A q&a with Nancy Warwick, owner of Warwick's bookstore, La Jolla, Calif., was featured in La Jolla Light's "People in Your Neighborhood" series, which "shines a spotlight on locals we all wish we knew more about." Among our favorite responses:
What were some funny stories that happened in the shop?
We used to have a customer come in with a Standard Poodle, and the Standard Poodle would be off-leash wandering around, and if he wanted to find his owner, he would get up on his hind legs, start walking around like a circus dog, trying to look over the counters.
My grandmother was a force. She worked until she was 98 years old. I had the pleasure of working with my grandfather, he died in the 1970s, but I had a few years where I could work with him because we all used to come in on Sundays when the store was closed and catch up on things. Basically, my sister and I would just play in the store. But my grandparents and parents were here, and we would sneak out books that we really shouldn't have been reading at that age.
What's the secret to recommending books?
There's an art to handselling: Find out what book someone has read and really enjoyed, or if they already have something in mind, or if they're looking for something similar to a favorite book.
What's something about you people don't know?
People would be surprised to learn that I'm a very introverted person and I really enjoy quiet time. I never speak to the person beside me in an airplane if I can help it--I open my book so fast, and I'm sending out all the signals! So yeah, I'm just a shy, introverted person, although at the store I come across as a more extroverted person than I really am. But I'm really bad at small talk.