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The Diary of a Bookseller #1
賷賵賲賷丕鬲 亘丕卅毓 賰鬲亘
Shaun Bythell owns The Bookshop, Wigtown - Scotland's largest second-hand bookshop. It contains 100,000 books, spread over a mile of shelving, with twisting corridors and roaring fires, and all set in a beautiful, rural town by the edge of the sea. A book-lover's paradise? Well, almost ...
In these wry and hilarious diaries, Shaun provides an inside look at the trials and tribulations of life in the book trade, from struggles with eccentric customers to wrangles with his own staff, who include the ski-suit-wearing, bin-foraging Nicky. He takes us with him on buying trips to old estates and auction houses, recommends books (both lost classics and new discoveries), introduces us to the thrill of the unexpected find, and evokes the rhythms and charms of small-town life, always with a sharp and sympathetic eye.
In these wry and hilarious diaries, Shaun provides an inside look at the trials and tribulations of life in the book trade, from struggles with eccentric customers to wrangles with his own staff, who include the ski-suit-wearing, bin-foraging Nicky. He takes us with him on buying trips to old estates and auction houses, recommends books (both lost classics and new discoveries), introduces us to the thrill of the unexpected find, and evokes the rhythms and charms of small-town life, always with a sharp and sympathetic eye.
399 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2017
1944 people are currently reading
46883 people want to read
About the author
Shaun Bythell
6听books1,265听followersShaun Bythell is the owner of The Bookshop in Wigtown, Scotland's National Book Town, and also one of the organisers of the Wigtown Festival.
When not working amongst The Bookshop鈥檚 mile of shelving, Shaun鈥檚 hobbies include eavesdropping on customers, uploading book-themed re-workings of Sugarhill Gang songs to YouTube and shooting Amazon Kindles in the wild.
When not working amongst The Bookshop鈥檚 mile of shelving, Shaun鈥檚 hobbies include eavesdropping on customers, uploading book-themed re-workings of Sugarhill Gang songs to YouTube and shooting Amazon Kindles in the wild.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,798 reviews
August 16, 2017
Call me crazy but I've always wondered when I die what will happen to all my books. My house is overflowing with them. Nobody else reads them but me. The Diary of a bookseller made me think I'm not so crazy after all. It appears there are way more crazier people in the world. It also appears most of them frequent this book shop.
The funny stories abound with a daily summary of a day in the life of a bookseller in Scotland's largest 2nd hand book shop in the charming little village of Wigtown where not much else happens there except it's like a little Mecca for book lovers, a place where all manner of people come and go. Some buyers but mostly browsers which irritates Shaun the owner of the book shop to no end. He doesn't hold back on the snide commentary which makes for a lot of laughs! The customers are an odd assortment of characters, most are misers or non buyers, a few regulars and a smattering of real serious book buyers and collectors. Also some of the interactions with his regular staff are hilarious, some are clearly purposely intentionally incompetent much to Shaun's bemusement, he's a very tolerant man but secretly I think he enjoys every bit of their open contempt. I loved the outings where he goes to source books, most coming from deceased estates never knowing what kind of treasure or in most cases useless rubbish he will find. I found this book such a gem. My dream has always been to work in a bookshop and although my views are slightly tainted with the realities depicted here I am still utterly envious of the part time staffers that get to have the best job in the world in my opinion.
Too bad the book industry is a dying commodity. I feel bad as I'm one of those people who do buy online (reading this from my kindle I'm sensing the irony) but I also regularly buy 2nd hand books whenever possible and it always gives me an absolute thrill surrounding myself in a world of books and I for one cannot leave without buying a book! I perish the thought of walking out without at least an armful of books. I think that makes me a true bookish person unlike those book poser imposters! *shudders*
This book won't please everyone it could prove tedious for some but for me I sure am going to be sad to leave this book, the people, the town and this bookshop. I've never wanted to visit Scotland before but now I feel almost compelled to, I feel such an affinity for this book loving town and I'm so glad places like this still exist!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my early review copy!
The funny stories abound with a daily summary of a day in the life of a bookseller in Scotland's largest 2nd hand book shop in the charming little village of Wigtown where not much else happens there except it's like a little Mecca for book lovers, a place where all manner of people come and go. Some buyers but mostly browsers which irritates Shaun the owner of the book shop to no end. He doesn't hold back on the snide commentary which makes for a lot of laughs! The customers are an odd assortment of characters, most are misers or non buyers, a few regulars and a smattering of real serious book buyers and collectors. Also some of the interactions with his regular staff are hilarious, some are clearly purposely intentionally incompetent much to Shaun's bemusement, he's a very tolerant man but secretly I think he enjoys every bit of their open contempt. I loved the outings where he goes to source books, most coming from deceased estates never knowing what kind of treasure or in most cases useless rubbish he will find. I found this book such a gem. My dream has always been to work in a bookshop and although my views are slightly tainted with the realities depicted here I am still utterly envious of the part time staffers that get to have the best job in the world in my opinion.
Too bad the book industry is a dying commodity. I feel bad as I'm one of those people who do buy online (reading this from my kindle I'm sensing the irony) but I also regularly buy 2nd hand books whenever possible and it always gives me an absolute thrill surrounding myself in a world of books and I for one cannot leave without buying a book! I perish the thought of walking out without at least an armful of books. I think that makes me a true bookish person unlike those book poser imposters! *shudders*
This book won't please everyone it could prove tedious for some but for me I sure am going to be sad to leave this book, the people, the town and this bookshop. I've never wanted to visit Scotland before but now I feel almost compelled to, I feel such an affinity for this book loving town and I'm so glad places like this still exist!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my early review copy!
January 1, 2022
I am always a sucker for books about books so I knew I had to read this as soon as I saw the title and the cover. So glad I did!
The bookseller of the title is the author himself, . He lives in Wigtown, Scotland where this beautiful bookshop actually exists. How I would love to go and see it! Shaun has a rather snarky sense of humour which had me laughing out loud. I also found myself doing that totally annoying thing of reading bits out loud to anyone who happened to be nearby at the time. They usually laughed too so I think we can accept it is a funny book.
I enjoyed the diary format with sometimes less than half a page for a day. It made it very hard to stop at any point with a constant mental urge to read "just one more." Of course, being set in a village in Scotland, there had to be quirky characters and there are indeed plenty. Nicky was particularly entertaining although probably more so on paper than if you had to actually live with her.
Oh and there is a cat too. All good bookshops should have a resident cat. And comfy armchairs in front of a roaring log fire. Bliss.
The bookseller of the title is the author himself, . He lives in Wigtown, Scotland where this beautiful bookshop actually exists. How I would love to go and see it! Shaun has a rather snarky sense of humour which had me laughing out loud. I also found myself doing that totally annoying thing of reading bits out loud to anyone who happened to be nearby at the time. They usually laughed too so I think we can accept it is a funny book.
I enjoyed the diary format with sometimes less than half a page for a day. It made it very hard to stop at any point with a constant mental urge to read "just one more." Of course, being set in a village in Scotland, there had to be quirky characters and there are indeed plenty. Nicky was particularly entertaining although probably more so on paper than if you had to actually live with her.
Oh and there is a cat too. All good bookshops should have a resident cat. And comfy armchairs in front of a roaring log fire. Bliss.
August 25, 2022
One of the best books I鈥檝e read so far this year! This is a book for all book lovers or people who secretly wish to work in a bookstore.
Shaun Bythell owns The Bookshop in Wigtown, Scotland, and with this book he shares his diary from 2014 in which he writes about everything going on in the store as well as in Wigtown. I had to get used to his tone of voice which is very pessimistic and abrupt - but in a funny way I grew to find this tone of voice hilarious and endearing, and after all, Shaun Bythell is not wrong in a lot of the things he says.
I loved this book! It鈥檚 as simple as that. It made me feel cozy, it enlightened me on the hardships of owning a bookstore, and it desperately made me want to go to Wigtown and visit The Bookshop.
Shaun Bythell owns The Bookshop in Wigtown, Scotland, and with this book he shares his diary from 2014 in which he writes about everything going on in the store as well as in Wigtown. I had to get used to his tone of voice which is very pessimistic and abrupt - but in a funny way I grew to find this tone of voice hilarious and endearing, and after all, Shaun Bythell is not wrong in a lot of the things he says.
I loved this book! It鈥檚 as simple as that. It made me feel cozy, it enlightened me on the hardships of owning a bookstore, and it desperately made me want to go to Wigtown and visit The Bookshop.
March 1, 2022
There are a few professions that you know going in are never going to lead to you having eff you money. Teacher, public defender, librarian, fashion designer for one-legged armadillos鈥ll of these are things you have to absolutely love if you鈥檙e going to make them your life鈥檚 work. You can add secondhand bookseller to that list.
Enter Shaun Bythell, owner and proprietor of The Bookshop in Wigtown (Scotland鈥檚 largest secondhand bookstore), who willingly accepts the economic challenges of owning a used bookshop, a challenge exacerbated by the shop鈥檚 location in a relatively unknown region of Scotland, in exchange for the freedom to be his own boss and respond to the occasionally stupid customer with just the right level of subtle snark.
Presented in the form of daily entries over the course of a year, Bythell鈥檚 diary details the humdrum minutiae of life in his shop (which doubles as his home)鈥攖he challenge of finding and fulfilling online orders in a store that features more than 100,000 books, some of which are categorized using no logic whatsoever by one of the shop assistants; the daily flow of sales and foot traffic, which can sometimes be depressingly small; the year-round activities of the sleepy town of Wigtown, which rouses itself mightily for an annual book festival; social media efforts to promote the store, including some fairly comical video endeavors; the thrill鈥攁nd frequent disappointment鈥攐f acquiring books; passing details of Bythell鈥檚 romantic relationship with a writer; and a breakdown of the quirky characters, both shop helpers and regular clients and friends, who populate Bythell鈥檚 life. At the beginning of each month, he makes some broader observations about the business, literature, and life in general.
The entries can become repetitive, but book lovers will eat it up, and the shop鈥檚 eccentric (and sometimes epically stupid) customers, in combination with Bythell鈥檚 drier-than-wine-squeezed-from-the-President鈥檚-grapes* sense of humor, give it a broader appeal.
As a former register jockey in an (long since closed) independent bookstore, I鈥檝e had a tiny taste of the very weird fruits of Bythell鈥檚 world, and it was both comforting and depressing to spend a year looking over his shoulder. Comforting to know that somewhere out there, someone is still fighting the good fight to make beautiful physical books available (even going so far as to literally shoot and mount Kindles in his store as a warning to would-be partakers** of digital literature), and doing it with a sense of humor; depressing to contemplate, as Bythell himself does, that he鈥檚 a member of a dying breed, and that it鈥檚 not unlikely that there will eventually come a day when a place like the Bookshop simply ceases to exist.
If I can get annoyingly contemplative for a moment, it is, on the whole, probably a good thing that, at some point (albeit a more distant point in the future than we all originally thought), physical books will be relics of the past鈥攚hy destroy trees and create more and more environmental pollutants to create and ship books around the world when the same content can be delivered to you instantly on a slick device that enables you to read one-handed in the dark (such as, for example, when you鈥檙e soothing colicky infants, and you鈥檙e able to increase your reading threefold as a result because THEY NEVER EVER SLEEP (though I鈥檓 over that, I promise))? Still, like all of you other bibliophiles, I love the feel of a book in my hand, and the wonder and magic of walking into a bookstore鈥攁 place filled with seemingly infinite information and adventures鈥攈as never diminished.
Then again, I get nostalgic for Meat Loaf albums, Saved by the Bell, and Trapper Keepers, so what do I know?
*I鈥檓 sorry; that鈥檚 not an image that should live in anyone鈥檚 head. But, it鈥檚 living in mine, so you WILL SHARE MY MISERY AND YOU WILL LIKE IT!
**Shame-faced confession: I read this on a Kindle. Because I often read it at night while putting kids to bed. But after I finished, I ordered a hard copy! And from The Bookshop, no less. And Bythell signed it, too. So suck on that.
Enter Shaun Bythell, owner and proprietor of The Bookshop in Wigtown (Scotland鈥檚 largest secondhand bookstore), who willingly accepts the economic challenges of owning a used bookshop, a challenge exacerbated by the shop鈥檚 location in a relatively unknown region of Scotland, in exchange for the freedom to be his own boss and respond to the occasionally stupid customer with just the right level of subtle snark.
Presented in the form of daily entries over the course of a year, Bythell鈥檚 diary details the humdrum minutiae of life in his shop (which doubles as his home)鈥攖he challenge of finding and fulfilling online orders in a store that features more than 100,000 books, some of which are categorized using no logic whatsoever by one of the shop assistants; the daily flow of sales and foot traffic, which can sometimes be depressingly small; the year-round activities of the sleepy town of Wigtown, which rouses itself mightily for an annual book festival; social media efforts to promote the store, including some fairly comical video endeavors; the thrill鈥攁nd frequent disappointment鈥攐f acquiring books; passing details of Bythell鈥檚 romantic relationship with a writer; and a breakdown of the quirky characters, both shop helpers and regular clients and friends, who populate Bythell鈥檚 life. At the beginning of each month, he makes some broader observations about the business, literature, and life in general.
The entries can become repetitive, but book lovers will eat it up, and the shop鈥檚 eccentric (and sometimes epically stupid) customers, in combination with Bythell鈥檚 drier-than-wine-squeezed-from-the-President鈥檚-grapes* sense of humor, give it a broader appeal.
As a former register jockey in an (long since closed) independent bookstore, I鈥檝e had a tiny taste of the very weird fruits of Bythell鈥檚 world, and it was both comforting and depressing to spend a year looking over his shoulder. Comforting to know that somewhere out there, someone is still fighting the good fight to make beautiful physical books available (even going so far as to literally shoot and mount Kindles in his store as a warning to would-be partakers** of digital literature), and doing it with a sense of humor; depressing to contemplate, as Bythell himself does, that he鈥檚 a member of a dying breed, and that it鈥檚 not unlikely that there will eventually come a day when a place like the Bookshop simply ceases to exist.
If I can get annoyingly contemplative for a moment, it is, on the whole, probably a good thing that, at some point (albeit a more distant point in the future than we all originally thought), physical books will be relics of the past鈥攚hy destroy trees and create more and more environmental pollutants to create and ship books around the world when the same content can be delivered to you instantly on a slick device that enables you to read one-handed in the dark (such as, for example, when you鈥檙e soothing colicky infants, and you鈥檙e able to increase your reading threefold as a result because THEY NEVER EVER SLEEP (though I鈥檓 over that, I promise))? Still, like all of you other bibliophiles, I love the feel of a book in my hand, and the wonder and magic of walking into a bookstore鈥攁 place filled with seemingly infinite information and adventures鈥攈as never diminished.
Then again, I get nostalgic for Meat Loaf albums, Saved by the Bell, and Trapper Keepers, so what do I know?
*I鈥檓 sorry; that鈥檚 not an image that should live in anyone鈥檚 head. But, it鈥檚 living in mine, so you WILL SHARE MY MISERY AND YOU WILL LIKE IT!
**Shame-faced confession: I read this on a Kindle. Because I often read it at night while putting kids to bed. But after I finished, I ordered a hard copy! And from The Bookshop, no less. And Bythell signed it, too. So suck on that.
March 1, 2024
Shaun Bythell e un t卯n膬r domn din or膬葯elul sco葲ian Wigtown. A cump膬rat o cl膬dire friguroas膬 葯i 葲ine un anticariat cu c卯teva mii de volume. Bythell cump膬r膬 葯i vinde c膬r葲i de tot felul. Cele mai c膬utate s卯nt c膬r葲ile despre c膬ile ferate britanice. Meseria de librar-anticar nu-l 卯mbog膬葲e葯te, n-a 卯mbog膬葲it deocamdat膬 pe nimeni. Nu are bani 葯i, 卯n lips膬 de altceva, se apuc膬 s膬 scrie un jurnal meschin. Un jurnal valoreaz膬 exact at卯t c卯t valoreaz膬 autorul lui.
Ce noteaz膬 scrupulos 鈥瀌iaristul鈥�? 脦n primul r卯nd, c膬 vizitatorii anticariatului s卯nt ni葯te caraghio葯i (ca doamna 卯mbibat膬 卯n parfum 卯n葲ep膬tor), ajung acolo din 卯nt卯mplare (fiindc膬 plou膬 sau a葯teapt膬 pe cineva), nu 葯tiu ce s膬 cear膬, vorbesc ur卯t 葯i nu s卯nt deloc dispu葯i s膬 cumpere vreo carte. 脦ncurc膬 locul degeaba. S卯nt impertinen葲i, habar n-au cum s膬 se poarte, 卯葯i 鈥瀕atr膬 卯ntreb膬rile鈥� (p.27), s卯nt arogan葲i (p.38), prost crescu葲i, incul葲i, b膬d膬rani, sadici. 葮i, 卯n plus, au 鈥瀖ust膬葲i slinoase鈥� (p.347).
Shaun Bythell consider膬, pe bun膬 dreptate, c膬 un 鈥瀋lient ideal鈥� nu caut膬 prin rafturile unei libr膬rii la 卯nt卯mplare, ci 鈥炄檛ie exact ce vrea鈥�: nume葯te f膬r膬 s膬 clipeasc膬 titlul, autorul 葯i editura, fiindc膬 a citit o recenzie luminoas膬 卯n The Times 葯i se 卯ncrede 卯n p膬rerea gazetarului (p.10). Un singur musafir 卯ndepline葯te toate condi葲iile cerute, domnul Deacon, un b膬tr卯n ce va muri de Alzheimer (afl膬m dintr-o not膬 strecurat膬 卯n finalul c膬r葲ii, la p.351). 脦n absen葲a domnului Deacon, anticarul nostru va r膬m卯ne doar cu clien葲i reali, adic膬 prost crescu葲i, b膬d膬rani 葯i ignoran葲i...
