Meet the Bookseller: Tony Peltier, Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh, NC

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How long you've been a bookseller: I've been a bookseller for 16 years. 10 years at Borders and 6 at Quail Ridge.

Best part about being a bookseller: . . .is the books! I get to buy and sell books for a living! And, of course, connecting with people through books.

Books I'm reading:
I just finished Sadness is a White Bird by Moriel Rothman-Zecher. Almost finished The Sea Beast Takes a Lover by Michael Andreasen. In the middle of Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi. And just started The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner.

They are all wonderful and completely different from each other.

Favorite handsell of 2017:
Spill Simmer Falter Wither by Sara Baume
So beautiful and beautifully written, devastatingly sad, but in a way that reminds you that you're alive.

Social Media Handles: I'm not on social media. I did Twitter for about 6 months, but made myself delete it.

Best thing we did this year at the store:
I'd have to say, the amazing people we hired this year. We have a wonderful staff, but this year in particular we added some incredible people with great experience in and out of bookselling

Top priority for 2018: Get the word out. Get all these amazing books in people's hands and brains.

And get people to realize that if they don't buy from us, we won't be around forever. Don't take your independent bookstore for granted.

Favorite SIBA programming benefit:
Hmm. I'm embarrassed to admit I don't really know what they are. I know that SIBA gave scholarships to two of our staff to go to New Orleans, which they raved about. I've never actually attended a SIBA conference. I'd love to learn more about what SIBA does.