What do you think?
Rate this book
The Bookshop Book
Every bookshop has a story.
We’re not talking about rooms that are just full of books. We’re talking about bookshops in barns, disused factories, converted churches and underground car parks. Bookshops on boats, on buses, and in old run-down train stations. Fold-out bookshops, undercover bookshops, this-is-the-best-place-I’ve-ever-been-to-bookshops.
Meet Sarah and her Book Barge sailing across the sea to France; meet Sebastien, in Mongolia, who sells books to herders of the Altai mountains; meet the bookshop in Canada that’s invented the world’s first antiquarian book vending machine.
And that’s just the beginning.
From the oldest bookshop in the world, to the smallest you could imagine, The Bookshop Book examines the history of books, talks to authors about their favourite places, and looks at over three hundred weirdly wonderful bookshops across six continents (sadly, we’ve yet to build a bookshop down in the South Pole).
The Bookshop Book is a love letter to bookshops all around the world.
We’re not talking about rooms that are just full of books. We’re talking about bookshops in barns, disused factories, converted churches and underground car parks. Bookshops on boats, on buses, and in old run-down train stations. Fold-out bookshops, undercover bookshops, this-is-the-best-place-I’ve-ever-been-to-bookshops.
Meet Sarah and her Book Barge sailing across the sea to France; meet Sebastien, in Mongolia, who sells books to herders of the Altai mountains; meet the bookshop in Canada that’s invented the world’s first antiquarian book vending machine.
And that’s just the beginning.
From the oldest bookshop in the world, to the smallest you could imagine, The Bookshop Book examines the history of books, talks to authors about their favourite places, and looks at over three hundred weirdly wonderful bookshops across six continents (sadly, we’ve yet to build a bookshop down in the South Pole).
The Bookshop Book is a love letter to bookshops all around the world.
273 pages, Hardcover
First published October 2, 2014
296 people are currently reading
14031 people want to read
About the author
Jen Campbell
37 books12k followersJen Campbell is a bestselling author and award-winning poet. Her short story collection The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night is published by Two Roads, her children's picture books, Franklin's Flying Bookshop, Franklin and Luna go to the Moon, and Franklin and Luna and the Book of Fairy Tales are published by Thames & Hudson. Her poetry collection The Girl Aquarium is published by Bloodaxe.
Jen is also the author of the Sunday Times bestselling Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops series, and The Bookshop Book. Her poetry pamphlet The Hungry Ghost Festival is published by The Rialto. She's a recipient of an Eric Gregory Award and won the Jane Martin Poetry Prize.
Jen worked as a bookseller for ten years and now has a Youtube channel, where she talks about all things books. She also runs a podcast called BOOKS WITH JEN, is Vlogger in Residence for the Poetry Book Society, offers writing workshops and editorial services, and runs a book club for TOAST.
She grew up in the north east of England and now lives in London. She is represented by Charlie Campbell at Kingsford Campbell.
Jen is also the author of the Sunday Times bestselling Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops series, and The Bookshop Book. Her poetry pamphlet The Hungry Ghost Festival is published by The Rialto. She's a recipient of an Eric Gregory Award and won the Jane Martin Poetry Prize.
Jen worked as a bookseller for ten years and now has a Youtube channel, where she talks about all things books. She also runs a podcast called BOOKS WITH JEN, is Vlogger in Residence for the Poetry Book Society, offers writing workshops and editorial services, and runs a book club for TOAST.
She grew up in the north east of England and now lives in London. She is represented by Charlie Campbell at Kingsford Campbell.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 539 reviews
January 23, 2015
Ahh, that was satisfying!
My love for books and bookstores grew at least tenfold, and now I want to explore them all! I think this book will now become my bookstore bucket list. I will work on it ;)
My love for books and bookstores grew at least tenfold, and now I want to explore them all! I think this book will now become my bookstore bucket list. I will work on it ;)
August 6, 2017
"This book is a love letter to all bookshops around the world"
Jen Campbell is living the dream. She has, essentially, travelled the world for the sole purpose of visiting bookshops.
Now doesn’t that sound like fun?
What a wonderful trip that must have been.