Din lips膬 de timp liber, Bythell cite葯te rar 葯i ne spune sibilinic (precum elevii mediocri) c膬 o carte anume e 鈥瀉dorabil膬鈥� (p.39), iar alta 鈥瀍xtraordinar de modern膬鈥� (p.51). Pentru un om 卯nconjurat de c膬r葲i, astfel de observa葲ii 鈥瀋ritice鈥� par (葯i chiar s卯nt) inepte. Ne卯ndoios, autorul e un bibliofil rafinat: 葯tie totul despre o carte cu excep葲ia con葲inutului. Prive葯te cartea ca un obiect de negociat, aspectul ei spiritual pare s膬-i r膬m卯n膬 str膬in.
Din p膬cate, nu po葲i muri de pl膬cere 卯n fa葲a unor pasaje care nu spun aproape nimic. Un exemplu: 鈥濴a pr卯nz am f膬cut un sandvi葯, apoi am plecat cu Anna, 卯n camionet膬, cu vreo cincizeci de cutii de carton, la vechea ferm膬 de l卯ng膬 Stranraer鈥� (p.37); 葯i 卯nc膬 unul: 鈥濩red c膬 m-am procopsit cu un virus, 卯n mod sigur luat de la vreun client [ironie?, n. m.], 葯i toat膬 ziua am tu葯it, am str膬nutat, am 卯mbr膬葲i葯at radiatorul 葯i am tremurat鈥� (p.335).
Jurnalul lui Shaun Bythell 卯ncepe 卯n 5 februarie 2014, o miercuri, 葯i sf卯r葯e葯te 卯n 4 februarie 2015, tot o miercuri. Umorul autorului e tipic sco葲ian, scr卯葯nit, 卯ntunecat, avar...
Ce noteaz膬 scrupulos 鈥瀌iaristul鈥�? 脦n primul r卯nd, c膬 vizitatorii anticariatului s卯nt ni葯te caraghio葯i (ca doamna 卯mbibat膬 卯n parfum 卯n葲ep膬tor), ajung acolo din 卯nt卯mplare (fiindc膬 plou膬 sau a葯teapt膬 pe cineva), nu 葯tiu ce s膬 cear膬, vorbesc ur卯t 葯i nu s卯nt deloc dispu葯i s膬 cumpere vreo carte. 脦ncurc膬 locul degeaba. S卯nt impertinen葲i, habar n-au cum s膬 se poarte, 卯葯i 鈥瀕atr膬 卯ntreb膬rile鈥� (p.27), s卯nt arogan葲i (p.38), prost crescu葲i, incul葲i, b膬d膬rani, sadici. 葮i, 卯n plus, au 鈥瀖ust膬葲i slinoase鈥� (p.347).
Shaun Bythell consider膬, pe bun膬 dreptate, c膬 un 鈥瀋lient ideal鈥� nu caut膬 prin rafturile unei libr膬rii la 卯nt卯mplare, ci 鈥炄檛ie exact ce vrea鈥�: nume葯te f膬r膬 s膬 clipeasc膬 titlul, autorul 葯i editura, fiindc膬 a citit o recenzie luminoas膬 卯n The Times 葯i se 卯ncrede 卯n p膬rerea gazetarului (p.10). Un singur musafir 卯ndepline葯te toate condi葲iile cerute, domnul Deacon, un b膬tr卯n ce va muri de Alzheimer (afl膬m dintr-o not膬 strecurat膬 卯n finalul c膬r葲ii, la p.351). 脦n absen葲a domnului Deacon, anticarul nostru va r膬m卯ne doar cu clien葲i reali, adic膬 prost crescu葲i, b膬d膬rani 葯i ignoran葲i...
Din lips膬 de timp liber, Bythell cite葯te rar 葯i ne spune sibilinic (precum elevii mediocri) c膬 o carte anume e 鈥瀉dorabil膬鈥� (p.39), iar alta 鈥瀍xtraordinar de modern膬鈥� (p.51). Pentru un om 卯nconjurat de c膬r葲i, astfel de observa葲ii 鈥瀋ritice鈥� par (葯i chiar s卯nt) inepte. Ne卯ndoios, autorul e un bibliofil rafinat: 葯tie totul despre o carte cu excep葲ia con葲inutului. Prive葯te cartea ca un obiect de negociat, aspectul ei spiritual pare s膬-i r膬m卯n膬 str膬in.
Din p膬cate, nu po葲i muri de pl膬cere 卯n fa葲a unor pasaje care nu spun aproape nimic. Un exemplu: 鈥濴a pr卯nz am f膬cut un sandvi葯, apoi am plecat cu Anna, 卯n camionet膬, cu vreo cincizeci de cutii de carton, la vechea ferm膬 de l卯ng膬 Stranraer鈥� (p.37); 葯i 卯nc膬 unul: 鈥濩red c膬 m-am procopsit cu un virus, 卯n mod sigur luat de la vreun client [ironie?, n. m.], 葯i toat膬 ziua am tu葯it, am str膬nutat, am 卯mbr膬葲i葯at radiatorul 葯i am tremurat鈥� (p.335).
Jurnalul lui Shaun Bythell 卯ncepe 卯n 5 februarie 2014, o miercuri, 葯i sf卯r葯e葯te 卯n 4 februarie 2015, tot o miercuri. Umorul autorului e tipic sco葲ian, scr卯葯nit, 卯ntunecat, avar...
December 6, 2018
What a depressing book! Bythell manages to make one of my favorite destinations, a used bookstore, feel like an unwelcoming hellhole. The book is a gloomy, lazily written diary of his daily transactions peppered with snarky, mean-spirited comments about his customers. There is very little in this book about reading or even books - except as crumbling objects to buy and sell.
January 30, 2022
Why I chose to read this book:
A book about a bookseller (, owner of The Bookshop in Wigtown, Scotland, Scotland's largest secondhand bookshop) which declared to be supposedly hilarious, I thought this would be a perfect addition to my Humor Month reads!
Positives:
1. I would occasionally LOL at some of the comments made by customers and/or Bythell. Once in a while, he would show some compassion and empathy towards others;
2. I got a new appreciation for how Amazon undercuts independent booksellers. Because of this, my local community of 10,000+ residents cannot keep a bookstore open (yet ten liquor stores are heartily thriving!) To purchase latest publications, I must drive 1 1/2 hours to the nearest Coles (a division of Chapters/Indigo) because the "local" Walmart (45 min. away) has a poor selection. We have a handful of thrift shops nearby, and if I'm lucky, I may find one or two books on my WTR list. Thank goodness for the local library belonging to the TRAC system which can acquire books I'm seeking 99.9% of the time, including audiobooks through Hoopla and Overdrive;
3. it was interesting how some of The Bookshop's most profitable days were when Bythell wasn't present;
4. Bythell would share some interesting titles of books he was reading. Contrary to popular belief, that although surrounded by books, librarians and booksellers do not have as much time to read as they would like; and,
5. his book buying trips to local estate sales and such were quite interesting!
Niggles:
1. despite sharing some of his coworkers' antics (sometimes to the detriment of the business), I am amazed that he didn't fire them (although they seemed to share his personality);
Which brings me to my biggest niggle...
2.although I could highly understand and empathize with his irritations toward some customers' requests and behaviors, sometimes Bythell comes off sounding like a real ass! These anecdotes really turned me off! I felt even more vindicated when he shares some Facebook posts about him that confirmed my thoughts! With his consistent snarky and mocking attitude, I'm surprised that his business makes any money!
Although there were a few laugh-out-loud moments, overall, I wouldn't say this was a "hilarious" read. Instead, I would often cringe at some of his derisive comments toward others.
3 stars
A book about a bookseller (, owner of The Bookshop in Wigtown, Scotland, Scotland's largest secondhand bookshop) which declared to be supposedly hilarious, I thought this would be a perfect addition to my Humor Month reads!
Positives:
1. I would occasionally LOL at some of the comments made by customers and/or Bythell. Once in a while, he would show some compassion and empathy towards others;
2. I got a new appreciation for how Amazon undercuts independent booksellers. Because of this, my local community of 10,000+ residents cannot keep a bookstore open (yet ten liquor stores are heartily thriving!) To purchase latest publications, I must drive 1 1/2 hours to the nearest Coles (a division of Chapters/Indigo) because the "local" Walmart (45 min. away) has a poor selection. We have a handful of thrift shops nearby, and if I'm lucky, I may find one or two books on my WTR list. Thank goodness for the local library belonging to the TRAC system which can acquire books I'm seeking 99.9% of the time, including audiobooks through Hoopla and Overdrive;
3. it was interesting how some of The Bookshop's most profitable days were when Bythell wasn't present;
4. Bythell would share some interesting titles of books he was reading. Contrary to popular belief, that although surrounded by books, librarians and booksellers do not have as much time to read as they would like; and,
5. his book buying trips to local estate sales and such were quite interesting!
Niggles:
1. despite sharing some of his coworkers' antics (sometimes to the detriment of the business), I am amazed that he didn't fire them (although they seemed to share his personality);
Which brings me to my biggest niggle...
2.although I could highly understand and empathize with his irritations toward some customers' requests and behaviors, sometimes Bythell comes off sounding like a real ass! These anecdotes really turned me off! I felt even more vindicated when he shares some Facebook posts about him that confirmed my thoughts! With his consistent snarky and mocking attitude, I'm surprised that his business makes any money!
Although there were a few laugh-out-loud moments, overall, I wouldn't say this was a "hilarious" read. Instead, I would often cringe at some of his derisive comments toward others.
3 stars
September 17, 2018
A reread. In April I finally made it to Wigtown, the Book Town of Scotland, and The Bookshop [for the life of me I cannot determine whether it should be The Bookshop or The Book Shop; the name on the website/Facebook page is different from the storefront!], a wonderfully rambling place with lots of nooks and crannies housing all sorts of categories. (Look out for the shot and mounted Kindle, the Festival bed, the stuffed badger, and the scroll of bookseller鈥檚 rules.) Luckily, on our visit we found 拢35 worth of books we wanted to buy, and had a nice chat with Bythell himself at the till. He signed my book, commiserated with us about the rainy weather and our flat tire, and gave us tips for what to see locally. You鈥檇 hardly believe that he鈥檚 the same curmudgeon who wrote the book 鈥� which makes one wonder to what extent the narrative voice is a put-on persona. I can believe that Bythell gets irate and sarcastic about bad customer behavior, but in person he struck me as easygoing and happy in his work.
I started rereading the book soon after we got back (you can read my full trip write-up ), and kept it as a bedside tome for months, finally finishing it about a year after its initial release. It鈥檚 now out in the USA and Australia, too, and it鈥檚 been great to see it getting more widespread attention. Alas, on a second read the everyday life of the shop felt more tedious to me, and though I could now picture the locales and some of the people described (which is why I thought a reread would be rewarding), that somehow wasn鈥檛 enough to counteract the monotony. This time around it was a 3-star read, so it averages out to a 3.5-star book for me. I鈥檇 recommend that those picking this up for the first time keep it around as a bedside/coffee table book and only read an entry or two at a time, or skim it for entries that interest them.
Original review:
So you think you鈥檇 like to run a bookshop? Here鈥檚 a book to tempt and deter you in equal measure. In 2001 Shaun Bythell acquired The Bookshop, the flagship bookstore in Wigtown, the Book Town in Galloway in the southwest of Scotland. Here he gives a one-year snapshot of life at the shop, from February 2014 to February 2015. At the start you can feel the winter chill in the old granite building, and as months pass you sense mounting excitement at preparations for the annual Book Festival (going on now) and the Scottish referendum. It鈥檚 a pleasure to spend a vicarious year at the shop. This would make a great bedside book for a bookish type to parcel out 5鈥�10 pages at a time (another Christmas gift idea?).
Bythell frequently ventures out to buy book collections in auctions and from estates, and occasionally goes fishing with his father or friends. But mostly we see what daily life is like for a bookshop owner. He can鈥檛 afford full-time staff, so gets sporadic help from university-age gals; his most 鈥渞eliable鈥� part-timer is Nicky, a ski suit-wearing, Dumpster-diving Jehovah鈥檚 Witness who blithely ignores much of what he asks her to do.
Every entry opens and closes with statistics on the day鈥檚 takings and online orders. Profits range from 拢5 to 拢500 a day, rising in the summer and peaking around 拢1200 during the festival. Also listed is the number of customers who make purchases, which represents only one-fifth of daily footfall. Nowadays most bookstores sell online too, and The Bookshop reluctantly partners with Amazon as a marketplace seller. There鈥檚 also ABE and eBay; as a last-ditch option, some outfits take books in bulk, even if just to recycle them. Alongside online sales, it鈥檚 essential for bookstores to have sidelines. Bythell does video production and sells furniture, antiques and walking sticks carved by 鈥淪andy, the tattooed pagan.鈥�
As with Wendy Welch鈥檚 The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap, I enjoyed the nitty-gritty details about acquiring and pricing books, especially the serendipitous moments of coming across real treasures, like a book signed by Sir Walter Scott and a 1679 edition of the Decameron with an interesting provenance. The book is also full of quirky customer behavior, the kind of stuff that fills The Bookshop鈥檚 Facebook feed. Bythell cultivates a curmudgeonly persona 鈥� he once shot a broken Kindle and mounted it on the bookshop wall 鈥� and maintains a tone that鈥檚 somewhere between George Orwell (excerpts from whose 鈥淏ookshop Memories鈥� serve as monthly epigraphs) and Jen Campbell (Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops et al.). Here鈥檚 a few of the best encounters:
I鈥檝e been to Hay-on-Wye six times now but haven鈥檛 made it to Wigtown yet. It鈥檚 high on my bookish wish list. I had two additional reasons for wanting to read this particular book: I鈥檇 read Three Things You Need to Know about Rockets, a memoir by Bythell鈥檚 former partner, the American Jessica Fox (here known as 鈥淎nna鈥�; in her book he鈥檚 鈥淓wan鈥�), about coming to Scotland on a whim and falling in love with a bookshop owner; and I鈥檓 awfully fond of The Bookshop Band, a folky husband鈥搘ife musical duo who this year relocated from Bath to Wigtown. It was such fun to read about their first time playing in Wigtown and their stay as the inaugural guests/temporary store managers via The Open Book Airbnb project.
I鈥檝e written that the bookseller鈥檚 life is both appealing and daunting. When Bythell is lugging heavy boxes from a house clearance into his van and sorting through them only to find he鈥檚 acquired mostly rubbish, or when he comes across a browser who鈥檚 brazenly looking up books on Amazon on her laptop to see if she can get them cheaper, you wonder who鈥檇 do this for a living. But then there are times when he鈥檚 sitting by the fire with an excellent book recommended by a customer, or the town is bustling with festival events, or he鈥檚 watching spring come to rural Scotland, and you think: what could be better? In one of his last entries Bythell writes, 鈥渨hatever is required to keep the ship afloat will be done. This life is infinitely preferable to working for someone else.鈥� I wish him well, and hope to visit soon.
The Bookshop trivia:
Originally published, with images and links, on my blog, .
I started rereading the book soon after we got back (you can read my full trip write-up ), and kept it as a bedside tome for months, finally finishing it about a year after its initial release. It鈥檚 now out in the USA and Australia, too, and it鈥檚 been great to see it getting more widespread attention. Alas, on a second read the everyday life of the shop felt more tedious to me, and though I could now picture the locales and some of the people described (which is why I thought a reread would be rewarding), that somehow wasn鈥檛 enough to counteract the monotony. This time around it was a 3-star read, so it averages out to a 3.5-star book for me. I鈥檇 recommend that those picking this up for the first time keep it around as a bedside/coffee table book and only read an entry or two at a time, or skim it for entries that interest them.
Original review:
So you think you鈥檇 like to run a bookshop? Here鈥檚 a book to tempt and deter you in equal measure. In 2001 Shaun Bythell acquired The Bookshop, the flagship bookstore in Wigtown, the Book Town in Galloway in the southwest of Scotland. Here he gives a one-year snapshot of life at the shop, from February 2014 to February 2015. At the start you can feel the winter chill in the old granite building, and as months pass you sense mounting excitement at preparations for the annual Book Festival (going on now) and the Scottish referendum. It鈥檚 a pleasure to spend a vicarious year at the shop. This would make a great bedside book for a bookish type to parcel out 5鈥�10 pages at a time (another Christmas gift idea?).
Bythell frequently ventures out to buy book collections in auctions and from estates, and occasionally goes fishing with his father or friends. But mostly we see what daily life is like for a bookshop owner. He can鈥檛 afford full-time staff, so gets sporadic help from university-age gals; his most 鈥渞eliable鈥� part-timer is Nicky, a ski suit-wearing, Dumpster-diving Jehovah鈥檚 Witness who blithely ignores much of what he asks her to do.
Every entry opens and closes with statistics on the day鈥檚 takings and online orders. Profits range from 拢5 to 拢500 a day, rising in the summer and peaking around 拢1200 during the festival. Also listed is the number of customers who make purchases, which represents only one-fifth of daily footfall. Nowadays most bookstores sell online too, and The Bookshop reluctantly partners with Amazon as a marketplace seller. There鈥檚 also ABE and eBay; as a last-ditch option, some outfits take books in bulk, even if just to recycle them. Alongside online sales, it鈥檚 essential for bookstores to have sidelines. Bythell does video production and sells furniture, antiques and walking sticks carved by 鈥淪andy, the tattooed pagan.鈥�
As with Wendy Welch鈥檚 The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap, I enjoyed the nitty-gritty details about acquiring and pricing books, especially the serendipitous moments of coming across real treasures, like a book signed by Sir Walter Scott and a 1679 edition of the Decameron with an interesting provenance. The book is also full of quirky customer behavior, the kind of stuff that fills The Bookshop鈥檚 Facebook feed. Bythell cultivates a curmudgeonly persona 鈥� he once shot a broken Kindle and mounted it on the bookshop wall 鈥� and maintains a tone that鈥檚 somewhere between George Orwell (excerpts from whose 鈥淏ookshop Memories鈥� serve as monthly epigraphs) and Jen Campbell (Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops et al.). Here鈥檚 a few of the best encounters:
a whistling customer with a ponytail and what I can only assume was a hat he鈥檇 borrowed from a clown bought a copy of Paolo Coelho鈥檚 The Alchemist, I suspect deliberately to undermine my faith in humanity and dampen my spirits further.
