Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Constable & Robinson (2015), 288 pages
Description
Every bookshop has a story We're not talking about rooms that are just full of books. We're talking about bookshops in barns, disused factories, converted churches and underground car parks. Bookshops on boats, on buses, and in old run-down train stations. Fold-out bookshops, undercover bookshops, this-is-the-best-place-I've-ever-been-to-bookshops. Meet Sarah and her Book Barge sailing across the sea to France; meet Sebastien, in Mongolia, who sells books to herders of the Altai mountains; meet the bookshop in Canada that's invented the world's first antiquarian book vending machine. And that's just the beginning. From the oldest bookshop in the world, to the smallest you could imagine, The Bookshop Book examines the history of books, talks to authors about their favourite places, and looks at over three hundred weirdly wonderful bookshops across six continents (sadly, we've yet to build a bookshop down in the South Pole). The Bookshop Book is a love letter to bookshops all around the world. 'A good bookshop is not just about selling books from shelves, but reaching out into the world and making a difference' David Almond (The Bookshop Book includes interviews and quotes from David Almond, Ian Rankin, Tracy Chevalier, Audrey Niffenegger, Jacqueline Wilson, Jeanette Winterson and many, many others.)… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member brokenangelkisses
Did you know that 'Alice in Wonderland' was banned in China in 1931?
Apparently Lewis Carroll's novel was banned because 'General Ho Chien thought it was offensive to depict animals talking as if they were people'. If you would enjoy reading a book full of similarly amusing information about books
== What's it about? ==
Ducks and golf. No, not really. Er, see the title. Books and bookshops, book sellers and authors, bookish trivia and book related chatter. Rather than chapters the book is loosely organised by geography: Europe, Africa, North America, Central and South America, Australasia and Asia each have their own section, though anecdotes and information from Europe and North America dominate.
== What's it like? ==
The paper equivalent of a box of chocolates. Dip in a hand randomly and you may find a soft caramel that melts quickly in your mouth (a wonderful thing or a bookish fact) or a sticky toffee that gives minutes of chewing (a chat with an author or bookseller). One chocolate may not be exactly what you were in the mood for, but that's okay because you can move on quickly to sweeter, more appealing tastes, confident in the overall quality of the box.
Like chocolates, this book may be best reserved for multiple sittings so you can fully appreciate the diverse flavours and avoid the risk of gorging yourself to the point of boredom. Of course, you may be the kind of reader who can happily enjoy nibble after nugget without ever requiring respite, but I suspect the most enjoyment will be gained if you take regular rest breaks.
Campbell entertains from the opening pages, informing readers on page two of the introduction of a Florentine bookseller who was 'so outraged that books would no longer be written out by hand that he closed his bookshop in a fit of rage and became the first person in history to prophesy the death of the book industry'. (I wonder what he would have made of ereaders?)
== What will I learn? ==
Among other golden nuggets, you will learn:
- What the likes of Brian Aldiss, Rachel Joyce, Ian Rankin and a wide range of other modern authors think about books and bookshops.
- That it is possible to sell almost anything alongside books if you have the right audience. I'm not just talking about coffee and cake here; think alcohol, cows, even hiking equipment.
- That any building can be converted into a bookshop and some bookshops travel, while, after some difficulties with their premises, Brazenhead Books in New York technically doesn't exist.
- That some bookstores sell old books, some sell new books, some sell a mixture of both, but at least one bookshop sells only one book.
And much more besides. There are also several colour photographs of some of the bookshops mentioned.
== I like the sound of this; tell me more. ==
This a pleasurable read brimming with minor details about how various bookshops are run and have developed, all lovingly curated for the readers' enjoyment. The positive, relaxed language used in the book's subheadings helps to create a sense of almost childlike wonder that reminds us all just magical and life-transforming books and literacy can be.