“All bookshops are full of stories, and stories want to be heard”
Indeed, they most certainly do! In the process of her travels she has met quirky writers and wacky bookshop owners. She recounts some of the exciting, and sometimes bizarre, conversations she’s had. Some of the bookshops have real history, some that were rather remarkable and quite shocking. A few of the owners have gone to extreme lengths to ensure that they remain is business. I’m not sure how they do it. I couldn’t part with a single book. Not now. Not ever. I will still have the books I have now, along with many more, when I’m an old man. I’d make a crappy bookshop owner, but that’s beside the point.
You can, quite literally, feel the author’s enthusiasm oozing of the page; this isn’t some dry detached overview of a few bookshops, it was written by a fellow bookworm: someone who clearly loves what she does. She depicts such a large volume of bookshops that I didn’t even know existed. She has gone, as clichéd as it sounds, far and wide to catalogue the most obscure and unique places that sell books. Here are a few images of the shops in this book, these images are also in the book:
-el ateneo grand splendid, Argentina
-The Book Barge UK
-Numabookcat, Japan- This one just looks so cool
-Libreria-Acqua-Alta, Italy-I'd be seriously worried about water damage
This is a most interesting read! That much so I used an explanation mark! And look here’s another one! I’ve been reading this over a large period of time, I’ve been savouring it. I’ve been reading one entry at a time. I’d truly love to visit some of these places, but it’d be quite hard to be separated from my own books. Is that sad? Well, I don’t really care. This is a book I most definitely recommend to real bookworms: those that never, ever, stop thinking about books.
Jen Campbell is living the dream. She has, essentially, travelled the world for the sole purpose of visiting bookshops.
Now doesn’t that sound like fun?
What a wonderful trip that must have been.
“All bookshops are full of stories, and stories want to be heard”
Indeed, they most certainly do! In the process of her travels she has met quirky writers and wacky bookshop owners. She recounts some of the exciting, and sometimes bizarre, conversations she’s had. Some of the bookshops have real history, some that were rather remarkable and quite shocking. A few of the owners have gone to extreme lengths to ensure that they remain is business. I’m not sure how they do it. I couldn’t part with a single book. Not now. Not ever. I will still have the books I have now, along with many more, when I’m an old man. I’d make a crappy bookshop owner, but that’s beside the point.
You can, quite literally, feel the author’s enthusiasm oozing of the page; this isn’t some dry detached overview of a few bookshops, it was written by a fellow bookworm: someone who clearly loves what she does. She depicts such a large volume of bookshops that I didn’t even know existed. She has gone, as clichéd as it sounds, far and wide to catalogue the most obscure and unique places that sell books. Here are a few images of the shops in this book, these images are also in the book:
-el ateneo grand splendid, Argentina
-The Book Barge UK
-Numabookcat, Japan- This one just looks so cool
-Libreria-Acqua-Alta, Italy-I'd be seriously worried about water damage
This is a most interesting read! That much so I used an explanation mark! And look here’s another one! I’ve been reading this over a large period of time, I’ve been savouring it. I’ve been reading one entry at a time. I’d truly love to visit some of these places, but it’d be quite hard to be separated from my own books. Is that sad? Well, I don’t really care. This is a book I most definitely recommend to real bookworms: those that never, ever, stop thinking about books.
May 10, 2025
Squee! A book about books and bookshops, and bookshop owners, and books and bookshops, and bookshops, and bookshops. Freaking fantabulous! (Yes, I made up a new word).
And written by Jen Campbell, she who wrote Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops which is hilarious!
I absolutely had a blast reading this book. I started dreaming of packing a small bag and starting my tour of the six continents covered in this book on a pilgrimage to visit every single one mentioned (and buy a book from each one).
For the book lover and the bookshop addict, this is THE book to get to fill up on the wonders of bookshops of all shapes and sizes. What was really exciting is some of the bookshops featured I have been to! One of them is one of my favourite places to go now, Barter Books in Alnwick in the North East of England is a huge second-hand bookshop with scrummy cafe food and coffee housed in an old Victorian Railway station, the history of it was fascinating in this book!