A man smelling of TCP [antiseptic] was the only customer in the shop for the first hour of opening, during which time I attempted to put out fresh stock. He had an uncanny ability to be standing in front of every shelf to which I needed access, regardless of the subject or where in the shop the relevant shelves were.
While I was repairing a broken shelf in the crime section, I overheard an elderly customer confusing E. L. James and M. R. James while discussing horror fiction with her friend. She is either going to be pleasantly surprised or deeply shocked when she gets home with the copy of Fifty Shades of Grey she bought.
I鈥檝e been to Hay-on-Wye six times now but haven鈥檛 made it to Wigtown yet. It鈥檚 high on my bookish wish list. I had two additional reasons for wanting to read this particular book: I鈥檇 read Three Things You Need to Know about Rockets, a memoir by Bythell鈥檚 former partner, the American Jessica Fox (here known as 鈥淎nna鈥�; in her book he鈥檚 鈥淓wan鈥�), about coming to Scotland on a whim and falling in love with a bookshop owner; and I鈥檓 awfully fond of The Bookshop Band, a folky husband鈥搘ife musical duo who this year relocated from Bath to Wigtown. It was such fun to read about their first time playing in Wigtown and their stay as the inaugural guests/temporary store managers via The Open Book Airbnb project.
I鈥檝e written that the bookseller鈥檚 life is both appealing and daunting. When Bythell is lugging heavy boxes from a house clearance into his van and sorting through them only to find he鈥檚 acquired mostly rubbish, or when he comes across a browser who鈥檚 brazenly looking up books on Amazon on her laptop to see if she can get them cheaper, you wonder who鈥檇 do this for a living. But then there are times when he鈥檚 sitting by the fire with an excellent book recommended by a customer, or the town is bustling with festival events, or he鈥檚 watching spring come to rural Scotland, and you think: what could be better? In one of his last entries Bythell writes, 鈥渨hatever is required to keep the ship afloat will be done. This life is infinitely preferable to working for someone else.鈥� I wish him well, and hope to visit soon.
The Bookshop trivia:
December is by far the quietest month. (鈥淭he few people who give second-hand books as gifts for Christmas are usually eccentric鈥� 鈥� count me as one of them!)
Railway books sell best.
Terry Pratchett, John Buchan, P.G. Wodehouse and E.F. Benson books are also perennial best sellers.
You鈥檒l be amazed at how many customers try to haggle over prices. It鈥檚 a shop, not a rummage sale, for goodness鈥� sake! I can鈥檛 imagine ever having the cheek to offer less than the advertised price.
Originally published, with images and links, on my blog, .
January 30, 2023
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孬賲 囟丨賰 亘氐禺亘..!!
丿禺賱 夭亘賵賳 毓亘乇 丕賱亘丕亘 : 兀賳丕 賱爻鬲 賲賴鬲賲丕賸 丨賯丕賸 亘丕賱賰鬲亘 貙 丿毓賳賷 丕禺亘乇賰 賲丕 賴賵 乇兀賷賷 亘丕賱賯賵丞 丕賱賳賵賵賷丞 ..!!
亘丕卅毓 丕賱賰鬲亘 亘毓丿 賴匕丕 丕賱賲賵賯賮 賷賯賵賱 : 亘丨賱賵賱 丕賱爻丕毓丞 丕賱毓丕卮乇丞 賵丕賱賳氐賮 氐亘丕丨丕賸 賱賲 鬲賰賳 丕賱丕乇丕丿丞 賮賷 丕賱丨賷丕丞 爻賵賶 賲丨囟 匕賰乇賶....馃槃
爻乇毓丕賳 賲丕 兀賱鬲賮鬲 賷賲賷賳丕賸 賮廿匕丕 亘丕賱兀乇賮賮 丕賱賲賯丕亘賱丞 賱賷 賲鬲乇丕氐丞 亘賴丕 毓丿丿 賲賳 丕賱賰鬲亘 丕賱鬲賷 賱賲 賷爻亘賯 賱賷 乇丐賷鬲賴丕 賲賳 賯亘賱 貙 賲乇乇鬲 兀氐丕亘毓賷 丨匕乇丞 氐毓賵丿丕賸 賵賴亘賵胤丕賸 毓賱賶 毓賳丕賵賷賳賴丕 賮丕賯鬲賳氐鬲 賲賳賴丕 賰鬲丕亘賷賳 貙 鬲氐丕丿賲鬲 亘毓丿賴丕 亘賰賵賲丞 賲賳 丕賱賰鬲亘 丕賱賲賰丿爻丞 賵賷亘丿賵 兀賳賴丕 賲禺夭賵賳丕賸 噩丿賷丿丕賸 賯丿賲 賱賱鬲賵...毓賳丿卅匕賺 賱賲 兀賲賱賰 賲賯丕賵賲丞 匕丕賰 丕賱鬲爻丕乇毓 丕賱胤賮賷賮 賱賱賳亘囟 丕賱匕賷 賷氐丕丨亘 丕賱鬲賵賯毓 亘賵噩賵丿 卮賷亍 賲賲賷夭 亘廿賳鬲馗丕乇賰...兀毓鬲賯丿 亘兀賳 丿賮賯丞 丕賱兀丿乇賷賳丕賱賷賳 丕賱鬲賷 鬲丿丕賴賲賳賷 賮賷 賲孬賱 鬲賱賰 丕賱賱丨馗丕鬲 賱賷爻鬲 毓丕丿賷丞 兀亘丿丕賸...賴匕丕 賲毓 鬲乇丿丿 賳丿丕亍 丕賱毓賯賱 丕賱匕賷 賷鬲賵爻賱 賱賷 亘兀賳 賷鬲爻賱賲 爻賱胤丞 丕賱鬲丨賰賲 賵賱賰賳 賷亘丿賵 廿賳 丕賱氐賵鬲 賲賰鬲賵賲賹 賵賷兀鬲 賲賳 賲賰丕賳 亘毓賷丿 賱丕 賷爻毓賳賷 丕賱鬲毓乇賮 毓賱賷賴 貙 賮兀賳丕 兀爻賷乇丞 賱鬲毓賵賷匕丞 爻丨乇賷丞 賱丕 兀爻鬲胤賷毓 丕賱賮賰丕賰 賲賳賴丕....
噩丕亍賳賷 氐賵鬲 氐丕丨亘 賲鬲噩乇 丕賱賰鬲亘: 賲賴賱丕賸 賴匕賴 丕賱賰鬲亘...賯丕胤毓鬲 丕賱噩賲賱丞 賵賰鬲丕亘 "賷賵賲賷丕鬲 亘丕卅毓 賰鬲亘" 賮賷 賷丿賷 ..賷亘丿賵 廿賳賳賷 賮夭鬲 賷丕 爻賷丿賷..
丨爻賳丕賸 賵賱賰賳 孬賲賳 丕賱賰鬲丕亘.....
賱丕亘兀爻 賴賵 鬲毓賵賷囟丕賸 毓賳 丕賱賰鬲亘 睾賷乇 丕賱賲鬲賵賮乇丞 貙 賵賯亘賱 兀賳 賷氐丕亘 亘爻賰鬲丞 賯賱亘賷丞 爻丕乇毓鬲 亘丕賱丿賮毓 賵丿賵賳賲丕 鬲賮丕賵囟...
兀賲丕 毓賳 賴匕丕 丕賱賰鬲丕亘 賮賴賵 賷賵賲賷丕鬲 丕賱爻賷丿 "卮賵賳 亘賷孬賱" 氐丕丨亘 賲賰鬲亘丞 "The book shop" 賮賷 賲賯丕胤毓丞 "賵賷睾鬲丕賵賳" 亘丕爻賰鬲賱賳丿丕貙 噩丕亍鬲 丕賱賷賵賲賷丕鬲 毓賮賵賷丞 ..丿丕賮卅丞 賵爻丕禺乇丞 賱賲 丕鬲賲丕賱賰 賳賮爻賷 賲賳 丕賱囟丨賰 兀賲丕賲 丕賱賰孬賷乇 賲賳 丕賱賲賵丕賯賮 丕賱鬲賶 噩賲毓鬲賴 賵夭亘丕卅賳 睾乇賷亘賷 丕賱丕胤賵丕乇 賵賲爻丕毓丿賷賳 賮賷 丕賱毓賲賱 賷丿賮毓賵賳賴 賱丨丕賮丞 丕賱噩賳賵賳 ...
丨賷丕丞 丨丕賮賱丞 亘丕賱毓丿賷丿 賲賳 丕賱賲賴丕賲 丕賱卮丕賯丞 賵丕賱賲乇賴賯丞 貙 賲丕 亘賷賳 毓賯丿 賲爻丕賵賲丕鬲 毓賱賶 賲賰鬲亘丕鬲 禺丕氐丞 貙 卮乇丕亍 賰鬲亘 賲爻鬲毓賲賱丞 賲賳 兀氐丨丕亘賴丕貙 丨夭賲 丕賱賰鬲亘 賵卮丨賳賴丕 賮賷 氐賳丕丿賷賯 賲賳 賵廿賱賶 丕賱賲賰鬲亘丞 貙 丕賱廿賱鬲夭丕賲 亘鬲賱亘賷丞 胤賱亘丕鬲 丕賱夭亘丕卅賳 賮賷 賲賵丕毓賷丿賴丕 貙 鬲丨賲賱 鬲毓賱賷賯丕鬲賴賲 丕賱爻禺賷賮丞 賵兀爻卅賱鬲賴賲 丕賱亘賱賴丕亍 貙 禺賷亘丞 丕賱鬲賵賯毓丕鬲 賵毓賳 丕賱廿禺賮丕賯丕鬲 賲丕 亘賷賳 丕賱氐毓賵丿 賵丕賱賴亘賵胤 賮賷 丕賱賵囟毓 丕賱賲丕賱賷 丿賵賳賲丕 兀賷 賲丐卮乇 賱賱廿爻鬲賯乇丕乇..
丕賱鬲禺賱賷 毓賳 賲丨丕賵賱丞 賮賴賲 賰賷賮 賷毓賲賱 毓賯賱 賲爻丕毓丿鬲賴 賵丕賱鬲賷 賰丕賳鬲 賮賰丕賴賷丞 噩丿丕賸..賮賵囟賵賷丞 賵賲夭丕噩賷丞 賵賱賰賳賴丕 鬲囟賮賷 乇賵賳賯丕賸 禺丕氐丕賸 毓賱賶 丕賱賷賵賲賷丕鬲...
鬲爻丕亍賱鬲 亘卮兀賳 鬲賱賰 丕賱賰鬲亘 丕賱賲爻鬲毓賲賱丞 賰賲 賲賳 丕賱兀賷丿賷 鬲賳丕賯賱鬲賴丕責..
賰賲 乇賵丨丕賸 毓賱賯鬲 亘賷賳 丿賮鬲賷賴丕 責!
賲丕 丕賱匕賷 賰丕賳 賷丿賵乇 亘兀匕賴丕賳 兀氐丨丕亘賴丕 亘賷賳賲丕 鬲禺乇亘卮 兀賯賱丕賲賴賲 丕賱賲賱丕丨馗丕鬲 丕賱賴丕賲卮賷丞 責...
賴賱 鬲賱賰 丕賱賰鬲亘 賴賶 丕賱丿賱賷賱 丕賱賵丨賷丿 毓賱賶 賵噩賵丿 兀丨丿賴賲 賮賷 丕賱丨賷丕丞 賷賵賲丕賸 賲丕 責...
賵兀禺賷乇丕賸 爻兀丿毓賰賲 賲毓 賲賵賯賮賷賳 賲賳 兀賰孬乇 丕賱賲賵丕賯賮 賲丿毓丕丞 賱賱囟丨賰 賵丕賱亘丐爻 賲毓丕賸....
爻兀賱 乇噩賱 : 兀賳鬲賲 亘丕賱鬲兀賰賷丿 賱丕 鬲亘賷毓賵賳 賰鬲亘丕賸 ..兀賱賷爻 賰匕賱賰 責
孬賲 囟丨賰 亘氐禺亘..!!
丿禺賱 夭亘賵賳 毓亘乇 丕賱亘丕亘 : 兀賳丕 賱爻鬲 賲賴鬲賲丕賸 丨賯丕賸 亘丕賱賰鬲亘 貙 丿毓賳賷 丕禺亘乇賰 賲丕 賴賵 乇兀賷賷 亘丕賱賯賵丞 丕賱賳賵賵賷丞 ..!!
亘丕卅毓 丕賱賰鬲亘 亘毓丿 賴匕丕 丕賱賲賵賯賮 賷賯賵賱 : 亘丨賱賵賱 丕賱爻丕毓丞 丕賱毓丕卮乇丞 賵丕賱賳氐賮 氐亘丕丨丕賸 賱賲 鬲賰賳 丕賱丕乇丕丿丞 賮賷 丕賱丨賷丕丞 爻賵賶 賲丨囟 匕賰乇賶....馃槃
April 15, 2022
In The Diary of a Bookseller, author Shaun Bythell shares a year in his life as a bookseller through a series of journal entries written between 2014-15. Since 2001, Shaun Bythell owns and operates 'The Bookshop' in Wigtown , the Book Town of Galloway. His store is the largest second-hand bookstore in Scotland. His daily life consists of time in his shop with his part-time employees including students from nearby universities, the eccentric Nicky whose antics will have you in splits and, of course, the shop cat, Captain. He shares his experiences in estate sales and valuations and organizing local book festivals and also shares anecdotes from his experiences with the variety of customers who visit his shop both his regulars and tourists- browsers, buyers and sellers. He posts some of the more entertaining interactions on his Facebook page along with pictures and videos of his store. Some of the encounters are laugh-out-loud funny. He is not too fond of ebooks and once he expressed his distaste towards Kindles by shooting through a damaged Kindle and mounting it on a wall in his shop- which he claims is one of the most popular displays in his shop (the video of which I promptly looked up!)
The author sheds a light on both the appealing and the mundane aspects of the profession of bookselling. He charts his sales, acquisitions and even mentions how much money is left in the till at the close of that particular day. Besides direct sales, the shop also sells through Amazon and AbeBooks. The author also discusses the challenges faced in selling books from brick-and-mortar stores in the era of Amazon, Waterstones and the popularity of ebooks over physical books.
I enjoy fictional stories set in bookstores and libraries. Therefore when I found out about this memoir that gives us a true picture of life as a bookseller and the different aspects of the business, I was genuinely interested. I enjoyed the extracts from George Orwell鈥檚 鈥淏ookshop Memories鈥� at the beginning of each chapter and the ensuing discussion on Orwell鈥檚 experiences working part-time in a bookstore (1934-36) and the author鈥檚 perspective on the profession in the modern-day. I found myself looking up the shop鈥檚 Facebook page and enjoyed the pictures of the shop and Captain. Overall, this is a slow-paced, light and entertaining memoir that I thoroughly enjoyed and I look forward to reading the follow-up books in his series.
The author sheds a light on both the appealing and the mundane aspects of the profession of bookselling. He charts his sales, acquisitions and even mentions how much money is left in the till at the close of that particular day. Besides direct sales, the shop also sells through Amazon and AbeBooks. The author also discusses the challenges faced in selling books from brick-and-mortar stores in the era of Amazon, Waterstones and the popularity of ebooks over physical books.
I enjoy fictional stories set in bookstores and libraries. Therefore when I found out about this memoir that gives us a true picture of life as a bookseller and the different aspects of the business, I was genuinely interested. I enjoyed the extracts from George Orwell鈥檚 鈥淏ookshop Memories鈥� at the beginning of each chapter and the ensuing discussion on Orwell鈥檚 experiences working part-time in a bookstore (1934-36) and the author鈥檚 perspective on the profession in the modern-day. I found myself looking up the shop鈥檚 Facebook page and enjoyed the pictures of the shop and Captain. Overall, this is a slow-paced, light and entertaining memoir that I thoroughly enjoyed and I look forward to reading the follow-up books in his series.
April 4, 2018
This book is going straight onto my shelf of all time favourites. I really enjoyed reading Shaun Bythell's diary of the trials, tribulations and occasional triumphs of being a bookseller.
In 2001, after having difficulty settling on a career he enjoyed, Shaun bought The Book Shop in his home town of Wigtown, in the Galloway region of Scotland. Some years later he started a diary and a facebook site to record the interactions with his customers, but over the months it developed into so much more - a record of the changing seasons and the happenings in the town, as well as a record of the selling and buying of books, dealing with Amazon and his quirky part time employee Nicky.
Following closure of its main industries, a distillery and a creamery, Wigtown launched a plan in 1998 to rejuvenate itself as a Book Town like the well known popular Welsh village Hay-on-Wye and is now a popular tourist destination with a successful annual Book Festival. The Book Shop is now the second largest second hand book store in Scotland with over 100,000 books. It sounds wonderful with rooms and rooms full of books, an open fire and comfortable armchairs, and odd antiques that Shaun picks up at auctions. There is even a 'festival bed' on a mezzanine that can be booked for the festival and often used by overnight guests who stay too late or drink too much to go home.
This is a fascinating book to read if you're interested in becoming a bookseller. There are all sorts of customers, the regulars, the hagglers, the ones who spend hours in the shop pulling books off the shelf and not buying. Then there is the business of buying books from auctions and deceased estates, having to get rid of the unselleable portions but also occassionally finding a gem like a rare first edition or a book signed by Florence Nightingale. There are also the trials of on-line selling and dealing with Amazon (who now seem to own everything).
The compensations for Shaun are living in a beautiful part of the world, enjoying the fishing, boating and rock climbing in the quiet times with someone else minding the shop. Shaun also knows many interesting people and his involvement in organising the annual festival allows him to meet many authors and writers so there are many evenings of social company and entertainment.
