Addendum Books

I’ve always been curious about Minneapolis and St. Paul, probably because one of my favorite writers, John Sandford, sets his Lucas Davenport books there (oh look, there’s city hall; there’s the Government Center; wait, wasn’t that the skyway where Lucas . . .).  Having been a fan of Prairie Home Companion for decades, I’ve also been over to St. Paul a couple times and finally figured out that, oh, the Fitzgerald Theater is named after, yeah, that famous writer-guy.  (I’ve even seen the bronze bust.)  Of course, I now have a very soft spot for Minneapolis because one of my publishers, Carolrhoda Lab, calls the city home, and one of my favorite editors can be counted on to bicycle to work despite the blizzard that just dumped ten trillion feet on the city, no sweat. 

This past week, though, I discovered yet one more reason to envy the folks in this area—because you guys are lucky enough to have what I think is the only bookstore in the country to offer primarily YA novels.  Yep, that’s right: a couple picture books, a small section for early readers and middle grade, sure.  But most is straight up YA, and that’s no small feat. You guys are lucky enough to have Marcus Mayer and Katherine Warde of Addendum Books.

This is a huge deal, guys.  Most bookstores have YA sections, yeah.  Some are larger than others, and most are middling.  Go to any brick and mortar store, or airport kiosk, and you’ll see that YA novels are represented, but they’re usually the bestsellers and with virtually no small presses at all.  If you really want to see what’s going on with YA, you have to go to a library and hope that not only does it have a knowledgeable YA librarian but the budget to buy the books you’ll never see any other way.

 Now, though, if you go to St. Paul?  You can.  Head over to 165 Western Avenue and wander through a coffee shop and down a staircase.  There, tucked away in the back of another bookstore, Subtext—in what used to be Garrison Keillor’s old space—you’ll find Addendum. 

This place is so unusual, it got written up in Publisher’s Weekly last year.  In case you missed that or you want the condensed version, here’s the skinny: Addendum is a specialty store within a store. 

Yup.  You heard right.  It’s a fabulous model.  The space isn’t huge—think a very large pantry with little nooks, and you’ve got the idea.  But every square inch is packed with nothing but YA, from the big titles to the small, the obscure, the unexpected–and I would never have cottoned onto this gem of a store if I hadn’t been invited to schmooze,

talk books,

snack on a few goodies,

and sign a couple two-three of my latest, too.

The way Katherine and Marcus have worked this small miracle is actually quite smart.  In exchange for fifteen hours a week working for Subtext, Marcus and Katherine (both teachers) get Addendum’s space rent-free.  They’ve got no overhead to speak of.  When they’re both at their day jobs, they get a cut of every sale that’s made from Addendum’s stock.  Every penny they make they funnel back into building up inventory.  It’s a clean, smart, interesting way to do business, and everyone wins.  Subtext’s owner doesn’t have to bother with inventory she’s not as conversant or interested in while still hosting traffic that must pass through her store to get to Addendum.   In return, Addendum gets traffic that might have happened in for an adult book but that then gravitates to the back to see what all these other books are about.  It’s very win-win all the way around, and not the least for you guys lucky enough to live within spitting distance of the place because Katherine and Marcus are passionate about YA.  I mean, passionate.  They’ve had some true greats there: Tamora Pierce, A.S. King, Lois Lowry, Jo Nesbo . . . the list goes on and on.  Their mission is provide a space for teens to hang and discover reading—and they know books.  They really do.

So do yourself a favor.  Drop by this great place.  Take a long time to browse and look around.  Set a spell.  Support their mission.   Talk YA with Katherine and Marcus, two of the nicest and most enthusiastic advocates every author dreams of having.  Or simply read and enjoy.  This is a true gem, a place most of us would die to have in our towns.

Cheers, Minnesotans.  You are luckier than you know.    

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A reminder: don’t forget to enter the Goodreads giveaway (link above) for your chance to win an ASHES survival pack and signed copy of MONSTERS.  Giveaway ends 10/10!