successful Bookshop
Efficiently running a bookstore can be very challenging. First, you must find the right place with enough space to set up your bookshop. Further, you will need to learn about aspects like stock level, effective marketing strategies, and pricing. Thus to run a bookstore successfully, you need to have proper planning.
Now, let’s look at some of the tips on how to run a bookstore effectively.
Create gift sets and other promotions
Books are one of the best things you can gift to a loved one. But, especially around festivals or holidays, books make an even better gift. So, make great gift packages out of books.
But make sure that you keep a tab on the entire inventory in your gift sets.
Get the right point of sale (POS)
To run a bookstore effectively, you should have a great system to manage inventory. And to have a great inventory system, having a point of sale for your Bookstore is essential. You need to have a system that can help you manage a large store and help you optimize your inventory. This can be done through analytics, sales reporting, and POS metrics. You must understand the books more deeply to arrange and stack them properly.
One of the most significant benefits of finding the right POS system is that you will be able to boost your customer loyalty program. Through a customer loyalty program, you can gain the customers’ trust, which will keep them coming back to you.
Sell other related products and impulse purchases
Just because you are running a bookstore doesn’t mean you have to sell books exclusively. You can sell other products that are related to books or other impulse buys to increase sales. When you have other products, this will encourage new customers to come to your store.
You can add products like board games, education games, toys, maps, movies and albums, key chains and bookmarks, and journals.
Consider adding a Coffee shop to your Bookstore
Many popular bookstore retailers add a small, cute coffee shop to their Bookstores. Most readers love to read their favorite book by sipping a hot cup of coffee or tea. So, having a cozy coffee store will draw more readers to your Bookstore. Since, Bookstore will have a small margin, having other complementing sales will attract attention and sales for your Bookstore.
Operating a bookstore was never easy. But introducing a coffee shop, hosting book events, selling impulse purchases, and finding a suitable location can make this challenging process easy.
Ideas for Bookstores to Offer an enhanced Customer Experience
If you are a book lover, you must know how great it feels to immerse yourself in a beautiful book. Reading a good book, in a calm and comfortable ambiance, with a hot cup of coffee, is the dream of all book lovers worldwide. Therefore they will always be looking for well-equipped stores with a great and warm environment and good services.
Since customers are flooded with many choices, bookstores find it challenging to attract more customers. If you find it difficult to attract customers to your store, you may follow these tips to enhance Customer Experience, which is the key to drawing more customers to your store and improving sales.
Have the perfect ambiance
Creating a perfect ambiance is vital to attract more customers to your store. Of course, people who visit your store would want to explore your store and buy the books. But to explore and look through all the book sessions, they will need the perfect environment.
Many bookstores are taking a creative approach to enhance the customer experience. For instance, many stores are adding cozy coffee shops to their store. This allows the customers to enjoy a hot cup of coffee or tea while they search for their favorite books. Every book enthusiast will agree that a cup of coffee or tea is the perfect companion to a book.
To lift the experience of a book reader, you can consider making your store cozy with aesthetic furniture and perfect lighting. You can also consider decorating different sections based on the genre of the book to attract the audience. For example, you can make the children’s book section colorful and add themes that appeal to the kids.
Well-informed staff
Like any other store, customers expect good service, including well-informed staff at your bookstore. For example, a customer may find it difficult to locate the location of a particular book or section. Sometimes, a customer may come to your store to get a book as a gift and may even ask for recommendations. Therefore, the staff in your books store must be familiar with various genres and have good knowledge to handle the needs of varied audiences.
Give discounts and special offers
To ensure customer loyalty, you can provide special offers and discounts to your customers. For example, considering giving offers like ‘buy one get one free will be a great way to attract both existing and new customers to your store.
Many book lovers, especially students, will be looking for cheaper books. Therefore, adding an old section to your store will be a great idea. You can offer these old books to your customers at a more reasonable rate, making your store an excellent option for people with varied needs and budgets.
Have a Complain section
The customer service section should be proactive and should try to solve all the complaints of the customers. You should make sure that all the customers are satisfied. Only when your customer feels valued and you take the necessary steps to make them happy, will they remain loyal to you.
Follow these tips to offer an enhanced customer experience, which is the key to growing sales.
How to Read Self-Help Books Effectively
The self-help genre is growing in the world of books. Not because people are attracted to the stories but because people are in dire need of knowledge to better their lives. Self-help books are a way of understanding how to lead an efficient life, which can illuminate some of the significant positive aspects, even followed by people like Nikola Tesla and Mark Zukerberg.
According to many authors and avid book readers, self-help books slightly deviate from the normal genre of writing; they’re mostly filled with a filler material which can sometimes put the readers into a deep sleep.
If you want to stay awake while reading a self-help book and gain some perspective, here are some tips you shouldn’t void.
