Where do you work and how long have you been there?
I am with Abraham Associates and have been working with them for 7 1/2 months! I have had my first season on the road and now I am getting ready for season 2.

Where might we be surprised that you have also worked?
I have had several jobs that tend to surprise people. My first job was as a telemarketer for a Funeral Home. Nothing like being 14 years old and cold calling people trying to set up an appointment to pre-arrange their funeral services. I worked at the cemetery for 4 years and my last job was leading in funerals and staying with the burial until it was placed in it's resting spot.

What do you like to read? What's your current favorite book to handsell?
I really enjoy Sci-fi/ Fantasy and tend to read things most people might find a little strange. I try to not put myself into any kind of reading corner and read all genres. 

One of my favorite titles to sell during my spring season was Julian Is a Mermaid from Candlewick - If you have not seen this beautiful picture book I recommend you check it out. Another favorite title of mine from spring was Little Fish (Arsenal Pulp Press) by Casey Plett! I have so many more but I won't keep you all day.

Who are you when you're not on the road?
I am on the board and a showrunner for a non-profit art collective in Aurora, IL called ArtBar. We host monthly themed pop-up art shows and when I am not on the road selling or attending sales conferences I am at Two Brothers Roundhouse every First Friday selling all of the ART!

I also sculpt things by dry felting. I have made a Mothman, Swampthing and most recently Cuphead (a really cool video game character). You can see them on Instagram @Anniepokely

Other than that I tend to read and watch movies at home with my husband and kitties.

What bookstore do you consider to be a hidden gem?
This is really a tough one for me!! There are so many new stores I was able to visit this year and I have found so many new favorites.

I had the joy of visiting the new Cover to Cover Books in Columbus, OH. Melia Wolf, the owner was recently featured in the bookseller feature. Melia did such an amazing job with the design and curation of her new store! It is definitely worth a visit if you are ever in the area.

What publisher do you think more people should know about?
There are a few new publishers coming to Consortium Books Distributors. I am really looking forward to sharing their books with my accounts this season. For adult titles World Editions & for awesome kids board books Hazy Dell Press. 

And from SCB Distributors I really like Boss Fight Books- They are similar to 33 1/3 books but focus on classic video games!

What is one of your most memorable moments or events as a rep?
It would have to be my first official sales conference. It was very overwhelming but everyone made me feel so welcomed and now I have had two seasons of conferences and I look forward to seeing everyone each time!

Sandra Law
Instagram @anniepokely
Twitter @polkafan

Abraham Associates
5120a Cedar Lake Rd.
St. Louis Park, MN 55416 
www.abrahamassociatesinc.com
Instagram @abrahamassociates
Twitter @abrahambookreps

When did your store open and where are you located?
We opened in March of 2016. We are located in the bustling and eclectic Wicker park neighborhood in Chicago. We are located just north west of the Loop - off the blue line. 

Tell us something interesting about your store.
It is owned by two sisters - both who led former lives as educators. Also, there are rumors that 1. one of the first televisions was sold in this building. 2. One of HH Holmes secret businesses was across the street and there are rumors that they found bodies there. 

Do you have a holiday tradition at the store?
Well, we've only been around for two years, so "tradition" is still gaining roots. We do love throwing a party - we do an author soiree every year with all of the local writers - and it has become a really great community building thing for writers. Our Halloween party last year was so much fun we hope to up the ante on that and continue with that in the future. I don't know. We try anything once. Most things twice. There are so many things that are becoming a tradition - I guess we will have to wait and see! 

What's the most memorable event or moment at your store?
Goodness. So many. A few months ago Tori Amos came in as a customer and I struggled really hard to keep my chill. Her music basically defined my adolescence in the 90s. Book -wise, I would say the midnight release of The Cursed Child. We had a big party that night and the anticipation as we cut open those boxes was palpable. 

What bookstore do you consider to be a hidden gem?
I think Sandmeyer's down in the South Loop is a hidden gem. There is a quite mystique to that bookstore that I thoroughly enjoy. I was fortunate in my college and grad school years to have Prairie Lights AND Boulder Bookstore - though Trident bookstore in Boulder is a fun gem as well.

Volumes Bookcafe
1474 N Milwaukee Ave,
Chicago, IL 60622
volumesbooks.com
IG @volumesbooks
Twitter @volumesbooks

Where do you work and how long have you been there?
Volumes Bookcafe in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood

Well, I've been here long before we opened. Volumes is me. I am Volumes. 
 
Where might we be surprised that you have also worked?
SO MANY. In my youth I worked a number of jobs at a golf course. I've also worked retail at Woodfield Mall in the 90s (which, for anyone who remembers those days, knows what chaos that was). I've been a dog walker on the side. A life guard. A Lit agent intern. A college professor. A high school teacher. I've had a lot of jobs. This makes me sound old. 

What do you like to read? What's your current favorite book to handsell?
I'm kind of all over the place. I just like reading. I do gravitate towards the weird - and I have a bizarre obsession with any and all books that touch on time - Fiction and Non-Fiction. 

Right now I really enjoy handselling Geek Love. It's an old favorite. We made it our book of the month - I hope it surprises and delights people in the way that book did for me. It took my breath away. 

Who are you when you're not in the store?
I am Volumes. Volumes is me. Jk. I am here every day so I don't get a lot of free time to just be me. 

I'm a big baseball fan, so I am excited for the new season. I'm also a crafter. I can't sit still at home, so if I am not working, I am making bags or book origami or I'm painting. I do a lot of weird stuff. Now I get to channel that into window displays and such for the store, so it loops back 

What's your favorite bookstore other than the one you work in?
Prairie Lights is a favorite. I did my undergraduate degree at u Iowa and I used to make Prairie Lights a reward for myself. If I did ok on a test, I could go and wander and buy one book. It usually meant I'd buy five, but I have a lot of fond memories from that store. Boulder Bookstore was my graduate school bookstore, and I spent many an hour in there.

Volumes Bookcafe
1474 N Milwaukee Ave,
Chicago, IL 60622
volumesbooks.com
IG @volumesbooks
Twitter @volumesbooks