Shop specialising in books such as the Hunger Games pulls readers readers to beaches
A BOOKSHOP which claims to be the first in Australia specialising in young adult books has been unveiled.
A BOOKSHOP which claims to be the first in Australia specialising in young adult books has been unveiled.
And already Beachside Bookshop has attracted readers from as far away as the Blue Mountains.
It is run by Libby Armstrong, from Avalon, who swapped a banking career in Hong Kong to fulfil a dream.
And Ms Armstrong, who was Head of Communications and Corporate Affairs in International & Institutional Banking for ANZ Bank, said the genre hasn’t been affected by reading on Kindles.
“Books sales are up globally 7 or 8 per cent and the fastest growing category is young adult,” she said.
“A lot of parents want to buy books – they don’t want them on their iPad.”
The shop, in Avalon Parade, has been a big hit with dedicated fans of the books as it stocks all the latest titles – as well as a selection of books for children and adults.
“People have put pictures of my shelves on Instagram and they’ve got 3500 likes. One person came all the way from the Blue Mountains,” Ms Armstrong said.
“They might read on Kindles but they also have to own the physical book.”
And she said it’s boys, not girls who are the biggest readers.
Mrs Armstrong’s daughter Lilly, 18, works at the shop, making a third generations of booksellers.
Mrs Armstrong’s mother Margaret Fisher also sold young adult books in Beecroft, in northern Sydney.
And Mrs Armstrong said not much had changed.
Steamy new coming-of-age novel Summer Skin by Narrabeen’s Kirsty Eagar isn’t that different from its predecessors, she said
“Look at Puberty Blues and Forever, from decades ago and they were writing that sort of content,” she said.
MUST READ YOUNG ADULT BOOKS
1 Summer Skin, by Kirsty Eagar
2 My Sister Rosa, by Justine Larbalestier
3 Yellow, by Megan Jacobson
4 Lady Helen & The Dark Days Club, by Alison Goodman
5 Sway, by Kat Spears
6 Dangerous Lies, by Becca Fitzpatrick
7 Bro, by Helen Chebatte
8 Glass Sword, by Victoria Aveyard
9 Demon Road, by Derek Landy
10 Changers, by T.Cooper & Allison Glock-Cooper
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