With background stories from bookshop owners, descriptions of unusual and wacky bookshop themes, "Bookish" quotes and facts about books and tales about their favourite bookshops from well known authors, this book is a gem for the bibliophile who still gets excited at walking into an independent book store. It was a lot of fun reading it.
I had an advance copy ebook version but the beautiful hardback version also has photographs of some of the bookshops! So I purchased that one for the bookshelf.
AND it's a book that shows that good independent bookstores are thriving, even in the midst of the gloom and doom that the digital age will be the end of bookshops and their lovely smells and personal service offered. It seems that the bookshops in this book are not only surviving but thriving and customers are loving it. Can somebody get excited about THAT!
It was interesting and exciting and educational reading this book about bookshops, what more could a true bookstore addict want really? Some of the bookshops in this book sound amazing, just amazing. Now where is my toothbrush, I need to pack a bag to get on the road to start my worldwide bookshop tour. Uber - to the airport please!
If you love books, if you love bookshops, if you want to know where in the world the most amazing bookshops are, this is the book to get, it's like the "Lonely Planet" guide to bookshops.
::~~~~~~:::::~~~~~:::::~~~~~:::::~~~~~~::
Thanks so much for reading my review!
I hope you enjoyed it, if you did I’d be delighted if you leave me a “like” and I love to read your comments. If you’d like to connect you can follow me or please send me a friend request.
If you are an Author or Publisher and you’d like me to consider reading and reviewing your book(s) please just message me.
And written by Jen Campbell, she who wrote Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops which is hilarious!
I absolutely had a blast reading this book. I started dreaming of packing a small bag and starting my tour of the six continents covered in this book on a pilgrimage to visit every single one mentioned (and buy a book from each one).
For the book lover and the bookshop addict, this is THE book to get to fill up on the wonders of bookshops of all shapes and sizes. What was really exciting is some of the bookshops featured I have been to! One of them is one of my favourite places to go now, Barter Books in Alnwick in the North East of England is a huge second-hand bookshop with scrummy cafe food and coffee housed in an old Victorian Railway station, the history of it was fascinating in this book!
With background stories from bookshop owners, descriptions of unusual and wacky bookshop themes, "Bookish" quotes and facts about books and tales about their favourite bookshops from well known authors, this book is a gem for the bibliophile who still gets excited at walking into an independent book store. It was a lot of fun reading it.
I had an advance copy ebook version but the beautiful hardback version also has photographs of some of the bookshops! So I purchased that one for the bookshelf.
AND it's a book that shows that good independent bookstores are thriving, even in the midst of the gloom and doom that the digital age will be the end of bookshops and their lovely smells and personal service offered. It seems that the bookshops in this book are not only surviving but thriving and customers are loving it. Can somebody get excited about THAT!
It was interesting and exciting and educational reading this book about bookshops, what more could a true bookstore addict want really? Some of the bookshops in this book sound amazing, just amazing. Now where is my toothbrush, I need to pack a bag to get on the road to start my worldwide bookshop tour. Uber - to the airport please!
If you love books, if you love bookshops, if you want to know where in the world the most amazing bookshops are, this is the book to get, it's like the "Lonely Planet" guide to bookshops.
::~~~~~~:::::~~~~~:::::~~~~~:::::~~~~~~::
Thanks so much for reading my review!
I hope you enjoyed it, if you did I’d be delighted if you leave me a “like” and I love to read your comments. If you’d like to connect you can follow me or please send me a friend request.
If you are an Author or Publisher and you’d like me to consider reading and reviewing your book(s) please just message me.
January 10, 2015
I love bookshops.
There, I have said it. My secret is out.
To while away part of an afternoon in an bookshop looking at the shelves, seeing the shiny new books and finding a new one by a favourite author is just perfect. And these unassuming shops offer a whole series of worlds to explore and discover, all just from the printed page.
Jen Campbell is a complete book addict, and in this delightful little book she takes you from bookshop to bookshop across the UK, Europe and the world. Almost of them are independent. Their owners, an eclectic bunch, are as enthusiastic about reading and books and authors as Jen is. There are tales of tiny bookshops that people have on bikes, books that are in old red telephone boxes, one in a narrowboat, one that has its own band and even an outdoor bookshop in the States. Each of these bookshops offers a unique experience when it come to buying books, either because of the location, or the staff, but mainly because they find those books that won't necessarily be on the shelf of a chain store.