Picking the book
Do you pick a book because someone recommends it, or do you find it on a ‘must read’ list? Or do you pick a book because the genre actually excites you?
If you cannot answer either of the questions, we have another question – ‘Will the book help you?’
Before choosing a, self help book ask yourself this question and if your answer is yes, then blindly buy the book. If not, find something that matches your personality and a book that resonates with you.
Table on contents
You will have a successful buy if you can apply at least one or two concepts in real life and change your perspective for good! To achieve this, go through the table of contents and what the book talks about. It can help you save time and completely understand the book’s structure. You don’t have to finish the entire book. You have to read the part which interests you and gives you a perspective!
Set a timer and read
By now, you know the book’s structure, the contents, and the helpful chapters! Once you’re aware of these factors, it’s time to start reading finally. Unless you create a goal to finish reading in a particular duration, you will never complete the book. If you spare one hour a day, keep it aside only for reading this book by staying away from distractions. Keep your cell phone aside, which is one of the major distractions while reading.
Make points
This only applies to books of knowledge or self-help. One of the primary reasons is that some phrases and quotations can be helpful when put into practice in daily life. To gain maximum benefits, either make points when you read or highlight the necessary lines and make a note of them once you finish reading.
Talk about it
If you read a book and close it for good, there are chances that you might forget it! So you need to talk about it and explain it to your family and friends to prevent this from happening.
How to Choose the Right Books to read
Have you ever visited a bookshop and wondered what to buy? If you answer yes, you’re not alone! Many avid readers also face the dilemma of choosing a book due to the many available options.
Nowadays, reading books is not just confined to reading hard copies but also extends to reading them online through various platforms like Kindle, etc. The kind of books you read is more important than the platform you read them on. Picking the wrong book, especially for a beginner, can be a factor of demotivation, resulting in losing interest in reading altogether. Therefore, you must follow these guidelines to help choose the right book for your next read.
Select the author
One of the easiest ways to narrow your choices is to fetch the correct author. Generally, fictional authors will stick to their genre, and horror story authors will stick to theirs, and so on. If you wish to read a particular genre or like a specific author’s work, browse more on similar copies.
Create a list
Imagine scrolling through a page and noticing an excellent book review that can be your next read. During such situations, it is best to pen down a list of books you wish to read/ the ones you’re curious to explore. By doing so, you’ll have multiple options to choose from.
Visit a bookstore
In this technology and the online-driven world, go offline for a couple of hours and visit a bookstore. Seeing the covers, touching, and holding a book in your hand will help you pick a book that resonates with you and the one you can connect to instead of blindly buying books online based on reviews. More importantly, you can mingle with other avid book readers and take their suggestions on specific genres, authors, and many more! Many places also offer reserved seats to sit and read in the audience, of which you can take good advantage.
Don’t buy in bulk
It is tempting to buy everything in your sight, but taking it slow and buying books one after the other is essential. This is because having many books of interest in front of you can fluctuate your interest in the current book, and at the end of the day, you will not be able to finish anything.
Stop if you don’t feel like reading.
Sometimes you wish to take a break from that genre or reading. Listen to your instincts, and don’t push yourself to read something which does not interest you.
Don’t be obsessed with the number.
A comprehensive reading list can often lead people to chase the number of books read rather than the amount of information gathered from each book. However, reading is a marathon, not a race. Hence, take it slow and forget about the number of books you must read. Just enjoy the now you’re reading now.
How Reading Books can Positively Influence Your Life
The first novel ever, ‘The Tale of Genji,’ was written in the 11th century by a Japanese woman named Murasaki Shikibu. Over 1000 years have passed, and people are still hooked on reading great novels and books. Even in the era of viewing stories that disappear after 24 hours, a good number of the population relies on reading books for entertainment.
Is it just for enjoyment and entertainment, or does reading books significantly impact our brain and life?
According to many experts, reading books has more benefits than we can ever imagine, both on physical and mental health, which can cast its impact for a lifetime.
Reading books strengthens your brain.
Many bodies of research have indicated that reading literally changes the composition of your mind. For example, MRI scans of seasoned readers have shown a sophisticated and robust ability to develop brain signals, which has significantly improved by reading over the years. In addition, reading books strengthens the emotional and sensational part of the brain that can help deal with difficult emotions.
Reading books strengthens empathy.
From the above information, it is evident that reading helps people grow strong empathy. Fiction books that explore and talk about characters’ inner life and characteristics have a more significant impact on the brain when compared to biographies. In scientific terms, it is called ‘the theory of mind,’ and it is an essential skill to maintain and strengthen social relationships in people.
Reading books strengthens vocabulary.