Many of the stores told are inspirational: libraries travelling by camel; people pursuing their dreams of opening a bookshop; and shops raising funds for charities promoting literacy. Just like Jen Campbell's first two books, 'Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops' (reviewed here) and 'More Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops', this would make a super gift for any bibliophiles in your life.
== "My location is...Bookshop!" ==
If you've ever considered opening your own bookshop, this could well give you the necessary nudge - Campbell makes it all sound like so much fun! Now the only question is, should you restrict your stocklist to books or should you branch out into suitable companion items? Sunday lunches, camels, cocktails...the options seem endless.
What would your ideal bookshop sell? How would you arrange the books? And would you do the selling yourself or would you just sit and read, savouring the bookish atmosphere? So much to consider!
Apparently Lewis Carroll's novel was banned because 'General Ho Chien thought it was offensive to depict animals talking as if they were people'. If you would enjoy reading a book full of similarly amusing information about books
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and bookshops then look no further: 'The Bookshop Book' will suit you perfectly.== What's it about? ==
Ducks and golf. No, not really. Er, see the title. Books and bookshops, book sellers and authors, bookish trivia and book related chatter. Rather than chapters the book is loosely organised by geography: Europe, Africa, North America, Central and South America, Australasia and Asia each have their own section, though anecdotes and information from Europe and North America dominate.
== What's it like? ==
The paper equivalent of a box of chocolates. Dip in a hand randomly and you may find a soft caramel that melts quickly in your mouth (a wonderful thing or a bookish fact) or a sticky toffee that gives minutes of chewing (a chat with an author or bookseller). One chocolate may not be exactly what you were in the mood for, but that's okay because you can move on quickly to sweeter, more appealing tastes, confident in the overall quality of the box.
Like chocolates, this book may be best reserved for multiple sittings so you can fully appreciate the diverse flavours and avoid the risk of gorging yourself to the point of boredom. Of course, you may be the kind of reader who can happily enjoy nibble after nugget without ever requiring respite, but I suspect the most enjoyment will be gained if you take regular rest breaks.
Campbell entertains from the opening pages, informing readers on page two of the introduction of a Florentine bookseller who was 'so outraged that books would no longer be written out by hand that he closed his bookshop in a fit of rage and became the first person in history to prophesy the death of the book industry'. (I wonder what he would have made of ereaders?)
== What will I learn? ==
Among other golden nuggets, you will learn:
- What the likes of Brian Aldiss, Rachel Joyce, Ian Rankin and a wide range of other modern authors think about books and bookshops.
- That it is possible to sell almost anything alongside books if you have the right audience. I'm not just talking about coffee and cake here; think alcohol, cows, even hiking equipment.
- That any building can be converted into a bookshop and some bookshops travel, while, after some difficulties with their premises, Brazenhead Books in New York technically doesn't exist.
- That some bookstores sell old books, some sell new books, some sell a mixture of both, but at least one bookshop sells only one book.
And much more besides. There are also several colour photographs of some of the bookshops mentioned.
== I like the sound of this; tell me more. ==
This a pleasurable read brimming with minor details about how various bookshops are run and have developed, all lovingly curated for the readers' enjoyment. The positive, relaxed language used in the book's subheadings helps to create a sense of almost childlike wonder that reminds us all just magical and life-transforming books and literacy can be.
Many of the stores told are inspirational: libraries travelling by camel; people pursuing their dreams of opening a bookshop; and shops raising funds for charities promoting literacy. Just like Jen Campbell's first two books, 'Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops' (reviewed here) and 'More Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops', this would make a super gift for any bibliophiles in your life.
== "My location is...Bookshop!" ==
If you've ever considered opening your own bookshop, this could well give you the necessary nudge - Campbell makes it all sound like so much fun! Now the only question is, should you restrict your stocklist to books or should you branch out into suitable companion items? Sunday lunches, camels, cocktails...the options seem endless.
What would your ideal bookshop sell? How would you arrange the books? And would you do the selling yourself or would you just sit and read, savouring the bookish atmosphere? So much to consider!
