Publisher:
Constable and
Robinson
Release
Date: 2nd
October 2014
Edition:
UK hardback,
review copy
Other
Titles by this Author: Weird Things Customers Say in
Bookshops, More Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops
Every
bookshop has a story.
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 railway
stations.
From
the oldest bookshops in the world, to the smallest you could imagine, The Bookshop Book explores the history of books, talks to
authors about their favourite places, and looks at more than three hundred
weirdly wonderful bookshops across six continents. (Sadly, we’ve yet to build a
bookshop in the South Pole.)
This
book is a love letter to bookshops all around the world.
I fell head over heels in love
with The Bookshop Book. It’s an ode
to books, bookshops, readers and writers and has made me want to spend an entire
week trawling through all of the books I’ve always meant to pop in and visit.
Even telling the stories of
beloved, interesting, ingenious and mad-cap bookshops all over the world, the
format of The Bookshop Book could
have been a little tiring, but Jen Capbell made sure that reading this book was
just as exciting as discovering a second-hand bookshops and all its nooks and
crannies. Scattered between the stories of Foyles, Shakespeare and Company and
Powell’s are tidbits of information on the shops that didn’t quite make it into
the full features, called Some Wonderful Things, the joy of those places is
still shouted form the rooftops; facts about book binding, bookselling, famous
authors and famous readers crop up every now and again and testimonies and
stories from customers, shop owners and authors provide a real-life glimpse
into some of the place talked about in The
Bookshop Book.
Jen Campbell’s love of being in
a bookshop and falling in love with them is evident throughout and it’s
infectious. I’ve always loved them myself, and always will, but reading this,
besides making me extremely happy, has made me intent of exploring many of the
famous bookshops in London that I’ve heard loads about but never got around to
visiting. I also have a renewed conviction to travel to Paris for Shakespeare
and Company, Portland for Powell’s, California for The Last Bookstore and NYC
for The Strand. A world tour visiting all the places mentioned in this book is
fast becoming my new daydream...
But what I loved most was the
stories of the people that have founded, owned, worked and loved the bookshops
of these pages. The time, money, love and dedication that goes into running a
bookshop for book lovers in immense, and it shows in them. I especially loved
it when real-life love stories came from these places – they are novel-worthy
stories in themselves most of the time!
The
Bookshop Book is
a treasure for book lovers and I can definitely see why it was made the book of
Books Are My Bag 2014, and I’m glad it was my 125th book of the
year, too. A fitting way to win my Goodreads Challenge for this year!
Thanks to Constable and
Robinson for the review copy!
Sophie
I so want to read this, it sounds just lovely and adorable and an amazing tribute to bookshops everywhere!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this one too :) it's perfect for people like us!
ReplyDelete