‘The rich get richer, and the poor remain poor’ is a phrase not only implied for capital growth but can also be applied to developing vocabulary. Children who develop the practice of reading books from a young age have a more remarkable ability to improve and strengthen their language, which can help them in all areas of life. It also enhances one’s ability to communicate effectively among a large group of people.
Reading books prevents cognitive decline.
The National Institute of Aging recommends everyone in their old age read at least three pages of a book or magazine daily to improve their mental ability and cognitive behavior. It will also help Alzheimer’s patients to remember and recollect events better to help maintain their cognitive function and behavior.
Reading books reduces stress and anxiety.
It is a no-brainer that reading books directly elevates mood and is also an excellent source for people to get away from depression and escape their everyday lives. Many researchers found that reading for at least 30 minutes a day can reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and heart rate to a great extent. The feeling of distress will be diminished, and it works just as humor and yoga do!
Key Takeaway
Reading books is not just limited to knowledge and entertainment but also provides many scientifically-proven benefits. So, if you wish to explore the benefits it provides, grab a book and find out!
Book Review: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
If you’re hunting for a book that changes your life’s perspectives by providing a positive turn to every event in life, this is the book for you! It is an inspirational masterpiece that has taken a seat in the minds of positive thinkers and believers.
About the book
The original version of ‘The Alchemist’ was published in Portuguese in 1987, after which Paulo Coelho turned it into an English masterpiece. Although the book’s sale was relatively low in the first few weeks, the universe conspired to make it a hit in the later months of its release. As a result, the book has sold 65 million copies worldwide and remained a NY Times Bestseller for over 315 weeks. For anyone who has already read the book, it is a self-help masterpiece that provides a valuable lesson in every chapter, if not every page.
Summary of The Alchemist
The story is centered around a shepherd named Santiago, who constantly dreams about striking a treasure in the Pyramids of Egypt. While on the journey to find answers, he encounters a fortune teller who interprets his dream as a prophecy. While searching, he also meets the King of Salem, who recommends Santiago sell all his sheep and fill his ‘Personal Legend.’
After this encounter, the story shifts to the shepherd boy selling all his sheep and following his life’s purpose. Finally, he starts his journey to discover his dream treasure. The boy faces various obstacles to gain what he believes is his and eventually finds it.
Interpretation of The Alchemist
While talking about Santiago’s story, the author throws light on following one’s destiny. The book’s central theme is ‘when you want something to happen, the entire universe will conspire to make your wish a reality. After you read, you will notice that this motif is followed throughout the story.
Another reader’s interpretation of the book is based on overcoming one’s fear and giving in to destiny. The detrimental consequences of fear are endless. If one lets fear take over their life, one can achieve nothing and live miserably. If Santiago had allowed his fear of the unknown and traveling to a deserted land by selling his herd to get to his brain, he wouldn’t have discovered the treasure in Egypt.
Lessons from the alchemist
Although it depends on the reader to interpret and learn a personal lesson, the author focuses on providing the following lessons to his readers:
- Everyone has a dream that they wish to conquer. If you wish to reach that goal, you have to follow your personal legend.
- Stop being afraid of the unknown. If you wish to conquer something in life and progress forward, you should never let fear get in your way.
- It is essential to rise stronger after you fall, which is one of the factors in running after your success.
Book Review: Ikigai
In Japanese, Ikigai means ‘Art of Living and the book justifies every word. It speaks to the heart of readers, educating them about leading a purposeful life. Many avid readers have put their thoughts on the book and stated that it is a book of secrets to leading a happy, stress-free life.
About the Book
Ikigai; The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life is a book by Francesc Miralles and Hector Gracia Puigcerver. They visit the town of Okinawa in Japan, which is considered a village that is known for its longevity and leading a healthy lifestyle. The authors interviewed the locals and villagers to understand the meaning of the term ‘Ikigai.’ It is comprised of a blend of cultures and is now the epitome of a self-help book that guides its readers in the right direction to gaining non-material happiness.
The book talks about embracing techniques to lead a healthier and happier life by discovering our ‘Ikigai’ and following the road to lead a prosperous life. Various aspects of life, like the importance of friendships, the importance of flow, motivation, and other subjects, are covered in this book. In concise, it talks about the rule of personal Ikigai:
- Don’t retire; stay active
- Take slow steps
- Don’t fill your stomach to the brim
- Surround yourself with good people
- Get in shape
- Smile more
- Have an attitude of gratitude
- Live in the moment
- Follow your Ikigai
Book Review
The villagers of Okinawa swear by these rules, which have helped them stay happy and kept their heart diseases at bay.
The second part of the book talks about the significance of taking care of one’s mental health, which people in the modern world often neglect. It also provides tips on activating the brain solely based on patterns and practices. One of the book’s main aspects is to help people avoid stress in life, which is one of the leading causes of many diseases and premature aging. A brief part of the book also talks about yoga and how it can help people stay flexible and active.