Show Less
LibraryThing member ClicksClan
Loved this book! So many fascinating stories and little funny bits.
Felt a lot like a bookshop itself. Lots of little interesting tidbits hidden amongst the main content.
Liked the interviews running through the book, shows just how important bookshops are to so many people.
Makes it feel like the
Felt a lot like a bookshop itself. Lots of little interesting tidbits hidden amongst the main content.
Liked the interviews running through the book, shows just how important bookshops are to so many people.
Makes it feel like the
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right bookshop, doing the right thing, can be successful. I would love to open a used & new book & craft shop some day. Show Less
LibraryThing member EdGoldberg
There are readers. There are library people and there are bookstore people and while they aren’t mutually exclusive, they aren’t necessarily the same. Someone I know only likes libraries because of their neatness and order and can’t even abide the used book sale shelves we have in the
The Bookshop Book by Jen Campbell is primarily for the used book store lovers, although Ms. Campbell does mention several modern, pristine looking bookstores, as well. Segmented by geographic area, she picks out the unusual, the odd, the bookstore that will attract bookstore lovers. There is the bookstore that is on a 60 foot narrowboat that runs up and down the canals in Lichfield, UK, “…where there’s tea and biscuits and a sneaky glass of wine…there are sofas to sit on, and refreshments to be had…” Makes you want to go there, huh?
Or how about Wigtown, the National Book Town of Scotland where you will find The Bookshop. For a small fee, you can join the Random Book Club, in which they will send (anywhere in the world) you a random second hand book every month. I joined and Susan just received her first book. She can’t wait to read it. You MUST watch the video on their website.
There is Tell a Story in Portugal whose goal is to “…promote Portuguese literature by selling English translations of its works to British tourists from a bookshop van that tours the country.” The Libraria Acqua Alta in Venice which overlooks the canal. I can’t imagine the moisture in those book pages.
Fjaerland Book Town in Norway has a wonderful view of snow covered mountains. The Biblioburro in Colombia, South America is a man on his burro making sure people in the outskirts have material to read.
I could go on an on. There are famous bookstores, like the Strand in New York and unknown bookstores. The book includes comments by bookstore owners, many of whom had always wanted to own a bookstore but wouldn’t take the chance until retirement age. Ms. Campbell includes Bookish Facts, and Some Wonderful Things scattered throughout, as well as comments by authors, again both famous and somewhat less so. She covers six of the seven continents…no bookstores in Antarctica, I gather.
I found this to be a charming book and one I will consult as we plan our next trip, both here and abroad. Do yuou love bookstores? If so, go to your nearest one and pick up a copy of The Bookshop Book.
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library. Others love the unexpected you can find in a bookstore, especially a used book store…the clutter in the midst of which you find that book you didn’t know you were looking for.The Bookshop Book by Jen Campbell is primarily for the used book store lovers, although Ms. Campbell does mention several modern, pristine looking bookstores, as well. Segmented by geographic area, she picks out the unusual, the odd, the bookstore that will attract bookstore lovers. There is the bookstore that is on a 60 foot narrowboat that runs up and down the canals in Lichfield, UK, “…where there’s tea and biscuits and a sneaky glass of wine…there are sofas to sit on, and refreshments to be had…” Makes you want to go there, huh?
Or how about Wigtown, the National Book Town of Scotland where you will find The Bookshop. For a small fee, you can join the Random Book Club, in which they will send (anywhere in the world) you a random second hand book every month. I joined and Susan just received her first book. She can’t wait to read it. You MUST watch the video on their website.
There is Tell a Story in Portugal whose goal is to “…promote Portuguese literature by selling English translations of its works to British tourists from a bookshop van that tours the country.” The Libraria Acqua Alta in Venice which overlooks the canal. I can’t imagine the moisture in those book pages.
Fjaerland Book Town in Norway has a wonderful view of snow covered mountains. The Biblioburro in Colombia, South America is a man on his burro making sure people in the outskirts have material to read.
