Discovering Mystery since 1942 , The Mysterious Bookshop , New York City (NYC)
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Discovering Mystery since 1942 , The Mysterious Bookshop , New York City (NYC)
The Mysterious Bookshop is an independent bookstore and publisher well known for curating the collection of mystery fiction, located in…
The Mysterious Bookshop is an independent bookstore and publisher well known for curating the collection of mystery fiction, located in New York City(NYC). It is one of the oldest mystery bookstores in the U.S.
The Bookstores contains the offices of both the Mysterious Press, distributed by Grove Atlantic, and MysteriousPress.com, an e-book imprint distributed by Open Road Media.
Home - Mysterious Press
Follow @eMysteries on Twitter When The Mysterious Press was founded by Otto Penzler in 1975, it was dedicated to…mysteriouspress.com
The store and its various publishing businesses and business units are owned and operated by editor and publisher Otto Penzler; its inventory consists of new and rare titles in detective fiction, crime fiction, spy fiction, thrillers, and various other mystery fiction subgenres.
Otto Penzler
Otto Penzler (born July 8, 1942) is an editor of mystery fiction in the United States, and proprietor of The Mysterious…en.wikipedia.org
New York City is home to unique independent bookstores like the Strand, Argosy Bookstore, Books are Magic and the Drama Book Shop. But it’s no mystery why one specialty bookstore in NYC has been around for around 40 years.
The bookshop is beloved by both its owner, Otto Penzler, and loyal customers and readers from all over the world.
Mystery is the first genre I loved as a child, and the most enduring. It was fuelled by reading Nancy Drew, Harry Potter , The Hardy Boys , The Vampire Diaries and of course The Sherlock Holmes series. These books made up much of my reading for the longest time, until I graduated to the Classics , Books about Books , Creative non-fiction or mental health/well being section of the library and left them behind.
But we never left mysteries behind. Do we? There is nothing quite delving into an investigation with your favourite character, following the twists and turns, your heart beating faster as you follow the clues, the tension strung tight … every moment unpredictable than the previous ….the cliffhanger…. you know what I mean?
The Mysterious Bookshop is basically a huge box lined to the high ceilings with books. The focus is mystery fiction, and while that may seem a little narrow at first, but there’s actually a great deal of depth and comprehensiveness when it comes to their book collections. They’ve got — everything from Agatha Christie and Dashiell Hammett, to newer stuff like Richard Kadrey and Haruki Murakami. There’s an entire wall dedicated to Sherlock Holmes ( Sherlockiana), and even some comic books mixed in.
Sherlockiana
Sherlockiana is a term which has been used to refer to various categories of materials and content related to the…en.wikipedia.org
Bookstores are really good places for inspiration–you see people interacting with the books they have an affinity for, you see how people consume the culture. — Jenny Kroik
Excerpts from the interview :
Q1) How did the bookstore start? You are widely regarded as the world’s foremost authority on crime, mystery and suspense fiction. Tell us a little about its history?
Mike : Mr. Otto Penzler started the shop on 56th Street in Manhattan on Friday the 13th of April 1979 and continued there until moving to the Tribeca neighborhood in 2005. We quickly became the go-to place for finding the best in crime fiction and for learning about new authors and hopefully remain so.
Q2) Can anyone ever get tired of a good mystery?
Mike : No. If writers don’t continuously invigorate the genre with new plots and ideas, then it can get a bit stale. But when done right, there’s no better, more engaging genre in the world.
Q3) Do you have a hands-down favourite crime fiction character? One that you feel is by far the best written to date?
Mike : Of course it’s a very subjective thing, but the classics are classics for a reason. Arthur Conan Doyle, Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Erle Stanley Gardner, and Agatha Christie’s works have all aged well. If we had to pick just one it might well be Chandler.
Q4) Tell our readers here about The Bibliomystery Series and The Crime Club.
The Mysterious Bookshop
For many bibliophiles, especially aficionados of mystery fiction, some of the most beloved books and stories feature a…www.mysteriousbookshop.com
The Mysterious Bookshop
Our subscription clubs are a means of giving readers and collectors access to signed first editions from the best…www.mysteriousbookshop.com
Mike : The Bibliomysteries are novellas specifically commissioned for and exclusive to our shop. They all have a book theme, i.e. a murder in a library, a stolen manuscript, or something similar. We offer paperback editions as well as signed hardcovers in limited lettered editions, A-Z and limited numbered editions, 1–100. The Book Clubs are seven in number and are structured along the lines of the old Book-Of-The-Month Clubs. We have the Crime Collectors Club (the latest from today’s standouts), the First Mystery Club (the first mystery from current up-and-comers), Thriller/Espionage (spy stories and political thrillers), the Hardboiled/Noir Club (gritty tales of the street, where a punch on the jaw is a term of endearment), Traditional/Historical (often set in the past and with less violence and mayhem), the UK Club (the best of the Brits), and the Unclassifiable Club (a great read, but not easily categorized). Each Club member receives a signed first edition in that category approximately once per month.
