by Lynn & Lília The book buyer: Lynn Kaplanian-Buller interviews Lília Visser Lilia is a seasoned ABC book buyer. Asked how she would define a good one, she says the most important characteristic for book buyers is listening to customers. Besides that, a book buyer must keep an eye [...]
It’s confirmed: our bestselling title at ABC Leidschendam in 2022 was the Blind Book Date! So what, exactly, is a Blind Book Date, also known as BBD? It’s a curated title we gift wrap with only a few clues. Just enough to get people interested in the story. It is [...]
by Lynn The ABC started in 1972 after Mitch Crossfield and Sam Boltansky, who knew each other from Baltimore, came to Amsterdam in 1971 and saw the lines of English-speaking tourists outside Madame Tussaud's on the Kalverstraat, then one of the busiest shopping streets in Europe. They went to the jewelry [...]
Witches and the Folklore of Poisonous Plants by EmmaV Some of the most striking scenes of witchcraft in literature picture witches bent over a bubbling cauldron—from the three witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth tossing in ingredient after ingredient to cause “double, double toil and trouble”, to Harry, Ron and [...]
by Lauren The holidays are over, the kids are back in school and life for many is settling back into its less frenzied, everyday pace. With more time at hand and cold weather prodding us into a kind of cozy hibernation, January is the perfect time to dive into a [...]
Marie is a good example of a “growing up with ABC” customer: niece of our Sophie, she has known the ABC since she was born. Her ABC store may have changed from The Hague to Amsterdam, where she moved to study and work, but her loyalty remains the same. [...]
Here we go again with our 5(ish) favorite reads of 2022. We try very hard to keep to 5, but it’s not always possible. So, there may be 5 or 6, an A and a B list, memorable reads or just plain marvelous books. We hope you enjoy it and [...]
by Lynn ABC’s Christmas of 1973 was quite eventful. Mitch, who had co-founded ABC the year before, went back to Baltimore for the holidays and left me in charge while we were renovating. He and the landlord, Jacob Kroonenberg, had agreed to level out the ground floor, which had been split-level, [...]
by EmmaV ‘Tis the season for Christmas standards, including trees, stockings, presents and carols. But when it comes to books, we all have different tastes. That’s why we compiled a varied list of Christmas books for you to read during the holidays. Pay a quick visit to the world of your [...]
by Lília Gift Season is finally here, so for this month’s Staff Picks we’re picking…you guessed it…gifts! From games to tarot sets and even a few books, prepare yourself for some top tips and a stellar list. Games Steven is our special orders guy, and besides reading [...]
