I can say with confidence that 2020 has not being going how any of us anticipated. Personally, I had imagined full writers groups, regular store hours, workshops every month or two, and lots of in person events. The year started out strong with all of those things happening to...
2020 has already brought some exciting changes to the shop. The first change is the new shelving configuration. This new layout includes a display shelf for art pieces and other handmade goodies. It has also allowed me to create a little crafting corner in the back where I can...
It’s not nearly as dangerous as it sounds! For the past few months this writers discussion group has been meeting at the shop every other Wednesday. The group has a very relaxed approach. There are no set topics and each meeting is allowed to go where it will. Sometimes...
When writer’s group falls on a holiday, sometimes it’s hard not to use that in your story. The prompt last night practically begged to be used as a Valentine’s story. Enjoy. By Genevieve Clovis Sandra crossed her legs. As she smoothed the not quite knee-length dress over her thighs,...
If you are thinking about donating books please consider following these simple donation etiquette guidelines: Please do not leave donations outside the shop while it is closed. Please read the list of things I definitely do not want and remove them from your donation box before bringing it in....
The vast majority of our stock comes from donations and trade-ins. Please note we do not buy books, but we do give store credit. We carry a little bit of everything. It’s a good idea to come in and have a look around at what we stock before bringing in donations....
This autumn I ran my first ever writer’s accountability group. The idea was to create a group that would help motivate people working on larger writing projects. We would meet every other week over the course of thirteen weeks, and each meeting functioned as a deadline. While I knew...
Remember way back in June when Cliffside Village Books was nominated for best bookstore and best used bookstore in Scarborough? Well, thanks to all my wonderful and supportive customers, we won first place! According to the Scarborough Mirror ranking system we got diamond. Sadly we did not actually...
One thing I do reliably is forget the anniversary of getting my shop. Five years and a few days ago I bought Cliffside Village Books, fulfilling a lifelong goal. These past five years have been truly amazing! Running a second-hand bookshop certainly has its challenges, but whenever I start...
Years ago, I thought “hey wouldn’t it be great if I could easily move all the shelves in the middle of the shop.” My logic at the time was that having a little more space when I run writer’s groups would be nice. Also being able to...