On Tuesday, Nov. 18, Banter Bookshop in Fremont held its bookseller recommendation night—fittingly right ahead of Black Friday and the holiday gift-buying season. The format for the evening was simple: Staff members spent a few minutes sharing book recommendations, across ages and genres, explaining what made the books stand out to them. The event was sold out, and shelves were rearranged to make room for chairs at the front of the store.
Store owner Amy Davis said the event was modeled after ones she saw from publishing houses.
“Our booksellers read all year, we have access to tons of books, so tonight we’re going to share some recommendations,” said Davis. “It may not be their favorite thing that they read, but it’s something they felt they would like to share with all of you.”
Staff speakers not only summarized the plots of the books, they said what caught their interest. For example, Jen King noticed the cookbook Sweet Tooth open to a delicious-looking recipe. She praised how every recipe had a photo, and said she had successfully cooked several.
Kim Wiegand’s energetic description of Of Monsters and Mainframes highlighted the “cthulhu fish people,” “not one but two AI” and “cheery spider drones.” Davis said The Library of Unruly Treasures was ideal for “middle graders who like a realistic story with a little touch of magical realism.”
People also mentioned content warnings where relevant, such as whether or not a book classified as Young Adult (YA) could still be appropriate for children as young as 12.
With a warm and casual vibe, the book recommendation night felt like the epitome of why people are drawn to indie bookstores. Learning the specific thematic and style elements that made an impression, hearing the changes in people’s tones as they grew excited or sentimental, or even observing the common traits of books recommended by the same person conveyed much more than a cover or blurb.
No wonder people were busy circling their finds on the handout. (The list of titles is also available on the Banter Bookshop website.) Not only is a recommendation night a good way to meet new books; in retrospect, conventional mass marketing can’t compete.
Young children were not neglected by the adult speakers, with many read-aloud board books such as West Coast Wild Baby Animals and Quantum Physics for Babies making the list. In fact a description of The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt—so popular the store has trouble keeping it stocked for story time—elicited spontaneous applause from the audience for the underdog protagonist.
With the enthusiastic reception, Davis hopes to hold the 2026 recommendation night across the street at the Fremont Downtown Event Center. In the meantime, the store holds weekly story times and a monthly book club. They are also planning three author events in January.
Banter Bookshop
3768 Capitol Ave., Ste F, Fremont
banterbookshop.com