I could go on an on. There are famous bookstores, like the Strand in New York and unknown bookstores. The book includes comments by bookstore owners, many of whom had always wanted to own a bookstore but wouldn’t take the chance until retirement age. Ms. Campbell includes Bookish Facts, and Some Wonderful Things scattered throughout, as well as comments by authors, again both famous and somewhat less so. She covers six of the seven continents…no bookstores in Antarctica, I gather.
I found this to be a charming book and one I will consult as we plan our next trip, both here and abroad. Do yuou love bookstores? If so, go to your nearest one and pick up a copy of The Bookshop Book.
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LibraryThing member mmoj
If you love books and bookstores (and if you don't why are you reading this book?) how can you not love this book? Yes, its Euro-centric but thats not surprising considering the author is from England. Yes, I wish there were more bookstores highlighted but I loved reading about people who are
Read this if you love bookstores. Don't read if you like order and a logical or chronological order to non-fiction books because the book can be seemingly random.
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passionate and believe in the printed word. I could picture all these owners and the uniqueness they brought to their stores. Read this if you love bookstores. Don't read if you like order and a logical or chronological order to non-fiction books because the book can be seemingly random.
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LibraryThing member linda.a.
As I’d really enjoyed Jen Campbell’s two earlier books about “the weird things people say in bookshops”, I’d been looking forward to her reflections on independent bookshops across the world. Whilst there was much in this book which I did enjoy, I found the final third less compelling,
Throughout this “guide” are accounts of interviews with authors, sharing their reflections on their own reading experiences and favourite bookshops and I found these some of the most enjoyable aspects of the book. I also loved the inclusion of a whole range of book-related anecdotes and factual information – it soon became very clear that the author had fun doing this research into a subject she feels so passionately about! I find it immensely comforting to know that people still enjoy not only reading, but the pleasure of holding a physical book – the ereader may well have its place in our technological world but, whatever any earlier fears about the demise of the physical book, there’s no danger of that happening!
Wherever you travel in the world, if you love to spend time in wonderful bookshops you’d do well to take this book as your guide!
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maybe because there were so many shops she was just describing rather than feeling passionately enthusiastic about. However, the message which came through loud and clear was that, across six continents, owners of independent bookshops continue to enjoy meeting the needs of their enthusiastic customers and to find ever-more innovative ways of achieving that. Undoubtably, needing to compete with the big chains and with Amazon makes life ever-more difficult for them but the unique, eclectic nature of the shops described was a reminder that enthusiasm, passion and a willingness to take risks can find many creative outlets – and ensure survival! I loved the accounts of a tiny bookshop on a bike, the one with a band, one on a narrowboat, in old railway stations, a man in Mongolia who sell books to herders from the Atlai Mountains ….. and the bookshop in Canada which features the world’s first antiquarian book vending machine where, in exchange for two dollars, you receive a “lucky-dip” book! These are just a few of the eccentric, but highly effective methods people have found to sell their books and it seems to me that a major thing all these owners have in common, and just one reason behind the ongoing success of such shops, is the personal relationship which develops between them and their customers – something seldom found in chain stores, and never on Amazon!Throughout this “guide” are accounts of interviews with authors, sharing their reflections on their own reading experiences and favourite bookshops and I found these some of the most enjoyable aspects of the book. I also loved the inclusion of a whole range of book-related anecdotes and factual information – it soon became very clear that the author had fun doing this research into a subject she feels so passionately about! I find it immensely comforting to know that people still enjoy not only reading, but the pleasure of holding a physical book – the ereader may well have its place in our technological world but, whatever any earlier fears about the demise of the physical book, there’s no danger of that happening!
Wherever you travel in the world, if you love to spend time in wonderful bookshops you’d do well to take this book as your guide!
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LibraryThing member lydia1879
A book about books, is there anything else I'd really want in life? I don't think so.
