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.

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 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 | .css-j9qmi7{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:2.8rem;width:100%;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:start;justify-content:start;padding-left:5rem;}@media only screen and (max-width: 599px){.css-j9qmi7{padding-left:0;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;}}.css-j9qmi7 svg{fill:#27292D;}.css-j9qmi7 .eagfbvw0{-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;color:#27292D;}