Little did Wendy Werris imagine that when she began a temp job at a Hollywood bookstore in 1970 at age nineteen, she had embarked on a thirty-five ...
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Jul 08, 2008
Elizabeth
rated it: 
I have lost the plot, here. No, wait, she has lost the plot, the ability to string a series of events in some form of coherent order from a starting point to and end point, doesn't fall within the abilities of our mad woman in the bookstore, Ms. Wendy Werris. I am not asking that it has to be in chronological order: Arthur Miller's memoir, Timebends cleverly ignored that usual order for a life. It can be done. Unfortunately, Wendy Werris isn't the writer Arthur Miller is. What is more unfortu
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Aug 18, 2010
Stephanie
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"An Alphabetical Life" is Wendy Werris' memoir of her time in the book trade. As the book business changes so does her life She works for an independent book store, signs on with Rolling Stone's Straight Arrow books, becomes a publisher's rep and then an author escort. Readers awaiting next week's publication of "Freedom" will find her account of squiring around Jonathan Franzen entertaining. Ms Werris gives one a great sense of the day to day workings of her various jobs and
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Dec 16, 2009
Maudeen
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This book varies between interesting anecdotes about the book world and egocentric tirades and namedropping of an insecure alcoholic/drug addict yet manages to provide a glimpse into a sadly forgotten world of independent bookstores. There's a great scene when, while escorting Monty Python's Eric Idle (actually having dinner with him at this point), the author meets George Harrison.
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Jan 25, 2012
Amanda
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This just popped into my head today and I remembered how much I enjoyed reading it. It covers such a broad range of topics, and more and more details kept popping up -- about her time at Pickwick Books in Hollywood with Eugene Epstein; about her time as a book sales rep sleeping in crappy hotels in Arizona; about her father's experience writing for 1950s and 1960s TV.
I supposed critics would call it a bit rangy, but as a memoir about books, it's wonderful. It doesn't really have a plo More...
I supposed critics would call it a bit rangy, but as a memoir about books, it's wonderful. It doesn't really have a plo More...
Oct 27, 2009
Lennie
rated it: 
In this memoir, Wendy Werris discusses her long career in the book business in which she started out as a sales clerk in a Hollywood bookstore to becoming a rep for major publishing companies. I really enjoyed reading this book and learning how the industry evolved and changed over time. I was envious of the fact that she had an exciting job that included hob-knobing with famous authors, traveling, and getting to visit various independent bookstores across the western U.S. If you have a passi
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May 25, 2008
Yosafbridg
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I am not sure that working in a bookstore carries quite the same cache that it used to. When i was in high school and then later, in college, all of my friends wanted to work in bookstores (actually a bookstore or a record store~as music stores were still called back then even though vinyl was already on its way out), like that would be The Coolest job. My first bookstore job was as a Christmas temp at a mall Waldenbooks (and i had actually had a job working at a music store~in that same mall a
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Feb 22, 2008
Candice
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This has been on my "to read" list since I read a review of it some time ago. I was not disappointed. Wendy Werris is about my age and she tells the story of her life in book-related occupations. Her first job was working in a bookstore and she progressed to becoming a publisher's rep. She is also an author escort.
She tells the story of her life, warts and all, and writes of her parents' lives as well as her own. Her trip to Microsoft had some hilarious consequences as More...
She tells the story of her life, warts and all, and writes of her parents' lives as well as her own. Her trip to Microsoft had some hilarious consequences as More...
Dec 18, 2007
Robin
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This was a great book. I started it on Thursday night before going to sleep and spent the rest of the day reading it yesterday. What an interesting life Wendy Werris has lead and yet she has the good sense not to "tell all" but rather to use various stories from her life.
First of all, once I started reading the book, I thought to myself, What made me get this book? But once I looked at the back cover, I recalled reading Werris's recent essay on escorting author Christopher Hi More...
First of all, once I started reading the book, I thought to myself, What made me get this book? But once I looked at the back cover, I recalled reading Werris's recent essay on escorting author Christopher Hi More...
Aug 04, 2007
mina
rated it:
I really liked getting an account of the independent bookstore world since those days are pretty much over. Some parts did drag a bit, but the book is definitely worth reading to get a sense of this bygone era where bookstore owners were individuals who had a passion for books. The celebrity run-ins were fun to read and something I didn't expect (the Jonathan Franzen settling for McDonald's story was humorous). It was also touching to read about the colorful characters she met in the book worl
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Apr 05, 2007
KATY
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I hated this book, towards the end I started skipping paragraphs and a couple pages just to get it finished. I have trouble leaving things half-read, so I stuck it out almost until the end. I didn't read the last couple chapters because I really felt that I was torturing myself with determination that was unnecessary.
In this autobiography she skips around in time, and the jumps from chapter to chapter are jarring and confusing. She tells pointless stories about run-ins with famo More...
In this autobiography she skips around in time, and the jumps from chapter to chapter are jarring and confusing. She tells pointless stories about run-ins with famo More...