Jen Campbell has crafted such a lovely, charming little book. I read it after reading a particularly difficult disturbing domestic drama (Shelter, by Jung Yun) and so needed something warm and lovely to cleanse my
I love the idea that the map of the world in my mind is now peppered with so many wonderful and valuable bookshops. Books on barges, books on donkeys, camels, books in the middle of nowhere, books in metropolises.
I wish this book had a sequel. I feel like so much of the book was spent on Europe, specifically the U.K. which is fine, but coming from Australia I had so many more bookshops Jen could've added to the list. It's possible she had them and edited it out but I wanted more out of this book and I'm sad it finished so soon. I wanted more photographs too, they were beautiful.
Jen Campbell also includes all sorts of author's snippets, little snatches of interviews that I wish I could've been a fly on the wall for. For the most part, the best part about this book was the fact that so many people talked about why they loved books. There's little I love more than sitting down with someone and talking about books and this felt like a one-sided, many-voiced conversation.
I will definitely be purchasing this as a gift for some friends of mine in the future. c:
Thanks Jen.
Jen Campbell has crafted such a lovely, charming little book. I read it after reading a particularly difficult disturbing domestic drama (Shelter, by Jung Yun) and so needed something warm and lovely to cleanse my
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literary palette and this was it. I love the idea that the map of the world in my mind is now peppered with so many wonderful and valuable bookshops. Books on barges, books on donkeys, camels, books in the middle of nowhere, books in metropolises.
I wish this book had a sequel. I feel like so much of the book was spent on Europe, specifically the U.K. which is fine, but coming from Australia I had so many more bookshops Jen could've added to the list. It's possible she had them and edited it out but I wanted more out of this book and I'm sad it finished so soon. I wanted more photographs too, they were beautiful.
Jen Campbell also includes all sorts of author's snippets, little snatches of interviews that I wish I could've been a fly on the wall for. For the most part, the best part about this book was the fact that so many people talked about why they loved books. There's little I love more than sitting down with someone and talking about books and this felt like a one-sided, many-voiced conversation.
I will definitely be purchasing this as a gift for some friends of mine in the future. c:
Thanks Jen.
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LibraryThing member PDCRead
I love bookshops.
There, I have said it. My secret is out.
To while away part of an afternoon in an bookshop looking at the shelves, seeing the shiny new books and finding a new one by a favourite author is just perfect. And these unassuming shops offer a whole series of worlds to explore and
Jen Campbell is a complete book addict, and in this delightful little book she takes you from bookshop to bookshop across the UK, Europe and the world. Almost of them are independent. Their owners, an eclectic bunch, are as enthusiastic about reading and books and authors as Jen is. There are tales of tiny bookshops that people have on bikes, books that are in old red telephone boxes, one in a narrowboat, one that has its own band and even an outdoor bookshop in the States. Each of these bookshops offers a unique experience when it come to buying books, either because of the location, or the staff, but mainly because they find those books that won't necessarily be on the shelf of a chain store.
All through the book there are interviews with authors talking about their reading experiences and favourite bookshops, and the book is peppered with bookish anecdotes and facts. if you love books and bookshops then this is a must read.
There, I have said it. My secret is out.
To while away part of an afternoon in an bookshop looking at the shelves, seeing the shiny new books and finding a new one by a favourite author is just perfect. And these unassuming shops offer a whole series of worlds to explore and
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discover, all just from the printed page.Jen Campbell is a complete book addict, and in this delightful little book she takes you from bookshop to bookshop across the UK, Europe and the world. Almost of them are independent. Their owners, an eclectic bunch, are as enthusiastic about reading and books and authors as Jen is. There are tales of tiny bookshops that people have on bikes, books that are in old red telephone boxes, one in a narrowboat, one that has its own band and even an outdoor bookshop in the States. Each of these bookshops offers a unique experience when it come to buying books, either because of the location, or the staff, but mainly because they find those books that won't necessarily be on the shelf of a chain store.