All through the book there are interviews with authors talking about their reading experiences and favourite bookshops, and the book is peppered with bookish anecdotes and facts. if you love books and bookshops then this is a must read.
There, I have said it. My secret is out.
To while away part of an afternoon in an bookshop looking at the shelves, seeing the shiny new books and finding a new one by a favourite author is just perfect. And these unassuming shops offer a whole series of worlds to explore and discover, all just from the printed page.
Jen Campbell is a complete book addict, and in this delightful little book she takes you from bookshop to bookshop across the UK, Europe and the world. Almost of them are independent. Their owners, an eclectic bunch, are as enthusiastic about reading and books and authors as Jen is. There are tales of tiny bookshops that people have on bikes, books that are in old red telephone boxes, one in a narrowboat, one that has its own band and even an outdoor bookshop in the States. Each of these bookshops offers a unique experience when it come to buying books, either because of the location, or the staff, but mainly because they find those books that won't necessarily be on the shelf of a chain store.
All through the book there are interviews with authors talking about their reading experiences and favourite bookshops, and the book is peppered with bookish anecdotes and facts. if you love books and bookshops then this is a must read.
December 18, 2016
"Bookshops are
time machines
spaceships
story-makers
secret-keepers
dragon-tamers
dream-catchers
fact-finders
& safe places.
(this book is for those who know this to be true) "
The bookshop book is absolute love ♡
A book about books, about bookshops, about facts on books and cherry on the top, authors talk about books.
This one is for all the bibliophiles & bibliomaniacs.
"Because whether we're in the middle of the desert or in the heart of a city, or the top of a mountain or on an underground train: having good stories to keep us company means the whole world."
"Lignin, an organic polymer found in trees, is chemically similar to vanillin, the primary extract of the vanilla bean. So when trees are made into books and kept for long periods of time, the lignin in the paper breaks down and starts to smell like vanilla.This is why antiquarian books, and secondhand bookshops, smell so damn good."
time machines
spaceships
story-makers
secret-keepers
dragon-tamers
dream-catchers
fact-finders
& safe places.
(this book is for those who know this to be true) "
The bookshop book is absolute love ♡
A book about books, about bookshops, about facts on books and cherry on the top, authors talk about books.
This one is for all the bibliophiles & bibliomaniacs.
"Because whether we're in the middle of the desert or in the heart of a city, or the top of a mountain or on an underground train: having good stories to keep us company means the whole world."
"Lignin, an organic polymer found in trees, is chemically similar to vanillin, the primary extract of the vanilla bean. So when trees are made into books and kept for long periods of time, the lignin in the paper breaks down and starts to smell like vanilla.This is why antiquarian books, and secondhand bookshops, smell so damn good."
November 12, 2014
An essential bibliophile’s handbook. Wherever you plan to travel, pack your Rough Guide for info, your DK guide for photos, and this book to direct you to the nearest bookshops – and entertain you on your journey with author and bookseller interviews, plus plenty of bookish trivia. The book is definitely Eurocentric (and especially UK-focused – this section is nearly half the text), but Campbell is still careful to spend time on all six continuously inhabited continents. So whether you’re headed to Montana or Mongolia, there’s a bookshop for you. Beware, though; it’s not always clear whether these shops will have many English-language offerings.
You’ll enjoy learning about bookshops that are also:
• Ice cream parlors
• Bars (The Bookstore Bar in Seattle; Book & Bar in Porstmouth, NH)
• A train carriage (in Auvers-sur-Oise, France)
• A barber shop (Coney Island in 2008)
• A boat (The Book Barge, Lichfield)
• A Thai restaurant (Boulevard Bookshop, Hastings)
• A hat shop (The Madhatter Bookshop, Burford, Oxfordshire)
Single best piece of trivia: a Biblioburro = a mobile library on a donkey’s back (in La Gloria, Colombia). And the award for best bookshop name goes to The Spitting Llama Bookshop (on the banks of Lake Titicaca, in Copacabana, Bolivia)!