Shaun's one time employee Nicky also provided him with hours of amusement (as well as annoyance because she had her own ideas of how to run the shop). There are some priceless videos on youtube of Nicky (in the black ski-suit that she wore to work all winter) showing the results of her bin foraging outside the supermarket, judging the anonymous postcard competition, explaining to Shaun what happened to his creme eggs and also of Shaun and Nicky in a Book Shop rap. Shaun's video series of Kindle Tutorials on how to deal with broken kindles is also hilarious and sums up his thoughts on Amazon (there's a great photo in the book of the 'fixed kindle' from one of his tutorials). I also enjoyed Shaun discussing the books he's reading and the George Orwell quotes at the start of each month of the diary.
Recommended for all those who think it would be cool to have a bookshop and for the rest of us who enjoy reading and reading about what other people are reading.
*
The passages I'd love to quote here are too numerous, so here is just one from the start of Shaun's diary:
"There is a stereotype of the impatient, intolerant, antisocial proprietor - played so perfectly by Dylan Moran in Black Books - and it seems (on the whole) to be true. There are exceptions of course, and many booksellers do not conform to this type. Sadly I do."
In 2001, after having difficulty settling on a career he enjoyed, Shaun bought The Book Shop in his home town of Wigtown, in the Galloway region of Scotland. Some years later he started a diary and a facebook site to record the interactions with his customers, but over the months it developed into so much more - a record of the changing seasons and the happenings in the town, as well as a record of the selling and buying of books, dealing with Amazon and his quirky part time employee Nicky.
Following closure of its main industries, a distillery and a creamery, Wigtown launched a plan in 1998 to rejuvenate itself as a Book Town like the well known popular Welsh village Hay-on-Wye and is now a popular tourist destination with a successful annual Book Festival. The Book Shop is now the second largest second hand book store in Scotland with over 100,000 books. It sounds wonderful with rooms and rooms full of books, an open fire and comfortable armchairs, and odd antiques that Shaun picks up at auctions. There is even a 'festival bed' on a mezzanine that can be booked for the festival and often used by overnight guests who stay too late or drink too much to go home.
This is a fascinating book to read if you're interested in becoming a bookseller. There are all sorts of customers, the regulars, the hagglers, the ones who spend hours in the shop pulling books off the shelf and not buying. Then there is the business of buying books from auctions and deceased estates, having to get rid of the unselleable portions but also occassionally finding a gem like a rare first edition or a book signed by Florence Nightingale. There are also the trials of on-line selling and dealing with Amazon (who now seem to own everything).
The compensations for Shaun are living in a beautiful part of the world, enjoying the fishing, boating and rock climbing in the quiet times with someone else minding the shop. Shaun also knows many interesting people and his involvement in organising the annual festival allows him to meet many authors and writers so there are many evenings of social company and entertainment.
Shaun's one time employee Nicky also provided him with hours of amusement (as well as annoyance because she had her own ideas of how to run the shop). There are some priceless videos on youtube of Nicky (in the black ski-suit that she wore to work all winter) showing the results of her bin foraging outside the supermarket, judging the anonymous postcard competition, explaining to Shaun what happened to his creme eggs and also of Shaun and Nicky in a Book Shop rap. Shaun's video series of Kindle Tutorials on how to deal with broken kindles is also hilarious and sums up his thoughts on Amazon (there's a great photo in the book of the 'fixed kindle' from one of his tutorials). I also enjoyed Shaun discussing the books he's reading and the George Orwell quotes at the start of each month of the diary.
Recommended for all those who think it would be cool to have a bookshop and for the rest of us who enjoy reading and reading about what other people are reading.
*
The passages I'd love to quote here are too numerous, so here is just one from the start of Shaun's diary:
"There is a stereotype of the impatient, intolerant, antisocial proprietor - played so perfectly by Dylan Moran in Black Books - and it seems (on the whole) to be true. There are exceptions of course, and many booksellers do not conform to this type. Sadly I do."
February 21, 2022
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Genre:
Nonfiction + Memoir
Shaun Bythell tells us about his experience after buying this big second-hand bookshop in Wigtown which is considered the second-largest bookshop there, the challenges he faced to keep it up and running in our era in which technology has advanced a lot where there are other forms of reading other than buying physical books.
The book is written as the title suggests, in a diary format. The diary has daily entries for about a year. It tells the reader what is in and what is out. Many times it showed how challenging it becomes to satisfy customers and meet their expectations especially when it comes to dealing with shipping the books in time to the customers or else one has to deal with the annoying back and forth emails and calls to track the shipment. Another thing is the owner's encounters with some interesting customers.
This was a satisfying read to me. I can't say that it was too enjoyable though. The diary entries after some time have become repetitive to me. They sounded more like bookkeeping of what is in and what is out. Honestly, I can't say what I was expecting from this book because the premise interested me, but I have picked it up without any expectations. So my advice to you is to keep your expectations low too so you would not be disappointed.
Overall, this was an interesting read for me. Not a perfect one but definitely do not regret that I have read it. I give The Diary of a Bookseller a good 3.5 stars out of 5.0.
April 22, 2019
The Diary of a Bookseller is the first person account of Shaun Bythell, owner of The Bookshop, a large second hand bookstore in Scotland. Over the course of the year 2014, Bythell keeps a diary of daily encounters from the shop.
Some days are better than others. Irritating customers are a given. Bythell has a consistent dry sarcasm, and the details of the shop鈥檚 daily happenings are amusing.
鈥淎ny bookseller will tell you that, even with 100,000 books neatly sorted and shelved in a well-lit, warm shop, if you put an unopened box of books in a dark, cold, dimly lit corner, customers will be rifling through it in a matter of moments. The appeal of a box of unsorted, unpriced stock is extraordinary. Obviously the idea of finding a bargain is part of it, but I suspect it goes well beyond that and has parallels with opening gifts. The excitement of the unknown is what it鈥檚 all about, and it鈥檚 something to which I can relate鈥揵uying books is exactly that...鈥�
The Diary of a Bookseller was an entertaining, light and enjoyable read.
Some days are better than others. Irritating customers are a given. Bythell has a consistent dry sarcasm, and the details of the shop鈥檚 daily happenings are amusing.
鈥淎ny bookseller will tell you that, even with 100,000 books neatly sorted and shelved in a well-lit, warm shop, if you put an unopened box of books in a dark, cold, dimly lit corner, customers will be rifling through it in a matter of moments. The appeal of a box of unsorted, unpriced stock is extraordinary. Obviously the idea of finding a bargain is part of it, but I suspect it goes well beyond that and has parallels with opening gifts. The excitement of the unknown is what it鈥檚 all about, and it鈥檚 something to which I can relate鈥揵uying books is exactly that...鈥�
The Diary of a Bookseller was an entertaining, light and enjoyable read.
October 21, 2017
It it not easy to write a book in the diary format without falling into the trap of repeating yourself. I got up, opened the shop, Nicky was late. How very often did those words recur. It takes a writer of considerably more skill and imagination to make a diary interesting. One who can offer nuggets of insight (perhaps in response to the books he was reading above the bald comment "I enjoyed it") or the odd piece of imagery. This book failed on those counts. It had the stock in trade ornery employee, the obligatory grumpy bookseller (towards the end of the book, perhaps alerted by a reader or editor, there was a defensive paragraph about how he was only rude to customers and never to waitresses or shop assistants, but waitresses and shop assistants are not as downtrodden and unable to answer back as you may think - viz his own staff! - and some of the customers seemed tactless or inept rather than deliberately offensive. Mr. Deacon's dementia was there for all to see).
The only entertaining elements were the Orwell quotes, the Facebook entries written by the maverick Nicky and a letter quoted from another bookseller. The sarcasm levelled at customers was not as hilarious as the publishers or the author seemed to think.
February 16, 2018
鈥漁f course, one person鈥檚 good book is another person鈥檚 bad book; the matter is entirely subjective.鈥�
For me, this book is quirky (with a capital 鈥净鈥�).
The story meanders along, a bit like life really. Mostly routine and humdrum, with little flecks of highlights and happiness. A journal of sorts, of the trials and tribulations of a bookseller, and in a second hand bookstore at that.
Not a lot happens, but there are little gems that had me laughing out loud such as鈥�
鈥滱n elderly customer told me that her book club鈥檚 next book was Dracula, but she couldn鈥檛 remember what he鈥檇 written."
I enjoyed the quirky characters. Shaun, the owner of the bookstore. A bit prickly, posting barbed comments on Facebook about his customers (too funny), but who deep down seems quite sensitive, behind the detached exterior. Nicky (who works in the bookstore); a free spirit who drives an old combi van and loves hunting for food via what鈥檚 been thrown out from the local supermarket鈥檚 skip (鈥淔oodie Fridays鈥�, what delights will be brought in鈥�). Sandy (the pagan), who brings in hand carved walking sticks, in exchange for books on Celtic mythology. The regular customers such a retired solicitor Mr Deacon (never shall we find out his first name), who orders books on a weekly basis, when he can quite easily buy them online, to the browsers who spend hours reading in front of the fireplace, only to leave without buying a single item.
I can well imagine the kaleidoscope of personalities meeting in the melting pot of this bookstore.
There were also many very sad and poignant parts of the story where Shaun goes to purchase books (sometimes entire collections) from estates. I find it bittersweet where he described that books that are left behind often capture that essence of a person. That left a lump in my throat.
This is definitely a place that I would love to visit if I was ever to visit Wigtown, Scotland. It would be an absolute treat.
For me, this book is quirky (with a capital 鈥净鈥�).
The story meanders along, a bit like life really. Mostly routine and humdrum, with little flecks of highlights and happiness. A journal of sorts, of the trials and tribulations of a bookseller, and in a second hand bookstore at that.
Not a lot happens, but there are little gems that had me laughing out loud such as鈥�
鈥滱n elderly customer told me that her book club鈥檚 next book was Dracula, but she couldn鈥檛 remember what he鈥檇 written."
I enjoyed the quirky characters. Shaun, the owner of the bookstore. A bit prickly, posting barbed comments on Facebook about his customers (too funny), but who deep down seems quite sensitive, behind the detached exterior. Nicky (who works in the bookstore); a free spirit who drives an old combi van and loves hunting for food via what鈥檚 been thrown out from the local supermarket鈥檚 skip (鈥淔oodie Fridays鈥�, what delights will be brought in鈥�). Sandy (the pagan), who brings in hand carved walking sticks, in exchange for books on Celtic mythology. The regular customers such a retired solicitor Mr Deacon (never shall we find out his first name), who orders books on a weekly basis, when he can quite easily buy them online, to the browsers who spend hours reading in front of the fireplace, only to leave without buying a single item.
I can well imagine the kaleidoscope of personalities meeting in the melting pot of this bookstore.
There were also many very sad and poignant parts of the story where Shaun goes to purchase books (sometimes entire collections) from estates. I find it bittersweet where he described that books that are left behind often capture that essence of a person. That left a lump in my throat.
This is definitely a place that I would love to visit if I was ever to visit Wigtown, Scotland. It would be an absolute treat.
April 27, 2021
I SO enjoyed this book! It's well written, funny and the diary format is great for those who love books and reading but lead busy lives. I'm very envious of Shaun Bythells idyllic life in his wonderful bookish world in the wilds of Scotland.
Is this a 'one off' or will there be more installments, I suspect there's plenty of material to fill a few more if Shaun has the time and inclination?
Is this a 'one off' or will there be more installments, I suspect there's plenty of material to fill a few more if Shaun has the time and inclination?
June 26, 2020
This was a very good read. Shaun Bythell did a nice job of writing this book. It鈥檚 a year in the life of him running his second-hand bookstore in a small Scottish village called Wigtown. He buys books at estate sales or in people鈥檚 houses or in the store, and he sells books in the store and online (Amazon, Abebooks).
Each chapter is a month of the year (starting on February 1, 2014 and ending on January 30, 2015) and within each month are diary entries with sundry facts such as what鈥檚 in the till at the end of the day and how many customers were in the store, and what books were sold, or what books he bought. And within each entry are the events that took place in his life for each day of the month. Sound boring? It鈥檚 not. This guy has a wry if not at times sardonic sense of humor鈥ade me laugh out loud more than once. It was a very pleasant read where I got to know him, and his employees (Nicky is a real hoot), and learned about the customers who entered the store. I love used bookstores and so I would heartily recommend this book for those of you who also have such a love. For those of you who have not in the past or present frequented shops that sell used books, then this may not be all that interesting to you.
There is also a recurring thread in the memoir about how Amazon has really hurt second-hand bookstores鈥nd that鈥檚 shame because a number of quaint and charming stores with character and personality have vanished or will be vanishing. What price progress? 馃檨
At the start of each chapter (month) is a series of sentences from George Orwell who wrote an essay in 1936 called 鈥淏ookshop Memories鈥� in 1936. Selections he picked were humorous and/or witty .
Such as: 鈥淚n a town like London there are always plenty of not quite certifiable lunatics walking the streets, and they tend to gravitate towards bookshops, because a bookshop is one of the few places where you can hang about for a long time without spending any money.鈥� Here is a link to the whole essay:
Here are several passages that I bookmarked鈥�.hope you enjoy like I did! And these are not uncommon but rather the tip of the iceberg鈥e has many funny things to say as well as interesting things. I almost felt like I was in the bookstore (actually he had pictures of the bookstore and it was a prototypic charming second-hand bookstore with books and bookcases galore and the cat (every used bookstore worth its salt must have a cat! 馃槉 ).
鈥� 鈥he immersive capacity of a good novel to transport you into a different world is unique to the written word.鈥� (Jim: I love that observation because it is true鈥o be oblivious to the present situation and to be in the lives of the characters of a novel鈥t鈥檚 truly something, isn鈥檛 it?)
鈥� In November 2001, the month I bought the shop, an old man was browsing in the maritime history section of the shop. He came to the counter and asked, 鈥淲hen are you having the bonfire?鈥� Puzzled, I asked him what he meant. He replied, 鈥淔or your books. I have never seen such rubbish. All they鈥檙e good for is the bonfire.鈥� This was my first encounter with a genuinely rude customer, and back then I was still racked with insecurities about the shop, the stock and what I was doing. Fortunately, another customer witnessed the incident and, sensing my discomfort, stepped in and said, 鈥淎ctually, this is the best maritime history section I have ever seen in any bookshop. If you don鈥檛 like it you should probably leave.鈥� He left.
鈥� In the afternoon, a customer spent about an hour wandering around the shop. He finally came to the counter and said 鈥淚 never buy second-hand books. You don鈥檛 know who else has touched them, or where they鈥檝e been.鈥� Apart from being an irritating thing to say to a second-hand bookseller, who knows whose hands have touched the books in the shop? Doubtless everyone from ministers to murderers. For many that secret history of provenance is a source of excitement which fires their imagination. A friend and I once discussed annotations and marginalia in books. Again, they are a divisive issue. We occasionally have Amazon orders returned because the recipient has discovered notes in a book, scribbled by previous readers, which we had not spotted. To me these things do not detract but are captivating additions 鈥� a glimpse into the mind of another person who has read the same book.
鈥� A customer came to the counter and said, 鈥淚鈥檝e looked under the W section of the fiction and I can鈥檛 find anything by Rider Haggard.鈥� I suggested that he have a look under the H section.
鈥� An elderly customer told me that her book clubs next book was Dracula, but she couldn鈥檛 remember what he鈥檇 written.
Reviews:
Each chapter is a month of the year (starting on February 1, 2014 and ending on January 30, 2015) and within each month are diary entries with sundry facts such as what鈥檚 in the till at the end of the day and how many customers were in the store, and what books were sold, or what books he bought. And within each entry are the events that took place in his life for each day of the month. Sound boring? It鈥檚 not. This guy has a wry if not at times sardonic sense of humor鈥ade me laugh out loud more than once. It was a very pleasant read where I got to know him, and his employees (Nicky is a real hoot), and learned about the customers who entered the store. I love used bookstores and so I would heartily recommend this book for those of you who also have such a love. For those of you who have not in the past or present frequented shops that sell used books, then this may not be all that interesting to you.
There is also a recurring thread in the memoir about how Amazon has really hurt second-hand bookstores鈥nd that鈥檚 shame because a number of quaint and charming stores with character and personality have vanished or will be vanishing. What price progress? 馃檨
At the start of each chapter (month) is a series of sentences from George Orwell who wrote an essay in 1936 called 鈥淏ookshop Memories鈥� in 1936. Selections he picked were humorous and/or witty .
Such as: 鈥淚n a town like London there are always plenty of not quite certifiable lunatics walking the streets, and they tend to gravitate towards bookshops, because a bookshop is one of the few places where you can hang about for a long time without spending any money.鈥� Here is a link to the whole essay:
Here are several passages that I bookmarked鈥�.hope you enjoy like I did! And these are not uncommon but rather the tip of the iceberg鈥e has many funny things to say as well as interesting things. I almost felt like I was in the bookstore (actually he had pictures of the bookstore and it was a prototypic charming second-hand bookstore with books and bookcases galore and the cat (every used bookstore worth its salt must have a cat! 馃槉 ).
鈥� 鈥he immersive capacity of a good novel to transport you into a different world is unique to the written word.鈥� (Jim: I love that observation because it is true鈥o be oblivious to the present situation and to be in the lives of the characters of a novel鈥t鈥檚 truly something, isn鈥檛 it?)
鈥� In November 2001, the month I bought the shop, an old man was browsing in the maritime history section of the shop. He came to the counter and asked, 鈥淲hen are you having the bonfire?鈥� Puzzled, I asked him what he meant. He replied, 鈥淔or your books. I have never seen such rubbish. All they鈥檙e good for is the bonfire.鈥� This was my first encounter with a genuinely rude customer, and back then I was still racked with insecurities about the shop, the stock and what I was doing. Fortunately, another customer witnessed the incident and, sensing my discomfort, stepped in and said, 鈥淎ctually, this is the best maritime history section I have ever seen in any bookshop. If you don鈥檛 like it you should probably leave.鈥� He left.
