Ep. 203: An Indie Bookstore's First Year with Gayle Weiswasser (Co-Founder of Wonderland Books)

In Episode 203, Gayle Weiswasser, co-founder of Wonderland Books, an independent bookstore in Bethesda, Maryland, returns to the podcast with Sarah for a one-year check-in on the shop’s journey. From holiday-season chaos to surprising customer favorites, Gayle shares what worked, what didn’t, and why she still handpicks every title on the shelves — plus the biggest lessons (and mistakes) from year one. Plus, Gayle shares some great book recommendations.

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

Highlights

• Gayle shares what it was like to open the bookstore right before the holiday season.
• How the store’s first year compared to their original projections and expectations.
• The now-dispelled fears Gayle had before opening.
• Why she’s glad they curated every book in their inventory themselves, and why they still do all the book buying in-house.
• The course correction Wonderland had to make in their romance section.
• The biggest mistake they made before opening their doors.
• Which genres and titles have become customer favorites and which don’t seem to sell well.
• How they plan and host book events — and why those events are such a key part of the store’s community success.
• The books that taught them exactly how (and how not) to decide how many copies to order.
• The surprising punch poetry has packed with customers.
• Whether Gayle’s own reading life has bounced back after the pre-opening stress and time crunch.

Gayle’s Book Recommendations [39:12]

Two OLD Books She Loves

• One’s Company by Ashley Hutson (2022) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [39:25]
• Sam by Allegra Goodman (2023) | Amazon | Bookshop.org  [42:46]
• Other Books Mentioned
  • The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe (2020) [44:40] 
  • The Girls from Corona del Mar by Rufi Thorpe (2014) [44:42] 

Two NEW Books She Loves

• The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:01]
• What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[47:18]
• Other Books Mentioned
  • The Wedding People by Alison Espach (2024) [46:56]
  • Pretty Things by Janelle Brown (2020) [49:06]

One Book She DIDN’T Love

• Back After This by Linda Holmes (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [49:55]
• Other Books Mentioned
  • Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes (2019) [51:14] 
  • Flying Solo by Linda Holmes (2022) [53:34] 

One NEW RELEASE She’s Excited About

• Wreck by Catherine Newman (October 28, 2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[53:57]
• Other Books Mentioned
  • Sandwich by Catherine Newman (2024) [54:03] 

Last 5-Star Book Gayle Read

• The Names by Florence Knapp (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [55:34]

Books from the Discussion

• Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2025) [16:30] 
• Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros (2025) [25:41] 
• The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (2025) [26:39] 
• The Wedding People by Alison Espach (2024) [26:40]
• The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (2023) [26:42]
• James by Percival Everett (2024) [30:09]
• Heartwood by Amity Gaige (2025) [31:28]
• Mark Twain by Ron Chernow (2025) [31:38]
• Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green (2025) [31:55]  
• Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams (2025) [32:00] 
• Cher: Part One: The Memoir by Cher (2024) [32:25] 
• Gwyneth: The Biography by Amy Odell (2025) [32:35] 
• Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old by Brooke Shields and Rachel Bertsche (2025) [33:07]
• Yoko Ono: A Biography by David Sheff (2025) [33:10] 
• My Friends by Fredrik Backman (2025) [38:29]