Zibby’s Bookshop in Santa Monica, California organizes books by emotion rather than genre

Each week we profile an independent bookstore, discovering what makes each one special and getting expert book recommendations from booksellers plugged into the pulse of their local readership. Independent bookstores are community connectors. They host events, clubs and social events that keep citizens engaged and informed. A local bookstore is a great place to make friends.

Up this week is Zibby’s Bookshop in Santa Monica, California.

What makes your bookshop unique?

Zibby’s is a warm and inviting indie bookstore with intimate events designed to connect books and authors to readers.

We have an entirely new way of curating books. Instead of sorting by genre, we have books by emotion (books that make you cry, laugh, tremble, lust), by topic (coming-of-age, coming-of-middle-age, coming-of-old-age, just optioned), by reader identity (the traveler, the knowledge-hunter, the powerful woman, LGBTQ), by author curation (shelves with books selected by Kevin Kwan, Katie Couric, Laura Dave and others).

Check out: USA TODAY's weekly Best-selling Booklist

We host at least three author events per week, plus classes. It's a community spot! We have fewer books than other stores in favor of creating a warm, welcoming space for people to come in, take a class, attend a talk, or just gab with a friend.

Most days, we have a few people perched on the window seat or settled in on the couch evaluating which books to buy, flipping through pages, and chatting with our super-knowledgeable booksellers. It's decorated like a living room so people feel like they're visiting a friend, not just transacting. We want people to linger. We want people to feel at home.

What book can't you keep on the shelves?

Shoppers love buying the books we feature in our events, but also flock to books everyone else is reading. They're looking for that sense of community. As I like to say, no two people who have read the same book are really strangers. The community appreciates great writing and propulsive narratives.

Here are our bestsellers right now:

“The Guest” by Emma Cline

“Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros

“Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver

“Trust” by Hernan Diaz

“The Wager” by David Grann

“Wine People” by Michelle Wildgen

What book do you think deserves more attention?

In addition to owning Zibby's Bookshop with my partners Diana Tramontano and Sherri Puzey, I started a publishing company called Zibby Books in order to better serve authors, try new things, make every book a front list title, and connect deeply with the authors and community.

But it’s hard to get display space in other stores and to get booksellers to trust our new brand. We're making a lot of progress -- one of our novels became a USA Today Bestseller -- but I think all of our books deserve more attention as stewards for literary citizenship. Our whole brand is devoted to deepening the connections between readers, writers, and each other.

Here are some of the books that have come out:

“My What If Year: A Memoir” by Alisha Fernandez Miranda

“Burst” by Mary Otis

“Women Are the Fiercest Creatures” by Andrea Dunlop

“Super Bloom” by Megan Tady

“Hedge” by Jane Delury

“Wednesdays at One” by Sandra A. Miller

“End Credits: How I Broke Up with Hollywood” by Patty Lin

“Hell if We Don't Change Our Ways” by Brittany Means

What books/series are you most excited about coming out in the next few months?

I'm excited and terrified about my own debut novel coming out in March called “BLANK.”

It’s about Pippa Jones, a wife, mother and frustrated writer who faces an impossible deadline for turning her life around. She’s a fortyish former literary sensation who fears she will be a one-hit wonder. After the follow-up book she was almost done writing had to be tossed (it ended up sharing a plot and title with superstar author’s summer blockbuster), she couldn’t write a thing. When she finds out that she has only five days left to finish (or rather, start) or repay an advance she’s already spent, Pippa has a brilliantly original idea. Okay, fine, her 12-year-old son came up with it as a joke, but Pippa and her teenage daughter approved.

When Pippa’s publisher gets intimately involved, it unlocks a series of plot twists she never saw coming. Pippa races against time and discovers more about her career, marriage, family, friends, and herself than she ever could have dreamed up.

Why do you think customers should shop local/indie in your area?

Indies offer intimacy and true community. We're small. We welcome everyone. We remember our regulars. We have phenomenal access to touring authors who you'll get an intimate event with and really get to know. Indies exist because of the feelings they create. Our booksellers recommend books with a truly impressive understanding of our highly curated inventory. And bookish people like a place to feel special and mingle. We connect people.

USA TODAY is thrilled to partner with independent bookstore The Novel Neighbor to help you discover the best books while championing indie booksellers.

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