鈥� In the afternoon, a customer spent about an hour wandering around the shop. He finally came to the counter and said 鈥淚 never buy second-hand books. You don鈥檛 know who else has touched them, or where they鈥檝e been.鈥� Apart from being an irritating thing to say to a second-hand bookseller, who knows whose hands have touched the books in the shop? Doubtless everyone from ministers to murderers. For many that secret history of provenance is a source of excitement which fires their imagination. A friend and I once discussed annotations and marginalia in books. Again, they are a divisive issue. We occasionally have Amazon orders returned because the recipient has discovered notes in a book, scribbled by previous readers, which we had not spotted. To me these things do not detract but are captivating additions 鈥� a glimpse into the mind of another person who has read the same book.
鈥� A customer came to the counter and said, 鈥淚鈥檝e looked under the W section of the fiction and I can鈥檛 find anything by Rider Haggard.鈥� I suggested that he have a look under the H section.
鈥� An elderly customer told me that her book clubs next book was Dracula, but she couldn鈥檛 remember what he鈥檇 written.
Reviews:
January 15, 2019
Books excite me, but reading a book about a bookshop, excites me just that little bit more. I haven't came across many books in this kind of genre, so I really made the most of this one. The book shop, is ran by Shaun Bythell, and is located in Wigtown, Scotland. It is a seemingly successful second-hand book shop, and this book contains the diary of Bythell, which he kept for a year, and has all the events of each day recorded in it.
Now, I use Amazon for books very often, and it is due to Amazon, that unfortunately, many second-hand bookstores either struggle, or have gone out of business completely. I for one love mooching around a bookshop, I find it so enthralling but also comforting at the same time. It is a great shame that we don't have as many bookshops around like we used to. We obviously can thank the Internet for this!
This is clearly an individual who holds a genuine passion and appreciation for books, and seemingly puts up with a great amount of rudeness from his customers. What astounded me, is the way customers come in the shop, and attempt to haggle the price of the book! It's not a car boot sale, it is a successful business that Bythell has been running efficiently for over fifteen years!
Being about to jump into thousands of books each day, rummage through them, and then actually make a living off that, is truly a piece of heaven, and for that, I'm quite envious of Bythell. I'm also happy that he took the time to give us an insight into his incredibly bookish life. Oh, and Mr Bythell? I'll be visiting later on this year!
Now, I use Amazon for books very often, and it is due to Amazon, that unfortunately, many second-hand bookstores either struggle, or have gone out of business completely. I for one love mooching around a bookshop, I find it so enthralling but also comforting at the same time. It is a great shame that we don't have as many bookshops around like we used to. We obviously can thank the Internet for this!
This is clearly an individual who holds a genuine passion and appreciation for books, and seemingly puts up with a great amount of rudeness from his customers. What astounded me, is the way customers come in the shop, and attempt to haggle the price of the book! It's not a car boot sale, it is a successful business that Bythell has been running efficiently for over fifteen years!
Being about to jump into thousands of books each day, rummage through them, and then actually make a living off that, is truly a piece of heaven, and for that, I'm quite envious of Bythell. I'm also happy that he took the time to give us an insight into his incredibly bookish life. Oh, and Mr Bythell? I'll be visiting later on this year!
August 2, 2019
-Excelent, marvelous, absolutely fabulous ! 螠蟺慰蟻蠋 谓伪 蟺蟻慰蟽胃苇蟽蠅 魏伪喂 superb?
-惟, 蟿慰 位伪蟿蟻蔚蠉蠅 蟿慰 superb !
危蟿伪 渭苇蟻畏-蟺慰蠀-胃伪-萎胃蔚位伪-谓伪-蔚蟺喂蟽魏蔚蠁蟿蠋-伪位位维-未蔚谓-胃伪-蟿慰-魏维谓蠅-未蔚谓-蟺维蠅-慰蠉蟿蔚-蟽蟿畏谓-未喂蟺位伪谓萎-蟺蠈位畏 渭蟺萎魏蔚 魏伪喂 伪蠀蟿萎 畏 渭喂魏蟻萎 蟺蠈位畏 蟽蟿畏谓 危魏蠅蟿委伪, 未畏位伪未萎 渭喂伪 蟺蠈位畏 渭蔚 慰蠉蟿蔚 蠂委位喂慰蠀蟼 魏伪蟿慰委魏慰蠀蟼 魏伪喂 渭蔚 苇谓伪 蟽蠅蟻蠈 尾喂尾位喂慰蟺蠅位蔚委伪 魏伪喂 尉蔚谓慰未慰蠂蔚委伪;
韦慰 蠂蠅蟻喂蠈 渭慰蠀 苇蠂蔚喂 魏伪渭喂维 未喂伪魏慰蟽喂伪蟻喂维 位喂纬蠈蟿蔚蟻慰蠀蟼 魏伪蟿慰委魏慰蠀蟼 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰 Wigtown 魏伪喂 伪蠁慰蠉 苇蠁蠀纬伪 渭蔚蟿维 伪蟺蠈 蠂蟻蠈谓喂伪 苇纬喂谓蔚 苇谓伪 伪尉喂慰蟺蟻蔚蟺苇蟼 渭蟺伪魏维位喂魏慰. 螤慰蠀 蟺萎纬伪喂谓伪 渭喂魏蟻蠈蟼 谓伪 蟺维蟻蠅 蠁苇蟿伪 魏伪喂 苇位蔚纬蔚 "螖蔚谓 苇蠂慰渭蔚" (蟽喂魏)
桅螘韦螒 危螣违 螙螚韦螚危螒 螣围螜 螝螒螠螒螠螤螘巍
韦喂 苇位蔚纬伪 ; 螡伪喂 .. 蠀蟺苇蟻慰蠂慰 尾喂尾位委慰, 蠂维谓蔚喂 蟿慰 5伪蟻喂 纬喂伪蟿委 魏维蟺慰蠀 蔚委谓伪喂 蔚蟺伪谓伪位伪渭尾伪谓蠈渭蔚谓慰
螣蟻委蟽蟿蔚 魏伪喂 畏 喂蟽蟿慰蟽蔚位委未伪 蟿慰蠀 蠀蟺伪蟻魏蟿慰蠉 尾喂尾位喂慰蟺蠅位蔚委慰蠀 :
-惟, 蟿慰 位伪蟿蟻蔚蠉蠅 蟿慰 superb !
危蟿伪 渭苇蟻畏-蟺慰蠀-胃伪-萎胃蔚位伪-谓伪-蔚蟺喂蟽魏蔚蠁蟿蠋-伪位位维-未蔚谓-胃伪-蟿慰-魏维谓蠅-未蔚谓-蟺维蠅-慰蠉蟿蔚-蟽蟿畏谓-未喂蟺位伪谓萎-蟺蠈位畏 渭蟺萎魏蔚 魏伪喂 伪蠀蟿萎 畏 渭喂魏蟻萎 蟺蠈位畏 蟽蟿畏谓 危魏蠅蟿委伪, 未畏位伪未萎 渭喂伪 蟺蠈位畏 渭蔚 慰蠉蟿蔚 蠂委位喂慰蠀蟼 魏伪蟿慰委魏慰蠀蟼 魏伪喂 渭蔚 苇谓伪 蟽蠅蟻蠈 尾喂尾位喂慰蟺蠅位蔚委伪 魏伪喂 尉蔚谓慰未慰蠂蔚委伪;
韦慰 蠂蠅蟻喂蠈 渭慰蠀 苇蠂蔚喂 魏伪渭喂维 未喂伪魏慰蟽喂伪蟻喂维 位喂纬蠈蟿蔚蟻慰蠀蟼 魏伪蟿慰委魏慰蠀蟼 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰 Wigtown 魏伪喂 伪蠁慰蠉 苇蠁蠀纬伪 渭蔚蟿维 伪蟺蠈 蠂蟻蠈谓喂伪 苇纬喂谓蔚 苇谓伪 伪尉喂慰蟺蟻蔚蟺苇蟼 渭蟺伪魏维位喂魏慰. 螤慰蠀 蟺萎纬伪喂谓伪 渭喂魏蟻蠈蟼 谓伪 蟺维蟻蠅 蠁苇蟿伪 魏伪喂 苇位蔚纬蔚 "螖蔚谓 苇蠂慰渭蔚" (蟽喂魏)
桅螘韦螒 危螣违 螙螚韦螚危螒 螣围螜 螝螒螠螒螠螤螘巍
韦喂 苇位蔚纬伪 ; 螡伪喂 .. 蠀蟺苇蟻慰蠂慰 尾喂尾位委慰, 蠂维谓蔚喂 蟿慰 5伪蟻喂 纬喂伪蟿委 魏维蟺慰蠀 蔚委谓伪喂 蔚蟺伪谓伪位伪渭尾伪谓蠈渭蔚谓慰
螣蟻委蟽蟿蔚 魏伪喂 畏 喂蟽蟿慰蟽蔚位委未伪 蟿慰蠀 蠀蟺伪蟻魏蟿慰蠉 尾喂尾位喂慰蟺蠅位蔚委慰蠀 :
December 18, 2021
This was an enjoyable read which made me laugh out loud now and again. I learned about managing a bookshop and from now on I will see them with different eyes. I might as well go on with his next book, Confessions.
June 1, 2020
鈥淎n elderly customer told me that her book club鈥檚 next book was Dracula, but she couldn鈥檛 remember what he鈥檇 written.鈥�
Imagine reading the work diary of someone whose job follows a regular pattern each day, doing the same general activities, and that鈥檚 basically what reading this book was like - with some humorous anecdotes thrown in!
The Diary of a Bookseller is comprised of a year of diary entries from secondhand book shop owner, Shaun Bythell. And I have to admit, learning about how a secondhand book shop is actually run was very eye-opening to me, as it鈥檚 not really something I had considered before!
Each day the amount of money made through sales is recorded and it was so interesting to see this change from day to day, season to season. Takings were abysmal for quite a few of the winter months, whereas foot traffic and sales would go way up in the summer and tourist months. Bythell does have a lot of hatred for amazon, which is understandable, but at times it just wore me down. Although I will say that I am now making even more of a conscious effort to not just buy my books there!
Speaking of the bookseller himself, he was a large part of the reason why I didn鈥檛 enjoy this as much as I expected to. He just wasn鈥檛 very likeable to me. I have quite a dry wit myself, but often times I just found him to be kinda rude. Did not like.
However, I gotta say that the short diary entries were a heaven-send as my focus was absolutely terrible the week I was reading this, so a diary format that I could I dip in and out of suited my attention span.
It was an okay read, some of the anecdotes were funny as you see what an eclectic mix of customers he has, but I was ultimately a little disappointed! 2.5 stars.
Imagine reading the work diary of someone whose job follows a regular pattern each day, doing the same general activities, and that鈥檚 basically what reading this book was like - with some humorous anecdotes thrown in!
The Diary of a Bookseller is comprised of a year of diary entries from secondhand book shop owner, Shaun Bythell. And I have to admit, learning about how a secondhand book shop is actually run was very eye-opening to me, as it鈥檚 not really something I had considered before!
Each day the amount of money made through sales is recorded and it was so interesting to see this change from day to day, season to season. Takings were abysmal for quite a few of the winter months, whereas foot traffic and sales would go way up in the summer and tourist months. Bythell does have a lot of hatred for amazon, which is understandable, but at times it just wore me down. Although I will say that I am now making even more of a conscious effort to not just buy my books there!
Speaking of the bookseller himself, he was a large part of the reason why I didn鈥檛 enjoy this as much as I expected to. He just wasn鈥檛 very likeable to me. I have quite a dry wit myself, but often times I just found him to be kinda rude. Did not like.
However, I gotta say that the short diary entries were a heaven-send as my focus was absolutely terrible the week I was reading this, so a diary format that I could I dip in and out of suited my attention span.
It was an okay read, some of the anecdotes were funny as you see what an eclectic mix of customers he has, but I was ultimately a little disappointed! 2.5 stars.
September 25, 2018
Shaun Blythell would be sore that I read his book on a Kindle but it was an eARC of the US edition, what could I do. I enjoyed his diary of a year of bookselling - the customers, the small book town in Scotland, little hints into what he is reading and thinking, and the looming enemy of Amazon. His sense of humor is part curmudgeon... hmm, no, it's all curmudgeon. It makes him read as much older than he is, but that could just be the Scottish-American disconnect. I love that Scotland has a town that has been deemed a book town! We need those.
December 12, 2020
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
One of my favourite comedies from the early '00's was Black Books, a comedy set in a second hand book shop and starring Dylan Moran as a misanthropic book seller who hates people and drinks copious amounts of wine. This is the book equivalent to that comedy, and I absolutely loved it.
The book outlines a year in the life of Shaun Bythell, owner of The Book Shop, and his daily interactions with customers and excursions to source books. It's never pretentious, and often very, very funny. I particularly warmed to shop assistant Nicky, who is basically described as a wombling Jehovah's Witness, who often turns up to her shifts in the book shop in an all in one black ski suit with an accompanying assortment of food found in the skip behind Morrisons. The daily struggle with customers was also very funny and informative - I gained a particular fondness for regular customer Mr Deacon, but ultimately reminded me that I never want another career in retail!
The book serves as a great insight into the dying breed of booksellers, and provided a lot of information about books that I didn't know, such as books published before 1501 known as 'incunabula'. I liked the little excerpts from George Orwell which proceeded every month too, as they provided some cohesiveness to the structure of the book and made it feel less like a traditional diary.
I think the only section I didn't enjoy was where the author got sidetracked talking about fishing for a few pages in August. Again, they only lasted a few pages, but they felt a little bit out of place.
In all honesty, I think this is one of the best books I've read this year, and has had me heartily reminiscing about the old book shop that I use to frequent as a youngster. Now, unfortunately, it's been turned into a pub (!) but this book proves just how vulnerable and invaluable book shops are in our country since the rise of the ebook and major retailers. My only regret is that I read this on my kindle, but make no mistake, I'll be buying the hardback.
One of my favourite comedies from the early '00's was Black Books, a comedy set in a second hand book shop and starring Dylan Moran as a misanthropic book seller who hates people and drinks copious amounts of wine. This is the book equivalent to that comedy, and I absolutely loved it.
The book outlines a year in the life of Shaun Bythell, owner of The Book Shop, and his daily interactions with customers and excursions to source books. It's never pretentious, and often very, very funny. I particularly warmed to shop assistant Nicky, who is basically described as a wombling Jehovah's Witness, who often turns up to her shifts in the book shop in an all in one black ski suit with an accompanying assortment of food found in the skip behind Morrisons. The daily struggle with customers was also very funny and informative - I gained a particular fondness for regular customer Mr Deacon, but ultimately reminded me that I never want another career in retail!
The book serves as a great insight into the dying breed of booksellers, and provided a lot of information about books that I didn't know, such as books published before 1501 known as 'incunabula'. I liked the little excerpts from George Orwell which proceeded every month too, as they provided some cohesiveness to the structure of the book and made it feel less like a traditional diary.
I think the only section I didn't enjoy was where the author got sidetracked talking about fishing for a few pages in August. Again, they only lasted a few pages, but they felt a little bit out of place.
In all honesty, I think this is one of the best books I've read this year, and has had me heartily reminiscing about the old book shop that I use to frequent as a youngster. Now, unfortunately, it's been turned into a pub (!) but this book proves just how vulnerable and invaluable book shops are in our country since the rise of the ebook and major retailers. My only regret is that I read this on my kindle, but make no mistake, I'll be buying the hardback.
July 13, 2020
螡慰渭委味蠅 蠈蟿喂 蠈谓蔚喂蟻慰 魏维胃蔚 尾喂尾位喂蠈蠁喂位慰蠀 蔚委谓伪喂 谓伪 蟿伪 蟺伪蟻伪蟿萎蟽蔚喂 蠈位伪 魏伪喂 谓鈥� 伪谓慰委尉蔚喂 蟿慰 未喂魏蠈 蟿慰蠀 尾喂尾位喂慰蟺蠅位蔚委慰 . 螒蠀蟿蠈 萎蟿伪谓 魏伪喂 未喂魏蠈 渭慰蠀 蠈谓蔚喂蟻慰 蟺伪喂未喂魏蠈. 螡伪 未慰蠀位蔚蠉蠅 蟽蔚 尾喂尾位喂慰蟺蠅位蔚委慰 纬喂伪 谓伪 蟿伪尉喂未蔚蠉蠅 蟽蔚 魏蠈蟽渭慰蠀蟼 渭伪纬喂魏慰蠉蟼 魏伪喂 纬喂伪 谓伪 渭蠀蟻委味蠅 蟿畏 渭蠀蟻蠅未喂维 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰 蠁蟻蔚蟽魏慰蟿蠀蟺蠅渭苇谓慰 蠂伪蟻蟿委. 螖蔚谓 蟿伪 魏伪蟿维蠁蔚蟻伪 魏伪喂 蔚蟺喂蟽魏苇蟺蟿慰渭伪喂 蟿伪 尾喂尾位喂慰蟺蠅位蔚委伪 蠅蟼 蟺蔚位维蟿畏蟼 伪位位维 伪魏蠈渭伪 魏伪喂 苇蟿蟽喂 畏 渭伪纬蔚委伪 蟿畏蟼 蟺伪蟻慰蠀蟽委伪蟼 蟽蔚 苇谓伪 尾喂尾位喂慰蟺蠅位蔚委慰 蟺伪蟻伪渭苇谓蔚喂 蟿慰 委未喂慰 味蠅谓蟿伪谓萎 魏伪喂 味蔚蟽蟿萎. 螖蔚 胃伪 渭蟺慰蟻慰蠉蟽伪 位慰喂蟺蠈谓 蠅蟼 尾喂尾位喂蠈蠁喂位畏 谓伪 渭畏谓 未喂伪尾维蟽蠅 蟿慰 蟽蠀纬魏蔚魏蟻喂渭苇谓慰 尾喂尾位委慰 蟺慰蠀 慰蠀蟽喂伪蟽蟿喂魏维 伪蠁畏纬蔚委蟿伪喂 蟿伪 苇蟻纬伪 魏伪喂 畏渭苇蟻蔚蟼 蔚谓蠈蟼 尾喂尾位喂慰蟺蠅位蔚委慰蠀 魏伪喂 蠈蠂喂 蔚谓蠈蟼 慰蟺慰喂慰蠀未萎蟺慰蟿蔚 尾喂尾位喂慰蟺蠅位蔚委慰蠀 伪位位维 蟿慰蠀 渭蔚纬伪位蠉蟿蔚蟻慰蠀 蟺伪位伪喂慰尾喂尾位喂慰蟺蠅位蔚委慰蠀 蟿畏蟼 危魏蠅蟿委伪蟼.
