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August 20, 2025 58 mins

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

Two NEW Books She Loves

One Book She DIDN’T Love

One NEW RELEASE She’s Excited About


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