All through the book there are interviews with authors talking about their reading experiences and favourite bookshops, and the book is peppered with bookish anecdotes and facts. if you love books and bookshops then this is a must read.
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LibraryThing member murderbydeath
This book is an ode to bookshops everywhere. Broken down by continent there's a small bit about interesting, famous, or extraordinarily unique bookshops all over the world. Interspersed throughout are short essays written by authors about their love of reading and the importance of bookshops,
I started out adoring this book and by the end, liking it a lot. It was easy for me to adore it right off the bat as she starts the book in Wigtown, Scotland, wends her way through England and ends up in Hay-on-Wye, Wales. I didn't know about Wigtown but I've had a burning desire to go to Hay-on-Wye since I first heard about it (I thought it was a fantasy: a town made up by an author - then a Welsh friend of mine told me it was indeed a very real place). Now, I have to go to both.
The book petered out for me a tiny bit after she left the UK, because while it was obvious she spent time at quite a few of the places in the UK, it's equally obvious that she didn't spend time at most of the places in North America, or the rest of the continents. In fact, the further east the book traveled, the shorter the entries for the bookshops (some, I'm convinced, were just quick paragraphs emailed to her by the bookshops themselves). But there are still some great stories to be found - one or two even teared me up, and the book curse had me laughing.
There are two signatures worth of colour photos of the bookshops inserted at 1/3 and 2/3's of the way through; I'd have liked it better if they'd been properly paired with their respective bookshop entries, and I'd have loved to have seen more of them. It would have bumped this book up into the category/price point of a coffee-table style book, but I think it would have worked even better.
It's a great little book and it succeeds at celebrating the importance of the independent bookstores all over the world. I have dreams and schemes of bookshop-tour holidays and opening my own, perfect bookshop now more than ever and I hope the success of these bookshops are a sign of things to come.
[PopSugar 2015 Challenge (provisional): Book that made you cry.]
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including some of their favourites. Sprinkled here and there are interesting facts related to books.I started out adoring this book and by the end, liking it a lot. It was easy for me to adore it right off the bat as she starts the book in Wigtown, Scotland, wends her way through England and ends up in Hay-on-Wye, Wales. I didn't know about Wigtown but I've had a burning desire to go to Hay-on-Wye since I first heard about it (I thought it was a fantasy: a town made up by an author - then a Welsh friend of mine told me it was indeed a very real place). Now, I have to go to both.
The book petered out for me a tiny bit after she left the UK, because while it was obvious she spent time at quite a few of the places in the UK, it's equally obvious that she didn't spend time at most of the places in North America, or the rest of the continents. In fact, the further east the book traveled, the shorter the entries for the bookshops (some, I'm convinced, were just quick paragraphs emailed to her by the bookshops themselves). But there are still some great stories to be found - one or two even teared me up, and the book curse had me laughing.
There are two signatures worth of colour photos of the bookshops inserted at 1/3 and 2/3's of the way through; I'd have liked it better if they'd been properly paired with their respective bookshop entries, and I'd have loved to have seen more of them. It would have bumped this book up into the category/price point of a coffee-table style book, but I think it would have worked even better.
It's a great little book and it succeeds at celebrating the importance of the independent bookstores all over the world. I have dreams and schemes of bookshop-tour holidays and opening my own, perfect bookshop now more than ever and I hope the success of these bookshops are a sign of things to come.
[PopSugar 2015 Challenge (provisional): Book that made you cry.]
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LibraryThing member leah152
In this book, Jen Campbell travels the world, visiting different independant bookshops & then writing about them. If travel ever becomes more environmentally friendly/ sustainable (& the next pandemic isn't around the corner) I'm going to do a world bookshop tour & this book will be my travel
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guide! Show Less
LibraryThing member zmagic69
Profiles some interesting bookstores, but completely shortchanges a lot of others.