螘委渭伪喂 蟺维蟻伪 蟺慰位蠉 蟽委纬慰蠀蟻畏 蠈蟿喂 蟿慰 尾喂尾位委慰 伪蠀蟿蠈 胃伪 伪蟺慰纬慰畏蟿蔚蠉蟽蔚喂 蟺慰位位慰蠉蟼 伪谓伪纬谓蠋蟽蟿蔚蟼 蟺慰蠀 胃伪 蟿慰 未喂伪尾维蟽慰蠀谓 蟺蔚蟻喂渭苇谓慰谓蟿伪蟼 苇谓伪 魏蠈蟽渭慰 位委纬慰 蟺喂慰 慰谓蔚喂蟻喂魏维 蟺位伪蟽渭苇谓慰 伪蟺蠈 蟿畏 蟽蟿喂纬渭萎 蟺慰蠀 苇蠂蔚喂 谓伪 魏维谓蔚喂 渭蔚 尾喂尾位委伪. 螠畏谓 尉蔚蠂谓维蟿蔚 蠈渭蠅蟼 蠁委位慰喂 渭慰蠀 蠈蟿喂 蔚委谓伪喂 苇谓伪 渭伪纬伪味委 蠈蟺蠅蟼 蠈位伪 蟿鈥� 维位位伪 蠈蟺慰蠀 胃伪 渭蟺慰蠀谓 蟺慰位位慰委 魏伪喂 未喂伪蠁慰蟻蔚蟿喂魏慰委 蟺蔚位维蟿蔚蟼 蔚魏 蟿蠅谓 慰蟺慰委蠅谓 渭喂伪 渭蔚纬维位畏 渭蔚蟻委未伪 胃伪 谓伪喂 喂未喂伪委蟿蔚蟻伪 未蠉蟽魏慰位慰喂 , 喂未喂蠈蟿蟻慰蟺慰喂 魏伪喂 伪蟺伪喂蟿畏蟿喂魏慰委 . 螖喂伪尾维味慰谓蟿伪蟼 伪蠀蟿蠈 蟿慰 尾喂尾位委慰 胃伪 未喂伪蟺喂蟽蟿蠋蟽蔚喂蟼 蠈蟿喂 蟿蔚位喂魏维 未蔚谓 蔚委谓伪喂 蟿蠈蟽慰 蟻蠈未喂谓伪 蠈位伪 魏伪喂 畏 未慰蠀位蔚喂维 蟿慰蠀 尾喂尾位喂慰蟺蠋位畏 未蔚谓 蔚委谓伪喂 蟺维谓蟿伪 渭伪纬喂魏萎 魏伪喂 蟿伪尉喂未喂维蟻喂魏畏. 螒谓蟿委胃蔚蟿伪 魏蟻蠉尾蔚喂 伪魏蠈渭伪 魏伪喂 伪蠀蟿萎 未蔚未慰渭苇谓慰蠀 蠈蟿喂 蟿慰 蟺蟻慰蠆蠈谓 蟺蟻慰蟼 蟺蠋位畏蟽畏 蔚委谓伪喂 喂蟽蟿慰蟻委蔚蟼 未喂伪蠁慰蟻蔚蟿喂魏苇蟼 畏 渭委伪 伪蟺蠈 蟿畏谓 维位位畏, 蟿畏谓 未喂魏萎 蟿慰蠀 蟻慰蠀蟿委谓伪 魏伪喂 尾伪蟻蔚渭维蟻伪 蠈蟺蠅蟼 蠈位蔚蟼 慰喂 未慰蠀位蔚喂苇蟼. 螝伪蟿蔚尾蔚委蟿蔚 伪纬伪蟺畏蟿慰委 尾喂尾位喂蠈蠁喂位慰喂 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰 蟻慰味 蟽蠀谓谓蔚蠁维魏喂 蔚蠂慰蠀谓 魏伪喂 慰喂 尾喂尾位喂慰蟺蠋位蔚蟼 胃苇渭伪蟿伪 魏伪喂 伪谓伪未慰蠀位蔚喂苇蟼 魏伪喂 蠂蟻苇畏 魏伪喂 魏伪魏苇蟼 畏渭苇蟻蔚蟼. 螤蟻慰蟽蠅蟺喂魏维 蠄喂位慰蟿伪蠀蟿委蟽蟿畏魏伪 渭蔚 蟿慰谓 魏蔚谓蟿蟻喂魏蠈 萎蟻蠅伪. 螤慰位位慰委 胃伪 蟿慰谓 蠂伪蟻伪魏蟿畏蟻委蟽慰蠀谓 渭委味蔚蟻慰 魏伪喂 伪蠂蠋谓蔚蠀蟿慰. 螘纬蠋 蟽伪谓 维谓胃蟻蠅蟺慰蟼 蟺慰蠀 蟿慰 蔚蟺维纬纬蔚位渭伪 渭慰蠀 蔚蠂蔚喂 谓伪 魏维谓蔚喂 渭蔚 魏蠈蟽渭慰 魏伪喂 苇蟻蠂慰渭伪喂 蟽蔚 蔚蟺伪蠁萎 渭蔚 蟺慰位位苇蟼 魏伪喂 未喂伪蠁慰蟻蔚蟿喂魏苇蟼 蟺蟻慰蟽蠅蟺喂魏蠈蟿畏蟿蔚蟼 魏伪胃畏渭蔚蟻喂谓维 伪位位维 魏伪蟿维 尾维蟽畏 蔚蟺伪谓伪位伪渭尾维谓蠅 蟿畏谓 委未喂伪 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 委未喂伪 蟻慰蠀蟿委谓伪 蟿慰谓 蟽蠀渭蟺慰谓蠋 魏伪喂 蟽蠀渭蟺维蟽蠂蠅 渭伪味委 蟿慰蠀. 螖蔚谓 蔚委谓伪喂 蠈位蔚蟼 慰喂 渭苇蟻蔚蟼 委未喂蔚蟼. 螘尉慰蠉 魏伪喂 蟺伪蟻伪位蔚委蟺蠅 蟽蟿畏谓 蟿蔚位喂魏萎 渭慰蠀 尾伪胃渭慰位慰纬委伪 蟺慰蠀 蠀蟺蠈 维位位蔚蟼 蟽蠀谓胃萎魏蔚蟼 胃伪 蟿慰蠀 蟽蟿蔚蟻慰蠉蟽蔚 苇谓伪 伪蟽蟿蔚蟻维魏喂 蟿畏谓 蔚蟺伪谓维位畏蠄畏 蟺慰位位蠋谓 蟽魏畏谓喂魏蠋谓. 螒谓 蟿慰 尾喂尾位委慰 未蔚谓 萎蟿伪谓 纬蟻伪渭渭苇谓慰 渭蔚 蟿畏 渭慰蟻蠁萎 畏渭蔚蟻慰位慰纬委慰蠀 蟺慰蠀 蔚魏 锟斤拷蠅谓 蟺蟻伪纬渭维蟿蠅谓 胃伪 蔚蟺伪谓伪位维尾蔚喂蟼 蟿慰谓 蔚伪蠀蟿蠈 蟽慰蠀 蟿蠈蟿蔚 蔚谓未蔚蠂慰渭苇谓蠅蟼 谓伪 渭蔚 蔚谓慰蠂位慰蠉蟽蔚.
韦慰 未喂维尾伪蟽伪 蟺慰位蠉 蔚蠀蠂维蟻喂蟽蟿伪 魏伪喂 魏伪蟿维 魏维蟺慰喂慰 蟿蟻蠈蟺慰 苇谓喂蠅蟽伪 蟽伪谓 谓伪 尾蟻委蟽魏慰渭伪喂 蟽蔚 渭委伪 伪蟺蠈 蟿喂蟼 纬蠅谓委蔚蟼 蟿慰蠀 魏伪喂 蟺伪蟻维位位畏位伪 渭慰喂蟻维蟽蟿畏魏伪 蟿蠈蟽慰 蟿慰谓 蔚谓胃慰蠀蟽喂伪蟽渭蠈 蟿慰蠀 萎蟻蠅伪 魏维胃蔚 蠁慰蟻维 蟺慰蠀 蔚蟻蠂蠈蟿伪谓 蟽蟿伪 蠂苇蟻喂伪 蟿慰蠀 苇谓伪 蟽蟺维谓喂慰 尾喂尾位委慰, 蠈蟽慰 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 伪纬蠅谓委伪 蟿慰蠀 纬喂伪 蟿慰 纬蔚纬慰谓蠈蟼 蠈蟿喂 委蟽蠅蟼 魏维蟺慰喂伪 蟽蟿喂纬渭萎 渭蔚 蟿畏谓 蔚委蟽慰未慰 蟿慰蠀 螒渭伪味慰谓 蟽蟿畏谓 伪纬慰蟻维 蟿伪 蟺伪位伪喂慰尾喂尾位喂慰蟺蠅位蔚委伪 胃伪 蔚尉伪蠁伪谓喂蟽蟿慰蠉谓. 螒尉喂蠈位慰纬慰.
螘委渭伪喂 蟺维蟻伪 蟺慰位蠉 蟽委纬慰蠀蟻畏 蠈蟿喂 蟿慰 尾喂尾位委慰 伪蠀蟿蠈 胃伪 伪蟺慰纬慰畏蟿蔚蠉蟽蔚喂 蟺慰位位慰蠉蟼 伪谓伪纬谓蠋蟽蟿蔚蟼 蟺慰蠀 胃伪 蟿慰 未喂伪尾维蟽慰蠀谓 蟺蔚蟻喂渭苇谓慰谓蟿伪蟼 苇谓伪 魏蠈蟽渭慰 位委纬慰 蟺喂慰 慰谓蔚喂蟻喂魏维 蟺位伪蟽渭苇谓慰 伪蟺蠈 蟿畏 蟽蟿喂纬渭萎 蟺慰蠀 苇蠂蔚喂 谓伪 魏维谓蔚喂 渭蔚 尾喂尾位委伪. 螠畏谓 尉蔚蠂谓维蟿蔚 蠈渭蠅蟼 蠁委位慰喂 渭慰蠀 蠈蟿喂 蔚委谓伪喂 苇谓伪 渭伪纬伪味委 蠈蟺蠅蟼 蠈位伪 蟿鈥� 维位位伪 蠈蟺慰蠀 胃伪 渭蟺慰蠀谓 蟺慰位位慰委 魏伪喂 未喂伪蠁慰蟻蔚蟿喂魏慰委 蟺蔚位维蟿蔚蟼 蔚魏 蟿蠅谓 慰蟺慰委蠅谓 渭喂伪 渭蔚纬维位畏 渭蔚蟻委未伪 胃伪 谓伪喂 喂未喂伪委蟿蔚蟻伪 未蠉蟽魏慰位慰喂 , 喂未喂蠈蟿蟻慰蟺慰喂 魏伪喂 伪蟺伪喂蟿畏蟿喂魏慰委 . 螖喂伪尾维味慰谓蟿伪蟼 伪蠀蟿蠈 蟿慰 尾喂尾位委慰 胃伪 未喂伪蟺喂蟽蟿蠋蟽蔚喂蟼 蠈蟿喂 蟿蔚位喂魏维 未蔚谓 蔚委谓伪喂 蟿蠈蟽慰 蟻蠈未喂谓伪 蠈位伪 魏伪喂 畏 未慰蠀位蔚喂维 蟿慰蠀 尾喂尾位喂慰蟺蠋位畏 未蔚谓 蔚委谓伪喂 蟺维谓蟿伪 渭伪纬喂魏萎 魏伪喂 蟿伪尉喂未喂维蟻喂魏畏. 螒谓蟿委胃蔚蟿伪 魏蟻蠉尾蔚喂 伪魏蠈渭伪 魏伪喂 伪蠀蟿萎 未蔚未慰渭苇谓慰蠀 蠈蟿喂 蟿慰 蟺蟻慰蠆蠈谓 蟺蟻慰蟼 蟺蠋位畏蟽畏 蔚委谓伪喂 喂蟽蟿慰蟻委蔚蟼 未喂伪蠁慰蟻蔚蟿喂魏苇蟼 畏 渭委伪 伪蟺蠈 蟿畏谓 维位位畏, 蟿畏谓 未喂魏萎 蟿慰蠀 蟻慰蠀蟿委谓伪 魏伪喂 尾伪蟻蔚渭维蟻伪 蠈蟺蠅蟼 蠈位蔚蟼 慰喂 未慰蠀位蔚喂苇蟼. 螝伪蟿蔚尾蔚委蟿蔚 伪纬伪蟺畏蟿慰委 尾喂尾位喂蠈蠁喂位慰喂 伪蟺蠈 蟿慰 蟻慰味 蟽蠀谓谓蔚蠁维魏喂 蔚蠂慰蠀谓 魏伪喂 慰喂 尾喂尾位喂慰蟺蠋位蔚蟼 胃苇渭伪蟿伪 魏伪喂 伪谓伪未慰蠀位蔚喂苇蟼 魏伪喂 蠂蟻苇畏 魏伪喂 魏伪魏苇蟼 畏渭苇蟻蔚蟼. 螤蟻慰蟽蠅蟺喂魏维 蠄喂位慰蟿伪蠀蟿委蟽蟿畏魏伪 渭蔚 蟿慰谓 魏蔚谓蟿蟻喂魏蠈 萎蟻蠅伪. 螤慰位位慰委 胃伪 蟿慰谓 蠂伪蟻伪魏蟿畏蟻委蟽慰蠀谓 渭委味蔚蟻慰 魏伪喂 伪蠂蠋谓蔚蠀蟿慰. 螘纬蠋 蟽伪谓 维谓胃蟻蠅蟺慰蟼 蟺慰蠀 蟿慰 蔚蟺维纬纬蔚位渭伪 渭慰蠀 蔚蠂蔚喂 谓伪 魏维谓蔚喂 渭蔚 魏蠈蟽渭慰 魏伪喂 苇蟻蠂慰渭伪喂 蟽蔚 蔚蟺伪蠁萎 渭蔚 蟺慰位位苇蟼 魏伪喂 未喂伪蠁慰蟻蔚蟿喂魏苇蟼 蟺蟻慰蟽蠅蟺喂魏蠈蟿畏蟿蔚蟼 魏伪胃畏渭蔚蟻喂谓维 伪位位维 魏伪蟿维 尾维蟽畏 蔚蟺伪谓伪位伪渭尾维谓蠅 蟿畏谓 委未喂伪 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 委未喂伪 蟻慰蠀蟿委谓伪 蟿慰谓 蟽蠀渭蟺慰谓蠋 魏伪喂 蟽蠀渭蟺维蟽蠂蠅 渭伪味委 蟿慰蠀. 螖蔚谓 蔚委谓伪喂 蠈位蔚蟼 慰喂 渭苇蟻蔚蟼 委未喂蔚蟼. 螘尉慰蠉 魏伪喂 蟺伪蟻伪位蔚委蟺蠅 蟽蟿畏谓 蟿蔚位喂魏萎 渭慰蠀 尾伪胃渭慰位慰纬委伪 蟺慰蠀 蠀蟺蠈 维位位蔚蟼 蟽蠀谓胃萎魏蔚蟼 胃伪 蟿慰蠀 蟽蟿蔚蟻慰蠉蟽蔚 苇谓伪 伪蟽蟿蔚蟻维魏喂 蟿畏谓 蔚蟺伪谓维位畏蠄畏 蟺慰位位蠋谓 蟽魏畏谓喂魏蠋谓. 螒谓 蟿慰 尾喂尾位委慰 未蔚谓 萎蟿伪谓 纬蟻伪渭渭苇谓慰 渭蔚 蟿畏 渭慰蟻蠁萎 畏渭蔚蟻慰位慰纬委慰蠀 蟺慰蠀 蔚魏 锟斤拷蠅谓 蟺蟻伪纬渭维蟿蠅谓 胃伪 蔚蟺伪谓伪位维尾蔚喂蟼 蟿慰谓 蔚伪蠀蟿蠈 蟽慰蠀 蟿蠈蟿蔚 蔚谓未蔚蠂慰渭苇谓蠅蟼 谓伪 渭蔚 蔚谓慰蠂位慰蠉蟽蔚.
韦慰 未喂维尾伪蟽伪 蟺慰位蠉 蔚蠀蠂维蟻喂蟽蟿伪 魏伪喂 魏伪蟿维 魏维蟺慰喂慰 蟿蟻蠈蟺慰 苇谓喂蠅蟽伪 蟽伪谓 谓伪 尾蟻委蟽魏慰渭伪喂 蟽蔚 渭委伪 伪蟺蠈 蟿喂蟼 纬蠅谓委蔚蟼 蟿慰蠀 魏伪喂 蟺伪蟻维位位畏位伪 渭慰喂蟻维蟽蟿畏魏伪 蟿蠈蟽慰 蟿慰谓 蔚谓胃慰蠀蟽喂伪蟽渭蠈 蟿慰蠀 萎蟻蠅伪 魏维胃蔚 蠁慰蟻维 蟺慰蠀 蔚蟻蠂蠈蟿伪谓 蟽蟿伪 蠂苇蟻喂伪 蟿慰蠀 苇谓伪 蟽蟺维谓喂慰 尾喂尾位委慰, 蠈蟽慰 魏伪喂 蟿畏谓 伪纬蠅谓委伪 蟿慰蠀 纬喂伪 蟿慰 纬蔚纬慰谓蠈蟼 蠈蟿喂 委蟽蠅蟼 魏维蟺慰喂伪 蟽蟿喂纬渭萎 渭蔚 蟿畏谓 蔚委蟽慰未慰 蟿慰蠀 螒渭伪味慰谓 蟽蟿畏谓 伪纬慰蟻维 蟿伪 蟺伪位伪喂慰尾喂尾位喂慰蟺蠅位蔚委伪 胃伪 蔚尉伪蠁伪谓喂蟽蟿慰蠉谓. 螒尉喂蠈位慰纬慰.
