In this new instalment of our 5 questions with blog series, we are sharing an interview with Caleb Moss, owner of Bacchus Books & Cafe.

Bacchus Books & Cafe is a unique and quirky combination bookstore and cafe located in Golden, BC. They pride themselves in offering carefully curated new and used books, constantly updating their stock, and carrying a wide range of titles from bestsellers to books visitors never knew they needed to read.

Now, without further ado, let’s get to Caleb’s answers to our questionnaire.

1. Which author would you most like to have for an event in your store (living or dead)?

Although my curiosities and adorations are many, I can picture an event with Haruki Murakami being most fantastic. I would set it up so he could spin some jazz records, go old-school cocktail style, and just see where it all ended up, be it the bottom of a well or the shadowless side.

2. What attracted you to bookselling?

Bookselling offered me a life of portals. Aside from perhaps music, I can picture no other calling that provides so many gateways into looking at and experiencing lives, places, and ideas.

3. What's your favourite bookselling war story?

To date, my best war story is an encounter with a woman, well dressed, made up, fairly articulate, who pulled me aside to ask where I kept my “dirtiest f&^*ing f#@k books.” I always try to maintain a neutral countenance regardless of genre or interest as, hey, the world is full of a multitude of tastes and passions and who am I to judge? So I led her over to our erotic and sexuality section and pointed out your standard racy fare. She thumbed through them quickly, then sized me up, and said “No, I am looking for the really nasty stuff. Something like …..” She went on to describe in detail a recent “encounter” in a public washroom. I managed to stay poised and let her know that unfortunately, though clearly thought-provoking, I was unable to provide the requisite books. I did manage to sell her a cup of coffee and a muffin. She left with our plate that the muffin was on. I let her.

4. What is the most pressing issue facing bookselling today?

I have been at this game long enough to mostly shrug my shoulders at most of the issues. Like all retail, shipping rates, massive corporate centralization, and living wage requirements for staff with no appreciable way to offset via tax breaks or otherwise, all play a part in the landscape. The industry still feels resilient, strong, and essential.

5. What forthcoming book are you most excited about?

I will be thrilled when Patrick Rothfuss finally completes Doors of Stone. It has been 17 years since the trilogy began and his legion of fans, booksellers like me, and the author himself, will all be stoked/relieved when it finally comes to being.

BONUS: An aunt comes in looking for a gift for her niece, who likes embroidery and Proust, just got a new job on a cruise line, and whose beloved schnauzer just passed away. What do you recommend?

Sounds to me like a reader who loves attention to detail, has time to appreciate long meandering sentences, and a minutiae-based structure. The loss of a beloved companion and the pending unmoored work life at hand harbour enough ennui to guide me. I would think leaning into Karl Ove Knausgard and his My Struggle books would hit the mark. If the cruise line was wandering through Norway and its tricky little fjord’s, all the better.

Thank you Caleb for answering our questionnaire! Read more instalments of our 5 questions with series here.

Are you an independent bookseller, small publisher, or library staffer interested in being featured in our 5 questions with blog series? Send us an email!