In April 2012 the Blackwell’s flagship store in Oxford invited Campbell to stay in their bookshop flat (across the street) and wander around the shop for a day, writing a poem for each room. This anecdote, plus the interviews with Bill Bryson, Tracy Chevalier and Audrey Niffenegger, were among my favorite bits.
I might have liked to see my beloved Hay-on-Wye get a bit more press, and the splendid London Review Bookshop gets barely a mention, but one of my new favorites, Bookbarn International in Somerset, does make an appearance. Alas, my NetGalley download didn’t have any of the images or cross-references, so I’ll just have to buy myself a print copy.
As one Cambodian bookseller enthused to Campbell, “Books are one of the greatest gifts mankind has given itself. They are knowledge, understanding, comfort, imagination … printed books are magical, and real bookshops keep that magic alive.”
Now on my bucket list:
• Shakespeare and Company, Paris
• Larry’s Corner, Stockholm (the owner’s from Detroit!)
• Fjaerland Book Town, Norway
• The American Book Center, Amsterdam
• Arkadia Bookshop, Helsinki
• Slothrop’s, Tallinn, Estonia
• Re: Reading and The Monkey’s Paw, Toronto (the latter has a Biblio-Mat vending machine that sells an antiquarian book at random when you insert $2)
• Munro’s, Victoria (started in 1963 by Jim Munro and his first wife, Alice Munro)
• Powell’s, Portland, OR
• Bart’s Books, Ojai, CA (“best outdoor bookshop in the world”)
• Parnassus Books, Nashville, TN (co-owned by Ann Patchett)
• Book People, Austin, TX
• John K. King Used & Rare Books, Detroit
• Happy Tales Bookshop, Markesan, WI
• Whitlock’s Book Barn, Bethany, CT (also has a petting zoo!)
• Baldwin’s Book Barn, West Chester, PA
• Gertrude & Alice Café Bookshop, Bondi Beach, Australia
You’ll enjoy learning about bookshops that are also:
• Ice cream parlors
• Bars (The Bookstore Bar in Seattle; Book & Bar in Porstmouth, NH)
• A train carriage (in Auvers-sur-Oise, France)
• A barber shop (Coney Island in 2008)
• A boat (The Book Barge, Lichfield)
• A Thai restaurant (Boulevard Bookshop, Hastings)
• A hat shop (The Madhatter Bookshop, Burford, Oxfordshire)
Single best piece of trivia: a Biblioburro = a mobile library on a donkey’s back (in La Gloria, Colombia). And the award for best bookshop name goes to The Spitting Llama Bookshop (on the banks of Lake Titicaca, in Copacabana, Bolivia)!
In April 2012 the Blackwell’s flagship store in Oxford invited Campbell to stay in their bookshop flat (across the street) and wander around the shop for a day, writing a poem for each room. This anecdote, plus the interviews with Bill Bryson, Tracy Chevalier and Audrey Niffenegger, were among my favorite bits.
I might have liked to see my beloved Hay-on-Wye get a bit more press, and the splendid London Review Bookshop gets barely a mention, but one of my new favorites, Bookbarn International in Somerset, does make an appearance. Alas, my NetGalley download didn’t have any of the images or cross-references, so I’ll just have to buy myself a print copy.
As one Cambodian bookseller enthused to Campbell, “Books are one of the greatest gifts mankind has given itself. They are knowledge, understanding, comfort, imagination … printed books are magical, and real bookshops keep that magic alive.”
Now on my bucket list:
• Shakespeare and Company, Paris
• Larry’s Corner, Stockholm (the owner’s from Detroit!)