Apr 30, 2009
Carla
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I enjoyed this book as I work in a bookstore and find the publishing industry full of good stories. After reading this book, it made me wish things were simpler now, the way they were when the sales reps would visit the stores in their territory with a few titles they were selling and the buyer or bookstore owner/manager would decide if and how many based on their customer base. I realize it might still be somewhat like this at the indies but unfortunately I work at a big box store and our stock
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Dec 16, 2009
Catherine
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Wendy Werris writes of her adventures and experiences in the book business, retail and as a publisher's rep. I enjoyed reading this memoir. I think this book would possibly be more attractive to readers who have had experiences working in sales and also if you have some familiarity with the Los Angeles area, but it's certainly not necessary in order to enjoy the book. The story of her rape and survival of that event was very well-written. I also enjoyed reading about her parents. I absolute
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Jan 16, 2009
Terry
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While I was not particularly interested in many aspects of Werris' life story and relationships, I found her discussion of the book industry intriguing. We started in the book business in the same era so the titles, publishers, and developments she mentions are the same as the ones I remember. The book world was a better place in those years.
Jun 27, 2010
Judy
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This is the autobiography of a woman who has spent her life in books. she started working in a famous bookstore in Hollywood, before chains. She has some pretty interesting times. She soon is a book rep, and when she starts out, she is one of the first in the country. Always a sucker for books about books, I enjoyed this.
Apr 11, 2010
Carol
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Loved this book. It is an autobiography by Wendy Morris. Tells of her start in bookselling and her luck and adventures in the with the people in the industry along with some authors. But the stories I enjoyed the most were those of her father and her colleagues. This is a must read for anyone who loves books.
Oct 22, 2010
Pilleriin
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Well I have to say that really high rating for this book is mainly because I am also in my own small way in the book business and Wendy Werris has done an amazing job in describing the world. She has had incredible life and I am really glad to have been a part of it just by reading this book.
May 28, 2009
Jensownzoo
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This book is an autobiography of Wendy Werris that focuses primarily on her forays into the book business, starting with a temporary job as a retail bookseller and progressing through the ups-and-downs of a publisher's sales rep. Interspersed between all the booktalk are details of Ms. Werris' personal life, serving to give dimension to her story and move it along. A thoroughly enjoyable experience and one that has provided several additions to my TBR list--not that it needed the help!
Aug 04, 2011
An interesting memoir about a woman who has worked with selling books for most of her life. Some parts of the descriptions became a bit tedious, but it is an intriguing read for fellow book-lovers.
Aug 13, 2009
Denise
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This is an excellent book. I felt like I was right there with Wendy in her career. Here time selling Microsoft books was laugh out loud funny. There were also moments that I cried. I would recommend this book to any lover of books.
Feb 25, 2008
Jeannen
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I picked this book at M. Coy Books on my way to the bus one evening -- made a long list of possible books-to-buy, but picked this one up from the “We love these books” rack that the staff maintains. It’s about Wendy Werris’s life in the book business, and I am very interested in books and in the businesses of both producing and selling books, so I thought it sounded great. What a let down! I don't think there was an original thought or expression in any part of the book that I read – and it w
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Jun 28, 2011
Steven
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Wendy Werris’ memoir begins with her landing a job at the Pickwick Bookshop in Hollywood, and her subsequent successful career as an independent sales rep for several dozen publishers from 1976 to 2006. Anecdotes on publishers and numerous authors (Richard Brautigan, Jonathan Franzen, etc.) are supplemented with bits about her parents, her close friendship with Miriam “Micky” Bass, and a traumatizing rape. When Micky is struck with kidney failure Wendy immediately undergoes the tests and prepara
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Aug 08, 2011
A frank and touching memoir of a person who lived a life with books, drew strength, companionship and comfort from them. Interesting read.
Jul 14, 2011
Sandra
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I can't even rate this book. I really thought it sounded interesting to read about someone who had worked in book stores, bought and sold books but all Wendy Werris does is write diatrible dribble. She drops names as if we should be impressed, she talks about her immaturity towards finances which showed me how important it is to save for a rainy day and most of all her drinking and drug habit really didn't make me think she had learned anything from it. So 59 pages from the end I stopped reading
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Sep 10, 2010
CLM
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An enjoyable story about a California woman's life in books. I could have done without her frequent descriptions of recreational drugs but found the book very entertaining, and especially the mentions of people I know.
Feb 03, 2010
Debs
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This book took me forever to get through. It’s Werris’ accounts of being a book representative.
Jan 31, 2009
Kimmy
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An entertaining read. The part about meeting George Harrison gave me the chills.
Jan 23, 2012
Chelsea
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How a temporary job at a bookstore changed Wendy Werris's life forever. I really enjoyed this biography.
Jul 30, 2010
Elizabeth
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Eh. I started skipping paragraphs and pages near the end. Don't bother with this one, friends.
May 09, 2009
Tracy
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Werris has worked as a bookseller and publisher sales rep, and this book is a memoir of her life in the business. It was a nice peek into how things worked back before the chains took over, but I can't say I was fascinated.