Q5) Tell us about your weekly newsletters and events which happens at the bookstore in collaboration with authors. Any memorable incident from any author’s event you can recall.
The Mysterious Newsletter
You'll get updates on new releases, upcoming Crime Club selections, to-be-signed titles, staff favorites, new…www.mysteriousbookshop.com
The Mysterious Bookshop
Subscribe to our mailing list to stay up to date on all the events at the Mysterious Bookshop Or, follow us on Twitter…www.mysteriousbookshop.com
Mike : Each Friday we send a newsletter via email that covers what’s happening in the shop, upcoming releases, rare titles for collectors, Sherlock Holmes items, and anything else noteworthy. Under the current circumstances we are not holding in-store author events but they usually involve the author speaking of his or her latest book, answering questions and signing copies.
Q6) What do you love most about being a bookseller? What’s your bookselling philosophy?
Mike : It’s a fine thing to bring good reading to our customers both recent and long-standing. It’s also very gratifying to see young readers becoming mystery fans for life! Our philosophy is pretty basic, simply providing the best and widest range of crime fiction and related items for a fair price and giving the best customer service we can provide.
Q7) What releases from Mysterious Press has you excited this year?
Mike : Every single one of them!
Mike : Whatever the medium, it’s still all about the story. Once the tale is told, it’s simply a question of using whatever platforms available at the moment to get it into the hands of readers. From strictly print, to electronic reading, to audio tapes, then CDs, then downloads — whatever we can use to disseminate a good story to mystery fans!
Q8) What considerations do you keep in mind while curating the bookstore? Do you always prefer to have Best Seller on the shelves? Or does the Bookstore provide a platform to an aspiring/underrated writers as well.
Mike : Certainly we would strive to have the latest releases from the authors who have proven to be popular. We also keep an eye on the grapevine to see what title(s) are being talked about and which have particularly good reviews among sources we feel are credible. We feel that we know our customer base pretty well and have a good idea of what they might enjoy. We have an excellent ongoing relationship with many authors and are able to offer signed books quite often. On many occasions we have carried books from new authors who have gone on to acclaim!
Q9) Is there anything you’d wish readers paid more attention to in the store? A genre? Or an author?
Mike : We all have our favorite authors that we feel might be underrated, so we might recommend them more often! Really we are all cognizant that customers may not be familiar with a particular writer so we try to let people know about anyone or any genre they might enjoy. Of course, for those beginning or advanced collectors who would like nice first editions, scarce titles, or signed books, we can certainly provide them with a variety of choices.
Q10) What are some of the memorable moments/releases at the store over the years that stick in your mind?
Mike : Can’t really select just one since there have been so many, although this writer has a fond memory of singing Led Zeppelin songs with author Lyndsay Faye at the top of our lungs two or three Christmases ago. We especially like those authors who pack the place with enthusiastic people!
Q11) What do you look for in a good book? Could you briefly describe your personal reading preferences?
Mike : Good writing that avoids cliches, vulgarity for its own sake, or one dimensional characters. A plausible, compelling story that makes the reader want to turn those pages and keep going!
Q12) What are the challenges usually faced by an independent bookstore in New York City?
Mike : Steadily increasing rents and competition from online resources, but we are going to leave them all in the dust!
Q13) Coronavirus restrictions now have independent bookstores caught in an agonizing situation: Just when there’s a huge audience looking for something to read, they’ve had to close their doors. Many have found creative ways of dealing with the challenge. Could you tell us about the virtual or digital opportunities during the lockdown, and how far the Bookstore team efforts have been successful?
Mike : We have an ongoing series of virtual book club discussions that are very engaging, especially for those who may find travel difficult. We’ve done a number of virtual events with authors and literary scholars and have maintained our relationship with our community of authors while keeping the lines of communication open with our bevy of regular customers, who have stepped up to support us in such a way that we can scarcely express our gratitude and appreciation.
Q14) As independent booksellers, if you had to give one piece of advice to aspiring writers, what would it be?
Mike : Read a lot in order to discern good writing from bad. Write every day. If you’re blocked, do something else for a while, try to unwind a bit and the words will come. That’s more than one, isn’t it?
Q15) And, lastly what are your future plans for the bookstore?
Mike : To continue providing the best in crime fiction, true crime, vintage titles, old favorites, and new authors to the many fans of the genre.
Thank you all for reading and a big thanks to Mike Durell for collaborating in today’s post!
It’s a pleasure!
Website : https://www.mysteriousbookshop.com/
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/MysteriousBookshop/
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/themysteriousbookshop/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/TheMysterious