LibraryThing member bragan
A celebration of bookshops/bookstores all over the world, featuring profiles of specific new and used bookstores, random snippets of interesting bookish facts, bits of interviews with booksellers, and short pieces from a variety of authors talking about their favorite bookshops, their dream
Actually, I say "all over the world," but that's a little bit misleading, as the book really doesn't make much of an attempt to be equally inclusive of bookstores from all over. By far the largest and most detailed section is on bookshops in the UK, where this volume was published, and which the author clearly has far and away the most personal knowledge of. Most parts of the non-English-speaking world, by contrast, have only a few shops featured, with just a paragraph or two supplying some interesting facts about them. So those expecting something truly exhaustive and international, as opposed to something a bit more scattershot and personal, might find themselves disappointed. Fortunately, I didn't have any strong expectations one way or another, and I like scattershot and personal just fine.
You absolutely do have to be someone with bookstores in your soul to properly enjoy it, though. I mean, there's not huge amounts of substance here, and I suspect anyone else is likely to get bored pretty quickly of yet another description of bookshop decor or yet another earnest declaration about the satisfaction of holding real paper books. But I think it's safe to say there are a lot of us here on LT who do qualify as the right audience for this sort of thing. And I know it made me feel dreamily excited to imagine myself walking among all those varied shelves, and nostalgic for every bookstore I've ever been inside, and pleasantly itchy with the desire to go find some overstuffed secondhand bookshop to explore right now. Ah, I can almost smell the ink and paper... And it doesn't take any more than that to make me happy, really.
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bookshops, and the bookshops that shaped their lives.Actually, I say "all over the world," but that's a little bit misleading, as the book really doesn't make much of an attempt to be equally inclusive of bookstores from all over. By far the largest and most detailed section is on bookshops in the UK, where this volume was published, and which the author clearly has far and away the most personal knowledge of. Most parts of the non-English-speaking world, by contrast, have only a few shops featured, with just a paragraph or two supplying some interesting facts about them. So those expecting something truly exhaustive and international, as opposed to something a bit more scattershot and personal, might find themselves disappointed. Fortunately, I didn't have any strong expectations one way or another, and I like scattershot and personal just fine.
You absolutely do have to be someone with bookstores in your soul to properly enjoy it, though. I mean, there's not huge amounts of substance here, and I suspect anyone else is likely to get bored pretty quickly of yet another description of bookshop decor or yet another earnest declaration about the satisfaction of holding real paper books. But I think it's safe to say there are a lot of us here on LT who do qualify as the right audience for this sort of thing. And I know it made me feel dreamily excited to imagine myself walking among all those varied shelves, and nostalgic for every bookstore I've ever been inside, and pleasantly itchy with the desire to go find some overstuffed secondhand bookshop to explore right now. Ah, I can almost smell the ink and paper... And it doesn't take any more than that to make me happy, really.
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LibraryThing member rkosarko
This is essentially a book of anecdotes as the author travels around visiting different unique bookshops, interrupted every so often by a short 1-2 page interview with an author about a bookshop experience, or a page of random trivia.
It runs out of steam once the author leaves the UK - it's pretty
That said, it's a fun read, especially if you're the sort of person who is into reading. If you're reading a book about books presumably you are also in this category. I enjoyed my time with it. Spent a good deal of time on tripadvisor looking at photos of some of the places described, too. Every one I checked was still open, ten years after the book was published. Makes me glad.
It runs out of steam once the author leaves the UK - it's pretty
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clear that she's much more familiar with the UK shops than the continental europe or north american ones, since the anecdotes become less and less substantial. Might have been better off limiting scope to the UK.That said, it's a fun read, especially if you're the sort of person who is into reading. If you're reading a book about books presumably you are also in this category. I enjoyed my time with it. Spent a good deal of time on tripadvisor looking at photos of some of the places described, too. Every one I checked was still open, ten years after the book was published. Makes me glad.
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Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2014
Physical description
288 p.; 5.75 inches
ISBN
1472116666 / 9781472116666
Local notes
READIN
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