The Bookshop Podcast Wonderland Books: How Two Friends Built A Beloved Indie Bookstore
Hi, this week I'm chatting with Amy Joyce and Gayle Weiswasser, co-owners of Wonderland Books in Bethesda, Maryland.
What turns a bookstore into a place where people feel part of a community? We asked Wonderland Books co-owners Amy Joyce and Gail Weiswasser, whose Bethesda shop blends sharp curation, joyful whimsy, and real community care—right down to a wall of Polaroids featuring every visiting dog.
We trace their unlikely routes into bookselling—Amy from nearly three decades at the Washington Post and Gail from law and corporate communications—and how those skills power everything from lease negotiations to handselling, newsletters, and event strategy. They open up about curating beyond their own tastes by leaning on staff with different genre passions, why a quarter of the store is devoted to children’s books, and how representation in kids’ publishing shapes what young readers reach for on the shelf.
Community is the through line. Hear how a creative Indiegogo campaign funded shelves and inventory while transforming donors into co-creators who curated displays, joined after-hours previews, and saw their book clubs’ names on the wall. We dig into school partnerships that put author-visit titles in students’ hands, hospital library donations made from damaged returns, and dog adoption events that turn the kids’ section into a gentle reading nook—even for a blind pup named Rex.
We also get practical about social media that works without a budget: staff-forward videos, playful trends, and a voice that feels human. Amy and Gail share what’s selling now—from dystopian classics to big-hearted novels—and offer thoughtful recommendations that build empathy, including Demon Copperhead, Nickel and Dimed, Nomadland, and The Secret Lives of Church Ladies. The philosophy is simple: welcome warmly, never hover, and let curiosity lead. If you love bookstores that feel like a sanctuary and a spark, this conversation will make you want to visit, linger, and read.
If this resonated, follow the show, leave a quick review, and share it with a friend who loves indie bookstores.
Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver
Some Great Nowhere, Ann Packer
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny, Kiren Desai
The Road to Tender Hearts, Annie Hartnett
Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, Deesha Philyaw
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