Ep. 179: From Corporate America to Indie Bookstore Owner with Gayle Weiswasser (Co-Founder of Wonderland Books) + Book Recommendations

In Episode 179, Sarah is joined by Gayle Weiswasser, co-founder of Wonderland Books, an independent bookstore in Bethesda, MD opening in November 2024. Gayle candidly shares her journey from her initial idea to being on the verge of opening the store. This behind-the-scenes episode offers a deep dive into everything from training and book buying to raising capital (including crowdsourcing) and much more! Plus, Gayle wraps up the episode with some great book recommendations (and how many copies of each she’s ordering for the store).

This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).

CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.

Highlights

• Gayle’s nearly 20-year journey in the book world.
• How the first spark for this idea came from listening to a podcast.
• Some of the fears and challenges Gayle is currently facing.
• Bookstore bootcamp and the other ways Gayle prepared to become a bookstore owner.
• All about raising capital: fundraising, crowdsourcing, small business loans, and the perks of working with a partner.
• How Gayle balances her personal reading tastes with the community’s expectations.
• The process of buying books and building the store’s collection.
• Breaking down book margins and why publishers tend to stay quiet about them.
• How Wonderland Books plans to stand out from other local bookstores.
• How this whole process has affected Gayle’s reading this year.
• Did Sarah just discover a new micro-genre?
• Plus, an impromptu request adds a fun twist to the book recommendations segment!

Gayle’s Book Recommendations [53:04]

Two OLD Books She Loves

• The Art Thief by Michael Finkel | Amazon | Bookshop.org [53:15]
• Talking at Night by Claire Daverley | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [55:55]
• Other Books Mentioned
  • Normal People by Sally Rooney [57:55] 

Two NEW Books She Loves

• The Caretaker by Ron Rash | Amazon | Bookshop.org [58:39]
• Green Dot by Madeleine Gray | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:01:15]
• Other Books Mentioned
  • The Risen by Ron Rash [59:03] 
  • Serena by Ron Rash [59:07]

One Book She DIDN’T Love

• Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:04:09]
• Other Books Mentioned
  • The Girls from Corona del Mar by Rufi Thorpe [1:04:33] 
  • The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe [1:04:35] 

One NEW RELEASE She’s Excited About

• A Forty Year Kiss by Nickolas Butler (February 4, 2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:08:29]
• Other Books Mentioned:
  • Shotgun Lovesongs by Nickolas Butler [1:08:40]
  • Beneath the Bonfire by Nickolas Butler [1:09:12] 
  • Show Don’t Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld (February 25, 2025) [1:09:25] 
  • You Think It, I’ll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld [1:09:36] 
  • Leaving by Roxana Robinson [1:10:12] 
  • Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf [1:10:49] 

Last 5-Star Book Gayle Read

• The Husbands by Holly Gramazio | Amazon | Bookshop.org [1:11:42]

Other Links

• The Bookshop Podcast with Mandy Jackson-Beverly
• The Bookstore Training Group

About Gayle Weiswasser

Blog | Instagram | X | Facebook 

Gayle Weiswasser is the co-founder of Wonderland Books, a soon-to-open independent bookstore opening soon in Bethesda, MD. Gayle is also the founder of the blog, Everyday I Write the Book and the co-host of the podcast The Readerly Report. Prior to opening Wonderland Books, Gayle was a lawyer and communications executive.  She’s a DC native and now lives in Chevy Chase, MD with her family.

Learn More about Wonderland Books:
Website | Instagram | Facebook