LitMinds Blog and Interviews

Aaron Schlieve runs Florey’s Book Co in Pacifica, California, a small independent bookstore just blocks away from the Pacific Ocean.  Customers have called Florey’s “the last great independent bookstore in the area;” the store’s cozy size and personal connections with customers make it a haven for booklovers in its town.  

Here at LitMinds, we discovered Florey’s during a walk through Pacifica several months ago, and since then we’ve been enjoying getting to know more about Aaron and the store.  Recently, we talked to Aaron about his experiences running this small, family-owned shop, how his love of science affects his reading habits, and what working in a small surfing town means for business.  
 

Florey’s is a charming store located in the small coastal town of Pacifica, California, less than an hour south of San Francisco.  Tell us a little bit about how you became an independent bookseller, and how you ended up in Pacifica.  

Florey's Books was started by my grandmother Mary Florey over 30 years ago.  She is still involved in the operation of the store.  I spent much of my youth hanging around the store, and reading everything.   I have been working at the store for over 12 years now, and hope to continue it as long as I can, despite the stiff competition.


As an independent bookseller, what do you think are the main differences between what you do and what someone who works at a large chain bookstore does?   What’s harder, and what’s easier – or what’s more enjoyable or less enjoyable?

Frankly, the hard part is trying to compete with the huge discounts they can offer, that we simply cannot.  
 

In your opinion, why is it important to support independent bookstores?  

I feel it is important to support independent businesses of all kinds, really. The increasing concentration of corporate wealth and control is not anything good for people who are not CEOs at the corporations!  So support your local indy bookshop, but also your local indy food market, clothing shops, etc.  


What’s it like to work in a small surfing town?  Is your experience at Florey’s different than it would be if you were working at a store in a larger city?

Hmm – well, I grew up on the coast here, but have never been surfing.  It is definitely nice to have our shop in a small coastal town.  The benefit of being in a larger city would be more walk-in traffic and tourists.  As it is in our store, probably 99% of our customers are return customers, from our town.   


What are some books that you’ve recommended to customers recently, and why?  What are some customer favorites?    

Well, Mary is a history and archeology buff, so she usually recommends those sorts of things.  She enjoyed 'Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World' by Jack Weatherford quite a bit, and has suggested it to several of our customers.  I tend to read non-fiction, and particularly like mechanical engineering and other applied sciences.  An amazing book I just read and cannot rate highly enough is 'Infrastructure: A Field Guide to the Industrial Landscape' by Brian Hayes.  It is exactly what it says, detailing all sorts of interesting information about everything from electrical generation and power transmission to agriculture and communications.  It is copiously illustrated with great color photos.  

Our most popular books over the last few years have been 'Pacifica' by Chris Hunter and Bill Drake, one of the Images of America series.  Also, 'America: the Book' by Jon Stewart and the Daily Show staff has been quite popular here.  Any books dealing with our local area seem to do quite well.


What are some of your favorite books or authors?  How have they influenced you?

Personally, I almost never read fiction anymore, but Philip K. Dick and Haruki Murakami are two of my favorite novelists.  I like the sometimes strange feelings or settings in both of their work, but also the down-to-earth characters and humanistic elements that are often present.  As for single favorite books, that is hard to say.  However, despite the fact that I am not as interested in space and astrophysics as other branches of science, 'Cosmos' by Carl Sagan is one of the most important books I have ever read.  It is a reaffirmation for me personally of the everlasting quest for knowledge, and shunning of superstition.  It is the one book that I wish every person would read.

You can read the Florey's Book Co profile here and discuss this interview here.