July 1, 2019
危伪谓 渭伪谓喂伪魏蠈蟼 尾喂尾位喂慰蠁维纬慰蟼 蟺慰蠀 蔚委渭伪喂, 胃伪 萎蟿伪谓 渭维位位慰谓 伪蟺委胃伪谓慰 谓伪 渭畏谓 伪纬慰蟻维蟽蠅 魏伪喂 谓伪 渭畏谓 未喂伪尾维蟽蠅 苇谓伪 尾喂尾位委慰 渭蔚 蟿慰谓 蟿委蟿位慰 "韦慰 畏渭蔚蟻慰位蠈纬喂慰 蔚谓蠈蟼 尾喂尾位喂慰蟺蠋位畏", 蔚喂未喂魏维 蠈蟿伪谓 慰 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪蟼 蔚委谓伪喂 慰 喂未喂慰魏蟿萎蟿畏蟼 蔚谓蠈蟼 伪蟺蠈 蟿伪 纬谓蠅蟽蟿蠈蟿蔚蟻伪 蟺伪位伪喂慰尾喂尾位喂慰蟺蠅位蔚委伪 蟽蟿畏谓 螘蠀蟻蠋蟺畏, 伪蠀蟿蠈 蟿慰蠀 The Bookshop 蟿慰蠀 螣蠀委纬魏蟿伪慰蠀谓 蟿畏蟼 危魏蠅蟿委伪蟼 (渭喂位维渭蔚 纬喂伪 苇谓伪 蠂蠅蟻喂蠈 蠂喂位委蠅谓 魏伪蟿慰委魏蠅谓!). 韦慰 胃苇渭伪 蔚委谓伪喂 蠈蟿喂 渭蔚蟿维 蟿畏谓 伪谓维纬谓蠅蟽畏 蟿慰蠀 尾喂尾位委慰蠀, 未喂苇纬蟻伪蠄伪 伪蟺蠈 蟿畏 位委蟽蟿伪 渭慰蠀 渭蔚 蟿伪 蔚蟺伪纬纬苇位渭伪蟿伪 蟺慰蠀 胃伪 渭蔚 蔚蠀蠂伪蟻喂蟽蟿慰蠉蟽伪谓 蟺蔚蟻喂蟽蟽蠈蟿蔚蟻慰, 伪蠀蟿蠈 蟿慰蠀 喂未喂慰魏蟿萎蟿畏 蟺伪位伪喂慰尾喂尾位喂慰蟺蠅位蔚委慰蠀.
螆谓伪谓 渭慰谓维蠂伪 位蠈纬慰 胃伪 伪谓伪蠁苇蟻蠅, 伪谓 魏伪喂 蠀蟺维蟻蠂慰蠀谓 蟺慰位位慰委 慰喂魏慰谓慰渭喂魏萎蟼 魏伪喂 纬蟻伪蠁蔚喂慰魏蟻伪蟿喂魏萎蟼 蠁蠉蟽蔚蠅蟼 (蔚喂未喂魏维 蠈蟿伪谓 渭喂位维渭蔚 纬喂伪 螘位位维未伪): 螣喂 蟺蔚位维蟿蔚蟼. 螡伪喂, 慰喂 蟺蔚位维蟿蔚蟼 蟿蠅谓 蟺伪位伪喂慰尾喂尾位喂慰蟺蠅位蔚委蠅谓 渭蟺慰蟻蔚委 谓伪 蔚委谓伪喂 蟺慰位蠉, 渭伪 蟺慰位蠉 蟺伪蟻维尉蔚谓慰喂 魏伪喂 伪纬蔚谓蔚委蟼, 蔚谓委慰蟿蔚 伪蠁蠈蟻畏蟿伪 魏慰蠀蟻伪蟽蟿喂魏慰委 魏伪喂 蠁慰蟻蟿喂魏慰委, 渭蔚蟻喂魏苇蟼 蠁慰蟻苇蟼 伪蟺委蟽蟿蔚蠀蟿伪 维蟽蠂蔚蟿慰喂. 螝伪喂 未蔚谓 蠁畏渭委味慰渭伪喂 纬喂伪 蟿畏谓 蟽蟿蠅喂魏蠈蟿畏蟿维 渭慰蠀 萎 蟿畏谓 蠀蟺慰渭慰谓萎 渭慰蠀 伪蟺苇谓伪谓蟿喂 蟽蔚 蔚魏谓蔚蠀蟻喂蟽蟿喂魏慰蠉蟼 伪谓胃蟻蠋蟺慰蠀蟼. 螘蟺委蟽畏蟼, 伪蟺蠈 苇谓伪 蟽畏渭蔚委慰 魏伪喂 渭蔚蟿维, 蠂维谓蔚蟿伪喂 位喂纬维魏喂 畏 渭伪纬蔚委伪 纬蠉蟻蠅 伪蟺蠈 蟿伪 尾喂尾位委伪, 渭喂伪蟼 魏伪喂 蟺位苇慰谓 蔚委谓伪喂 蟺蟻慰蠆蠈谓蟿伪 蟺蟻慰蟼 蟺蠋位畏蟽畏, 蠈蟺蠅蟼 慰喂 伪蟺慰蠂蠀渭蠅蟿苇蟼 萎 蟿伪 魏位喂渭伪蟿喂蟽蟿喂魏维. 螌渭蠅蟼, 蔚委谓伪喂 苇谓伪 蟺慰位蠉 蔚谓未喂伪蠁苇蟻慰谓 魏伪喂 喂未喂伪委蟿蔚蟻慰 蔚蟺维纬纬蔚位渭伪, 渭蔚 蟿慰 慰蟺慰委慰 渭蟺慰蟻蔚委蟼 谓伪 渭维胃蔚喂蟼 蟺慰位位维 蟺蟻维纬渭伪蟿伪, 魏伪胃蠋蟼 蔚蟺委蟽畏蟼 魏伪喂 谓伪 纬谓蠅蟻委蟽蔚喂蟼 蔚谓未喂伪蠁苇蟻慰谓蟿蔚蟼 魏伪喂 伪蟺委蟽蟿蔚蠀蟿慰蠀蟼 伪谓胃蟻蠋蟺慰蠀蟼, 蔚谓蠋 蟺维谓蟿伪 蠀蟺维蟻蠂蔚喂 畏 蟺喂胃伪谓蠈蟿畏蟿伪 谓伪 伪谓伪魏伪位蠉蠄蔚喂蟼 苇谓伪谓 胃畏蟽伪蠀蟻蠈 -蠈蟺蠅蟼 纬喂伪 蟺伪蟻维未蔚喂纬渭伪 苇谓伪 蟽蟺维谓喂慰 尾喂尾位委慰-, 魏维蟿喂 蟺慰蠀 蟺维谓蟿伪 蔚谓胃慰蠀蟽喂维味蔚喂 蟿慰蠀蟼 位维蟿蟻蔚喂蟼 蟿蠅谓 尾喂尾位委蠅谓.
韦慰 尾喂尾位委慰 伪蟺慰蟿蔚位蔚委 魏伪胃畏渭蔚蟻喂谓萎 畏渭蔚蟻慰位慰纬喂伪魏萎 魏伪蟿伪纬蟻伪蠁萎, 伪蟺蠈 蟿喂蟼 伪蟻蠂苇蟼 桅蔚尾蟻慰蠀伪蟻委慰蠀 蟿慰蠀 2014 渭苇蠂蟻喂 蟿喂蟼 伪蟻蠂苇蟼 桅蔚尾蟻慰蠀伪蟻委慰蠀 蟿慰蠀 2015. 螣蟺蠈蟿蔚, 蠈蟺蠅蟼 魏伪蟿伪位伪尾伪委谓蔚蟿蔚, 渭蟺慰蟻蔚委 谓伪 蠀蟺维蟻蠂慰蠀谓 伪蟻魏蔚蟿苇蟼 伪未喂维蠁慰蟻蔚蟼 萎 尾伪蟻蔚蟿苇蟼 魏伪蟿伪纬蟻伪蠁苇蟼, 蠁伪喂谓慰渭蔚谓喂魏维 蠂蠅蟻委蟼 慰蠀蟽委伪. 螒位位维 蟽蠀谓萎胃蠅蟼 伪蠀蟿蠈 蟽蠀渭尾伪委谓蔚喂 渭蔚 蟿伪 畏渭蔚蟻慰位蠈纬喂伪, 伪魏蠈渭伪 魏伪喂 伪谓 渭喂位维渭蔚 纬喂伪 蟿慰 畏渭蔚蟻慰位蠈纬喂慰 蔚谓蠈蟼 蟺蟻慰苇未蟻慰蠀 蟿蠅谓 螚螤螒 萎 蔚谓蠈蟼 蟽蟿蟻伪蟿畏纬慰蠉 蟽蔚 蟺蔚蟻委慰未慰 蟺慰位苇渭慰蠀. 螠蔚 蟿慰 畏渭蔚蟻慰位蠈纬喂慰 伪蠀蟿蠈, 蠈渭蠅蟼, 未委谓蔚蟿伪喂 畏 蔚蠀魏伪喂蟻委伪 蟽蟿慰蠀蟼 伪谓伪纬谓蠋蟽蟿蔚蟼 谓伪 未慰蠀谓 蟺蠋蟼 位蔚喂蟿慰蠀蟻纬蔚委 苇谓伪 蟺伪位伪喂慰尾喂尾位喂慰蟺蠅位蔚委慰, 蟺慰蠉 尾蟻委蟽魏蔚喂 蟿伪 尾喂尾位委伪 慰 蟺伪位伪喂慰尾喂尾位喂慰蟺蠋位畏蟼 魏伪喂 蟺蠋蟼 蟿伪 魏慰蟽蟿慰位慰纬蔚委, 蟿喂 蟺蟻慰尾位萎渭伪蟿伪 渭蟺慰蟻蔚委 谓伪 伪谓伪魏蠉蠄慰蠀谓 伪谓维 蟺维蟽伪 蟽蟿喂纬渭萎. 螘蟺委蟽畏蟼 畏 纬蟻伪蠁萎 蔚委谓伪喂 蠂伪位伪蟻萎 魏伪喂 蔚蠀魏慰位慰未喂维尾伪蟽蟿畏, 蔚谓蠋 畏 伪蟿渭蠈蟽蠁伪喂蟻伪 蟺慰位蠉 蔚蠀蠂维蟻喂蟽蟿畏.
违.螕. 危蟿慰 蟿苇位慰蟼 魏维胃蔚 畏渭苇蟻伪蟼 慰 螠蟺维喂蟿蔚位 魏伪蟿苇纬蟻伪蠁蔚 蟿喂蟼 畏位蔚魏蟿蟻慰谓喂魏苇蟼 蟺伪蟻伪纬纬蔚位委蔚蟼, 蟿慰蠀蟼 蟺蔚位维蟿蔚蟼 蟺慰蠀 伪纬蠈蟻伪蟽伪谓 苇蟽蟿蠅 魏伪喂 苇谓伪 尾喂尾位委慰, 魏伪胃蠋蟼 蔚蟺委蟽畏蟼 魏伪喂 蟿喂蟼 蔚喂蟽蟺蟻维尉蔚喂蟼. 螘谓谓慰蔚委蟿伪喂 蠈蟿喂 渭蔚蟿维 渭蟺萎魏伪 蟽蟿畏 未喂伪未喂魏伪蟽委伪 谓伪 蠀蟺慰位慰纬委蟽蠅 蟿伪 谓慰蠉渭蔚蟻伪, 纬喂伪 谓伪 未蠅 蟿伪 蟽蠉谓慰位伪!
螆谓伪谓 渭慰谓维蠂伪 位蠈纬慰 胃伪 伪谓伪蠁苇蟻蠅, 伪谓 魏伪喂 蠀蟺维蟻蠂慰蠀谓 蟺慰位位慰委 慰喂魏慰谓慰渭喂魏萎蟼 魏伪喂 纬蟻伪蠁蔚喂慰魏蟻伪蟿喂魏萎蟼 蠁蠉蟽蔚蠅蟼 (蔚喂未喂魏维 蠈蟿伪谓 渭喂位维渭蔚 纬喂伪 螘位位维未伪): 螣喂 蟺蔚位维蟿蔚蟼. 螡伪喂, 慰喂 蟺蔚位维蟿蔚蟼 蟿蠅谓 蟺伪位伪喂慰尾喂尾位喂慰蟺蠅位蔚委蠅谓 渭蟺慰蟻蔚委 谓伪 蔚委谓伪喂 蟺慰位蠉, 渭伪 蟺慰位蠉 蟺伪蟻维尉蔚谓慰喂 魏伪喂 伪纬蔚谓蔚委蟼, 蔚谓委慰蟿蔚 伪蠁蠈蟻畏蟿伪 魏慰蠀蟻伪蟽蟿喂魏慰委 魏伪喂 蠁慰蟻蟿喂魏慰委, 渭蔚蟻喂魏苇蟼 蠁慰蟻苇蟼 伪蟺委蟽蟿蔚蠀蟿伪 维蟽蠂蔚蟿慰喂. 螝伪喂 未蔚谓 蠁畏渭委味慰渭伪喂 纬喂伪 蟿畏谓 蟽蟿蠅喂魏蠈蟿畏蟿维 渭慰蠀 萎 蟿畏谓 蠀蟺慰渭慰谓萎 渭慰蠀 伪蟺苇谓伪谓蟿喂 蟽蔚 蔚魏谓蔚蠀蟻喂蟽蟿喂魏慰蠉蟼 伪谓胃蟻蠋蟺慰蠀蟼. 螘蟺委蟽畏蟼, 伪蟺蠈 苇谓伪 蟽畏渭蔚委慰 魏伪喂 渭蔚蟿维, 蠂维谓蔚蟿伪喂 位喂纬维魏喂 畏 渭伪纬蔚委伪 纬蠉蟻蠅 伪蟺蠈 蟿伪 尾喂尾位委伪, 渭喂伪蟼 魏伪喂 蟺位苇慰谓 蔚委谓伪喂 蟺蟻慰蠆蠈谓蟿伪 蟺蟻慰蟼 蟺蠋位畏蟽畏, 蠈蟺蠅蟼 慰喂 伪蟺慰蠂蠀渭蠅蟿苇蟼 萎 蟿伪 魏位喂渭伪蟿喂蟽蟿喂魏维. 螌渭蠅蟼, 蔚委谓伪喂 苇谓伪 蟺慰位蠉 蔚谓未喂伪蠁苇蟻慰谓 魏伪喂 喂未喂伪委蟿蔚蟻慰 蔚蟺维纬纬蔚位渭伪, 渭蔚 蟿慰 慰蟺慰委慰 渭蟺慰蟻蔚委蟼 谓伪 渭维胃蔚喂蟼 蟺慰位位维 蟺蟻维纬渭伪蟿伪, 魏伪胃蠋蟼 蔚蟺委蟽畏蟼 魏伪喂 谓伪 纬谓蠅蟻委蟽蔚喂蟼 蔚谓未喂伪蠁苇蟻慰谓蟿蔚蟼 魏伪喂 伪蟺委蟽蟿蔚蠀蟿慰蠀蟼 伪谓胃蟻蠋蟺慰蠀蟼, 蔚谓蠋 蟺维谓蟿伪 蠀蟺维蟻蠂蔚喂 畏 蟺喂胃伪谓蠈蟿畏蟿伪 谓伪 伪谓伪魏伪位蠉蠄蔚喂蟼 苇谓伪谓 胃畏蟽伪蠀蟻蠈 -蠈蟺蠅蟼 纬喂伪 蟺伪蟻维未蔚喂纬渭伪 苇谓伪 蟽蟺维谓喂慰 尾喂尾位委慰-, 魏维蟿喂 蟺慰蠀 蟺维谓蟿伪 蔚谓胃慰蠀蟽喂维味蔚喂 蟿慰蠀蟼 位维蟿蟻蔚喂蟼 蟿蠅谓 尾喂尾位委蠅谓.
韦慰 尾喂尾位委慰 伪蟺慰蟿蔚位蔚委 魏伪胃畏渭蔚蟻喂谓萎 畏渭蔚蟻慰位慰纬喂伪魏萎 魏伪蟿伪纬蟻伪蠁萎, 伪蟺蠈 蟿喂蟼 伪蟻蠂苇蟼 桅蔚尾蟻慰蠀伪蟻委慰蠀 蟿慰蠀 2014 渭苇蠂蟻喂 蟿喂蟼 伪蟻蠂苇蟼 桅蔚尾蟻慰蠀伪蟻委慰蠀 蟿慰蠀 2015. 螣蟺蠈蟿蔚, 蠈蟺蠅蟼 魏伪蟿伪位伪尾伪委谓蔚蟿蔚, 渭蟺慰蟻蔚委 谓伪 蠀蟺维蟻蠂慰蠀谓 伪蟻魏蔚蟿苇蟼 伪未喂维蠁慰蟻蔚蟼 萎 尾伪蟻蔚蟿苇蟼 魏伪蟿伪纬蟻伪蠁苇蟼, 蠁伪喂谓慰渭蔚谓喂魏维 蠂蠅蟻委蟼 慰蠀蟽委伪. 螒位位维 蟽蠀谓萎胃蠅蟼 伪蠀蟿蠈 蟽蠀渭尾伪委谓蔚喂 渭蔚 蟿伪 畏渭蔚蟻慰位蠈纬喂伪, 伪魏蠈渭伪 魏伪喂 伪谓 渭喂位维渭蔚 纬喂伪 蟿慰 畏渭蔚蟻慰位蠈纬喂慰 蔚谓蠈蟼 蟺蟻慰苇未蟻慰蠀 蟿蠅谓 螚螤螒 萎 蔚谓蠈蟼 蟽蟿蟻伪蟿畏纬慰蠉 蟽蔚 蟺蔚蟻委慰未慰 蟺慰位苇渭慰蠀. 螠蔚 蟿慰 畏渭蔚蟻慰位蠈纬喂慰 伪蠀蟿蠈, 蠈渭蠅蟼, 未委谓蔚蟿伪喂 畏 蔚蠀魏伪喂蟻委伪 蟽蟿慰蠀蟼 伪谓伪纬谓蠋蟽蟿蔚蟼 谓伪 未慰蠀谓 蟺蠋蟼 位蔚喂蟿慰蠀蟻纬蔚委 苇谓伪 蟺伪位伪喂慰尾喂尾位喂慰蟺蠅位蔚委慰, 蟺慰蠉 尾蟻委蟽魏蔚喂 蟿伪 尾喂尾位委伪 慰 蟺伪位伪喂慰尾喂尾位喂慰蟺蠋位畏蟼 魏伪喂 蟺蠋蟼 蟿伪 魏慰蟽蟿慰位慰纬蔚委, 蟿喂 蟺蟻慰尾位萎渭伪蟿伪 渭蟺慰蟻蔚委 谓伪 伪谓伪魏蠉蠄慰蠀谓 伪谓维 蟺维蟽伪 蟽蟿喂纬渭萎. 螘蟺委蟽畏蟼 畏 纬蟻伪蠁萎 蔚委谓伪喂 蠂伪位伪蟻萎 魏伪喂 蔚蠀魏慰位慰未喂维尾伪蟽蟿畏, 蔚谓蠋 畏 伪蟿渭蠈蟽蠁伪喂蟻伪 蟺慰位蠉 蔚蠀蠂维蟻喂蟽蟿畏.