The third segment mainly talks about Morita Therapy, which helps alleviate anxiety and obsessive behavior. It also talks about the techniques that can be followed for this therapy and how they can be used to attain one’s Ikigai.
The last segment talks about the concept of ‘flow,’ which primarily revolves around enjoying even the more minor aspects of life, with concentration to prevent boredom. This book also encourages small gestures that can help establish and preserve friendships and healthy relationships with people.
Conclusion
Overall, Ikigai is an uplifting book that provides positive perspectives on various aspects of life. The simple and calming tone of the book welcomes even beginners to get through the entire book. Furthermore, talking about the Japanese Zen philosophy inspires many by helping them find their true Ikigai.
Book reading Tips: Plowing through a long book
If you’ve seen your long and big books sitting on your shelves for a long time now, you need some help opening them and reading them. We have all come across the time when we look at the books staring at us while we feel guilty and scroll through social media.
If you face this feeling, now is the time to bid goodbye because, in this article, we will tell you how to finally stop procrastinating and get through the lengthy book you’ve been waiting to discover.
Knowing your interests
One of the key aspects of buying a long book is first knowing which genre you would love to read and whether or not you’ll read the book. There are always chances that you will not enjoy a book while reading it. Hence, before buying the book, gain insights into the storyline, author, language used, etc.
Put your phone aside.
Imagine a situation where you buy a book you would love to read but safely store it on your shelf. Wouldn’t it be unfair to you and the book? To finish such a long book, you must read at least ten pages daily. One way is to put your phone aside and pick up the book. Scrolling on social media is one of the main reasons for procrastination. By placing your phone aside, you can give the attention the book demands.
Start with short books.
If you’re a novice reader, it is best to start with short stories or books which you can finish quickly. Doing this will gather the confidence to complete an entire book, big or small.
Take one step at a time.
If you’re reading a book just to finish it, there is no point in reading it. Even though your goal is to complete a long book, it is best to take it slow. Reading a long book is like running a marathon, not a race! Generally, long books have a lot of information and fine details that can play with your thoughts. Therefore, it is best to read it slowly, understand the author’s intent, and get the best out of the masterpiece.
Explore audiobook
It is a challenging task to sit with a book all the time, irrespective of the environment we’re in. If you find it difficult to carry your book everywhere you go, switch to an audiobook. There are several options for choosing audiobooks from different vendors. You can listen to it while driving, sleeping, walking, and performing other activities, which will also aid in finishing the book sooner.
Don’t forget to enjoy
Go to a park, visit a coffee shop or even lie on your couch and enjoy the book. Try to understand the way the author is connecting with the audience.
5 Teen Books to Promote Positive Thinking
It is no cakewalk to be a teenager in the 21st century! Academic and peer pressure can take a toll on teens’ mental health. People expect young adults and teens to become independent and start making important life decisions suddenly. This prospect can be a daunting one.
A little aid is needed for teens to get through their challenging lives, and it can be in the form of books! Getting associated with different kinds of books allows them to submerge in the books’ characters and provides the much-needed hope to get through life and promote positive thinking.
Ten things I can see from here by Carrie Mac
The book’s main character Maeve experiences life’s hurdles, devoting themselves to overthinking and curating worst-case scenarios in her headspace. The book is typical for all teens dealing with anxiety and anxious thoughts. It is also intertwined with a heartwarming love story which allows her to get over the anxious beliefs that she has grown in her head. It is an excellent book for teens dealing with a similar situation and will help them find some relatability.
Crying Laughing by Lance Rubin
This book does justice to its title by centering on the main character Winnie, who deals with illness and teen drama simultaneously. It is a bewildering journey for her to take, being a daughter to a comedian father. Winnie’s emotions are depicted beautifully in the book, touching the teens’ hearts.
I have Lost my Way by Gayle Forman.
There are three different characters in this book that share similar backstories. All three characters deal with their own problems, joy, and trauma. However, when they are together, they forget everything and find solace in each other’s companionship. It is a great way to showcase to teens friendships and how the right friends can help you get through any situation in life. While helping each other, they also help themselves deal with their complex problems in life.
Anxiety Relief for teens by Regine Galanti
It is an informative book written by clinical psychologist Dr. Regine Galanti who has spent all her professional experience and life treating teens suffering from anxiety. She has also mastered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and solutions to different problems in life. In this book, Galanti mentions simple techniques for teens to follow, like mindfulness in different areas of life, CBT-based tools, and many more techniques which can help anyone lead stress and anxiety-free life.
Take in the good by Gina Biegel.
The book is illustrated b Breanna Chambers, depicting a journal with art prints, exercise, and other writing prompts to help teen readers take in the good. It also has methods on how teens can retain positive aspects in the brain and increase their confidence in a stressful world.