Book-of-the-Week

This is the kind of book we love: small press, local interest, cool subject matter. It's the type of thing that gets passed from employee to employee on the day it arrives, everyone getting excited not only that Vroman's is carrying this book, but that such a thing even exists.

Greenopia: The Urban Dweller's Guide to Green Living is a sort of Zagat Guide to sustainable living in greater Los Angeles. This slim volume highlights the most eco-friendly businesses and services in the area, everything from restaurants and limo services to building materials suppliers and dry cleaners. The editors award "leaves" instead of stars to businesses; the greater number of leaves, the more committed to ecological practices the company is. Pasadena lies at the far eastern edge of the territory the book covers, and many local businesses and services in this area are featured. If you're looking to support small, local companies, Greenopia is a terrific resource -- and gives you a good reason -- to get started.

The 24 Days of -- oooops!

Well, I guess it was just 20 days of gift suggestions. I was so busy helping, you know, actual people in the store that something had to go on the back burner, and it was the blog.

Vroman's had a very nice holiday -- thanks for asking! In case you're wondering, here are the Top 20 items we sold during the month of December:

1. Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid by Jimmy Carter

2. Hometown Pasadena by Colleen Dunn Bates et al

3. 100 Words to Make You Sound Smart by the editors of The American Heritage Dictionary

4. Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives by John Edwards

5. National Embarrass Mints

6. Smencils

7. Bad President by R.D. Rosen et al

8. The Distant Land of My Father by Bo Caldwell

9. Zagat 2007 Los Angeles/Southern California Restaurants

10. Rose Parade Program 2007

11. Jillson Christmas tissue in assorted styles

12. The Iraq Study Group Report by James A. Baker III et al

13. Monster finger puppets

14. The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama

15. Postcards

16. Candy canes

17. Birds of the Los Angeles Region by Kimball L. Garrett et al

18. Stamp bookmarks

19. I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman by Nora Ephron

20. The Beauty Buyble