违.螕. 危蟿慰 蟿苇位慰蟼 魏维胃蔚 畏渭苇蟻伪蟼 慰 螠蟺维喂蟿蔚位 魏伪蟿苇纬蟻伪蠁蔚 蟿喂蟼 畏位蔚魏蟿蟻慰谓喂魏苇蟼 蟺伪蟻伪纬纬蔚位委蔚蟼, 蟿慰蠀蟼 蟺蔚位维蟿蔚蟼 蟺慰蠀 伪纬蠈蟻伪蟽伪谓 苇蟽蟿蠅 魏伪喂 苇谓伪 尾喂尾位委慰, 魏伪胃蠋蟼 蔚蟺委蟽畏蟼 魏伪喂 蟿喂蟼 蔚喂蟽蟺蟻维尉蔚喂蟼. 螘谓谓慰蔚委蟿伪喂 蠈蟿喂 渭蔚蟿维 渭蟺萎魏伪 蟽蟿畏 未喂伪未喂魏伪蟽委伪 谓伪 蠀蟺慰位慰纬委蟽蠅 蟿伪 谓慰蠉渭蔚蟻伪, 纬喂伪 谓伪 未蠅 蟿伪 蟽蠉谓慰位伪!
May 24, 2021
Really enjoyable, and I love the grumpy tone of the author.
June 2, 2019
Book Readers are intelligent, knowledgeable, appreciate and support their local bookshop. And as you are reading this right now you would agree.
But the people in this true tale are the exact opposite.
As the title states this is a diary of each day in a bookseller's life.
Combat trousers
At noon a woman in combat trousers and a beret came to the counter with six books, including two nearly new, expensive art books in pristine condition. The total for the books came to 拢38; she asked for a discount, and when I told her that she could have them for 拢35, she replied, 鈥楥an鈥檛 you do them for 拢30?鈥� It weighs heavily upon my faith in human decency when customers 鈥� offered a discount on products that are already a fraction of their original cover price 鈥� feel entitled to demand almost 30 per cent further off, so I refused to discount them any further.
She paid the 拢35. Janet Street-Porter鈥檚 suggestion that anyone wearing combat trousers should be forcibly parachuted into a demilitarised zone now has my full support.
A well known singer
Once, not long after I had bought the shop, a young man who was emigrating to Canada brought in several boxes of books to sell. When I asked him to sign the cashbook, he wrote 鈥楾om Jones鈥�. I laughed and pointed out a few other names that were clearly made up but that he was the first to use Tom Jones, to which he replied 鈥業t鈥檚 not unusual鈥� and left.
Facebook
One of the shop鈥檚 Facebook followers came in to buy books today. She and her boyfriend want to move here and I overheard her whispering 鈥楧on鈥檛 say anything stupid or he鈥檒l post it on Facebook.鈥� I will write something mean about her later. When I set up the Facebook account for the shop four years ago, I had a look at other bookshops that had done the same. The content seemed almost universally bland and didn鈥檛 really convey the full horror or the exquisite joy of working in a bookshop, so I took a calculated risk and decided to focus on customer behaviour, particularly the stupid questions and the rude comments. It appears to have paid off, and those who follow the shop seem to become more delighted the more offensive I am about customers. I recently checked to see who is following me, and a significant number of bookshops are on the list.
TripAdvisor
On my sister鈥檚 advice, I checked TripAdvisor to see whether anyone had reviewed the shop. There were nine reviews, two of which made references to the quality of the food. We do not serve food. We have never served food. Two more complained that the shop 鈥榳asn鈥檛 as big鈥� as they had expected it to be.
Inspired, I wrote a ridiculous review praising the owner鈥檚 magnificent good looks, convivial charm, captivatingly beautiful scent, the wonderful stock, the electric atmosphere and a litany of other unlikely superlatives. In no time at all it had been removed and TripAdvisor had sent a threatening email warning me not to do it again. I went straight back onto their site and wrote another one, and encouraged the shop鈥檚 Facebook followers to do the same.
Florence Nightingale and a bottle of wine
I bought ten boxes of books unseen from another dealer, a man called David McNaughton, who had been in the trade for nearly forty years. He wanted I bought ten boxes of books unseen from another dealer, a man called David McNaughton, who had been in the trade for nearly forty years. He wanted 拢10 a box and assured me that it was reasonable stock. From previous dealings with him I had no reason to doubt this. What I didn鈥檛 expect, though, was to find a book signed by Florence Nightingale, dedicated to one of her nurses. It was a Charles Kingsley title 鈥� I forget which. Florence Nightingale was fond of inscribing books and giving them to her friends, and consequently there are quite a few of these about, but it still made 拢300 on eBay. A nurse in Missouri bought it. I sent David a case of wine and told him what had happened.
Book Lovers?
Really bookish people are a rarity, although there are vast numbers of those who consider themselves to be such. The latter are particularly easy to identify 鈥� often they will introduce themselves when they enter the shop as 鈥榖ook people鈥� and insist on telling you that 鈥榳e love books鈥�. They鈥檒l wear T-shirts or carry bags with slogans explaining exactly how much they think they adore books, but the surest means of identifying them is that they never, ever buy books.
Australians and coins
An Australian customer paid for a 拢1.50 book in small change but clearly had no idea what each coin was and took about five minutes to work it out. At one point he asked, 鈥榃hat do you use these 1p and 2p coins for?鈥�
Good help is hard to find
Nicky didn鈥檛 manage to list a single book over the weekend because, as her note says: 鈥楾he printer wilnae work.鈥� I checked: she hadn鈥檛 switched it on.
Death Wish
Just as I was returning from the kitchen with my cup of tea, a customer with polyester trousers about six inches too short and a donkey jacket almost knocked it out of my hand and asked, 鈥楬ave you ever had a death in here? Has anyone ever died falling off a stepladder in the shop?鈥� I told him, 鈥楴ot yet, but I was hoping today might be my lucky day.鈥�
These good people brightened up his day
For the last hour of the day the shop was occupied by a family of six 鈥� mum, dad and four girls aged between six and sixteen. When the time came to pay for their books, the mother told me that they had all been out for a walk in the morning and the girls had been miserable, despite the sunny weather. She had asked why they were so unhappy and they replied in unison that all they wanted to do was visit The Book Shop as they hadn鈥檛 been here for two years and were really excited about returning. They spent 拢175 and left with six bags of books. These things happen far too rarely, but when they do they serve as a welcome reminder of why I chose to enter the world of bookselling, and of how important bookshops are to many people.
A book with bite
An elderly customer told me that her book club鈥檚 next book was Dracula, but she couldn鈥檛 remember what he鈥檇 written.
The Odyssey and fishing
As I was tidying the shelves in the garden room, I found a copy of The Odyssey in the fishing section. I have yet to question Nicky about this, but the answer will almost certainly be, 鈥楢ye, but they were on a boat for some of it. What do you think they ate? Aye. Fish. See?鈥�
Appreciate the gentle humor as the Bookseller interacts with customers in search of a good book
Enjoy!
But the people in this true tale are the exact opposite.
As the title states this is a diary of each day in a bookseller's life.
Combat trousers
At noon a woman in combat trousers and a beret came to the counter with six books, including two nearly new, expensive art books in pristine condition. The total for the books came to 拢38; she asked for a discount, and when I told her that she could have them for 拢35, she replied, 鈥楥an鈥檛 you do them for 拢30?鈥� It weighs heavily upon my faith in human decency when customers 鈥� offered a discount on products that are already a fraction of their original cover price 鈥� feel entitled to demand almost 30 per cent further off, so I refused to discount them any further.
She paid the 拢35. Janet Street-Porter鈥檚 suggestion that anyone wearing combat trousers should be forcibly parachuted into a demilitarised zone now has my full support.
A well known singer
Once, not long after I had bought the shop, a young man who was emigrating to Canada brought in several boxes of books to sell. When I asked him to sign the cashbook, he wrote 鈥楾om Jones鈥�. I laughed and pointed out a few other names that were clearly made up but that he was the first to use Tom Jones, to which he replied 鈥業t鈥檚 not unusual鈥� and left.
One of the shop鈥檚 Facebook followers came in to buy books today. She and her boyfriend want to move here and I overheard her whispering 鈥楧on鈥檛 say anything stupid or he鈥檒l post it on Facebook.鈥� I will write something mean about her later. When I set up the Facebook account for the shop four years ago, I had a look at other bookshops that had done the same. The content seemed almost universally bland and didn鈥檛 really convey the full horror or the exquisite joy of working in a bookshop, so I took a calculated risk and decided to focus on customer behaviour, particularly the stupid questions and the rude comments. It appears to have paid off, and those who follow the shop seem to become more delighted the more offensive I am about customers. I recently checked to see who is following me, and a significant number of bookshops are on the list.
TripAdvisor
On my sister鈥檚 advice, I checked TripAdvisor to see whether anyone had reviewed the shop. There were nine reviews, two of which made references to the quality of the food. We do not serve food. We have never served food. Two more complained that the shop 鈥榳asn鈥檛 as big鈥� as they had expected it to be.
Inspired, I wrote a ridiculous review praising the owner鈥檚 magnificent good looks, convivial charm, captivatingly beautiful scent, the wonderful stock, the electric atmosphere and a litany of other unlikely superlatives. In no time at all it had been removed and TripAdvisor had sent a threatening email warning me not to do it again. I went straight back onto their site and wrote another one, and encouraged the shop鈥檚 Facebook followers to do the same.
Florence Nightingale and a bottle of wine
I bought ten boxes of books unseen from another dealer, a man called David McNaughton, who had been in the trade for nearly forty years. He wanted I bought ten boxes of books unseen from another dealer, a man called David McNaughton, who had been in the trade for nearly forty years. He wanted 拢10 a box and assured me that it was reasonable stock. From previous dealings with him I had no reason to doubt this. What I didn鈥檛 expect, though, was to find a book signed by Florence Nightingale, dedicated to one of her nurses. It was a Charles Kingsley title 鈥� I forget which. Florence Nightingale was fond of inscribing books and giving them to her friends, and consequently there are quite a few of these about, but it still made 拢300 on eBay. A nurse in Missouri bought it. I sent David a case of wine and told him what had happened.
Book Lovers?
Really bookish people are a rarity, although there are vast numbers of those who consider themselves to be such. The latter are particularly easy to identify 鈥� often they will introduce themselves when they enter the shop as 鈥榖ook people鈥� and insist on telling you that 鈥榳e love books鈥�. They鈥檒l wear T-shirts or carry bags with slogans explaining exactly how much they think they adore books, but the surest means of identifying them is that they never, ever buy books.
Australians and coins
An Australian customer paid for a 拢1.50 book in small change but clearly had no idea what each coin was and took about five minutes to work it out. At one point he asked, 鈥榃hat do you use these 1p and 2p coins for?鈥�
Good help is hard to find
Nicky didn鈥檛 manage to list a single book over the weekend because, as her note says: 鈥楾he printer wilnae work.鈥� I checked: she hadn鈥檛 switched it on.
Death Wish
Just as I was returning from the kitchen with my cup of tea, a customer with polyester trousers about six inches too short and a donkey jacket almost knocked it out of my hand and asked, 鈥楬ave you ever had a death in here? Has anyone ever died falling off a stepladder in the shop?鈥� I told him, 鈥楴ot yet, but I was hoping today might be my lucky day.鈥�
These good people brightened up his day
For the last hour of the day the shop was occupied by a family of six 鈥� mum, dad and four girls aged between six and sixteen. When the time came to pay for their books, the mother told me that they had all been out for a walk in the morning and the girls had been miserable, despite the sunny weather. She had asked why they were so unhappy and they replied in unison that all they wanted to do was visit The Book Shop as they hadn鈥檛 been here for two years and were really excited about returning. They spent 拢175 and left with six bags of books. These things happen far too rarely, but when they do they serve as a welcome reminder of why I chose to enter the world of bookselling, and of how important bookshops are to many people.
A book with bite
An elderly customer told me that her book club鈥檚 next book was Dracula, but she couldn鈥檛 remember what he鈥檇 written.
The Odyssey and fishing
As I was tidying the shelves in the garden room, I found a copy of The Odyssey in the fishing section. I have yet to question Nicky about this, but the answer will almost certainly be, 鈥楢ye, but they were on a boat for some of it. What do you think they ate? Aye. Fish. See?鈥�
Appreciate the gentle humor as the Bookseller interacts with customers in search of a good book
Enjoy!
January 18, 2019
Being a true bibliophile, I have always loved books about bookshops and the book industry. Also, Black Books, the old tv series about a bookshop and it鈥檚 cantankerous alcoholic owner, is one of my favourite shows as well. As a result this book is a match made in Heaven for me. While not as rude, belligerent, or gross as the owner of the shop in Black Books, the author, and owner of the shop in the book, Shaun Bythell, does have a similarity when it comes to customer relations. The book is basically a collection of anecdotes and stories of his daily life, concentrating on the customers, in the bookshop. The bookshop is the second largest second hand bookshop in Scotland and provides the scene for some hilarious, eccentric customers. I think I had a smile on my face the whole time I was reading this book. The book also provides a look into the world of a second hand bookshop and the troubles these shops are facing from the internet. Sites such as Amazon (whoops there goes my goodread account) are gobbling up these shops at an alarming rate. This book is a delightful, enjoyable read which I鈥檓 sure most bibliophiles (and lovers of Black Books) will enjoy. 4 Stars.
April 23, 2018
A fun book to read for anyone who has been a bookseller, or anyone in a retail environment really. Sometimes customers defy description.
I chose to read this a few entries at a time, as diaries can be tedious when read straight through. Perfect bedtime reading.
I chose to read this a few entries at a time, as diaries can be tedious when read straight through. Perfect bedtime reading.
May 26, 2019
This was recommended to me by a friend about 6 months ago, and I picked up a copy relatively cheaply the other day, and I am glad I did.
This is a very easy read, and an entertaining one too. It is diarised (as you might expect from the title), with each daily entry ranging from a paragraph to a page or two at most. Each day we are told how many online orders are received, and how many of those can be fulfilled (eg books found to fill the order - not always all of the orders!). We then get the explanation of the events of the day, and finally the till total, and number of customers served.
So the body of the text is the days events. These will include amusing, foolish or just interesting customer conversations, issues with the staff, Shaun's book buying expeditions, and Shaun's day in general. Each month begins with a quotation from 's , which will now be a book I will look out for.
There are of course numerous literary references, the book Shaun is reading is mentioned, there is some coverage of rare or expensive books, and a good deal of explanation about the Amazon behemoth and AbeBooks. Online sales are a large part of the business for a second hand book shop nowdays, and that was probably the most interesting thing I gained understanding from with this book.
Other reviewers have not found this book funny, and have accused the author of being sarcastic and rude. I enjoyed his sarcastic rudeness, and it is hard to feel the behavior or ignorance of those on the receiving end didn't provide some justification, so I was fine with it. There is of course, repetition, but this a diary and like most peoples lives, days are often the same. It takes real skill to omit the mundane repetition but leave enough events to frame the day, and there is perhaps a little room for improvement here. I wasn't overly troubled by it.
So, an entertaining two day read, for me 4 stars.
This is a very easy read, and an entertaining one too. It is diarised (as you might expect from the title), with each daily entry ranging from a paragraph to a page or two at most. Each day we are told how many online orders are received, and how many of those can be fulfilled (eg books found to fill the order - not always all of the orders!). We then get the explanation of the events of the day, and finally the till total, and number of customers served.
So the body of the text is the days events. These will include amusing, foolish or just interesting customer conversations, issues with the staff, Shaun's book buying expeditions, and Shaun's day in general. Each month begins with a quotation from 's , which will now be a book I will look out for.
There are of course numerous literary references, the book Shaun is reading is mentioned, there is some coverage of rare or expensive books, and a good deal of explanation about the Amazon behemoth and AbeBooks. Online sales are a large part of the business for a second hand book shop nowdays, and that was probably the most interesting thing I gained understanding from with this book.
Other reviewers have not found this book funny, and have accused the author of being sarcastic and rude. I enjoyed his sarcastic rudeness, and it is hard to feel the behavior or ignorance of those on the receiving end didn't provide some justification, so I was fine with it. There is of course, repetition, but this a diary and like most peoples lives, days are often the same. It takes real skill to omit the mundane repetition but leave enough events to frame the day, and there is perhaps a little room for improvement here. I wasn't overly troubled by it.
So, an entertaining two day read, for me 4 stars.
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