"I don't think I'd have a career if not for indie bookstores--they gave me so much support in those early days, especially through employee recommendations and the chance to come to the store and read. I think the curation aspect is so vital--to have someone who loves books and knows them and is alert to related titles a given customer might like. It's concierge guidance, really, and in the most important aspect of a person's life, i.e., how they go about growing."
--George Saunders, whose novel Vigil (Random House) is the #1 February Indie Next List pick, in a q&a with Bookselling This Week