• Fjaerland Book Town, Norway
• The American Book Center, Amsterdam
• Arkadia Bookshop, Helsinki
• Slothrop’s, Tallinn, Estonia
• Re: Reading and The Monkey’s Paw, Toronto (the latter has a Biblio-Mat vending machine that sells an antiquarian book at random when you insert $2)
• Munro’s, Victoria (started in 1963 by Jim Munro and his first wife, Alice Munro)
• Powell’s, Portland, OR
• Bart’s Books, Ojai, CA (“best outdoor bookshop in the world”)
• Parnassus Books, Nashville, TN (co-owned by Ann Patchett)
• Book People, Austin, TX
• John K. King Used & Rare Books, Detroit
• Happy Tales Bookshop, Markesan, WI
• Whitlock’s Book Barn, Bethany, CT (also has a petting zoo!)
• Baldwin’s Book Barn, West Chester, PA
• Gertrude & Alice Café Bookshop, Bondi Beach, Australia
October 31, 2014
This book is literally packed with anecdotes, interviews and stories about readers love affair with bookshops. Although much of the book (approximately half) deals with the UK, this is also a worldwide tour – from Africa, South America, Australasia, Asia, there are countless examples of how the books hop is flourishing. There are Camel Library Services for nomadic communities, bookshops in barns, stations, piers and on board boats. There are even books about bookshops, such as “The Bookshop that Floated Away,” plus countless stories of people who followed their dream – and it is a brave dream in these uncertain times – of opening a bookshop. Many have pets, including my favourite, the rabbit, Napoleon Bunnyparte, and others even have book bands.
As there are countless examples of people falling in love with various bookshops – and, of those who own them, having love stories of their own – this is very much a book about the people involved in the selling and reading as much as the books themselves. You have to say, though, that obviously reading is very much a human story and without people the books cannot come alive. There would be nobody to write them for, nobody to read them, or to dream up lovely names for bookshops, such as “Elvis Shakespeare” (a music and bookstore), to organise events and book festivals and reading groups. If you are a reader then you will be intrigued, fascinated and delighted by this volume. It is packed with interviews, with booksellers as well as authors, such as Emma Donaghue, Joanne Harris, Bill Bryson and Jacqueline Wilson contributing, as well as wonderful bookish facts. Did you know that Shakespeare wrote a curse for his headstone, should anyone move his body? Or that for the last thirteen years of his life, Casanova was a librarian? Don’t worry, whether you did or didn’t, there are countless more facts to discover in this book.
Of course, the author has to ask about the future of bookshops in this digital age. She seems to conclude that bookshops will become more independent – catering for specialist genres, giving personal knowledge, offering a refuge with personal recommendations, coffee shops and company – as well as signed copies and the ability to browse. What is certain is that bookshops still have a place in our heart and hopefully in our High Streets. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
As there are countless examples of people falling in love with various bookshops – and, of those who own them, having love stories of their own – this is very much a book about the people involved in the selling and reading as much as the books themselves. You have to say, though, that obviously reading is very much a human story and without people the books cannot come alive. There would be nobody to write them for, nobody to read them, or to dream up lovely names for bookshops, such as “Elvis Shakespeare” (a music and bookstore), to organise events and book festivals and reading groups. If you are a reader then you will be intrigued, fascinated and delighted by this volume. It is packed with interviews, with booksellers as well as authors, such as Emma Donaghue, Joanne Harris, Bill Bryson and Jacqueline Wilson contributing, as well as wonderful bookish facts. Did you know that Shakespeare wrote a curse for his headstone, should anyone move his body? Or that for the last thirteen years of his life, Casanova was a librarian? Don’t worry, whether you did or didn’t, there are countless more facts to discover in this book.
Of course, the author has to ask about the future of bookshops in this digital age. She seems to conclude that bookshops will become more independent – catering for specialist genres, giving personal knowledge, offering a refuge with personal recommendations, coffee shops and company – as well as signed copies and the ability to browse. What is certain is that bookshops still have a place in our heart and hopefully in our High Streets. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
June 30, 2018
The Bookshop Book is a tour of bookstores around the world. The author chats with authors and bookstore owners and includes pages of interesting facts about various bookstores. There are also some color photos of very cool bookstores.
I loved this book for the first 100 pages or so but the more I read, the less I enjoyed. As she leaves England and Europe, the author is less personally involved with the shops she details. The bookstore descriptions read in some cases as if they came from the store's website.
I loved this book for the first 100 pages or so but the more I read, the less I enjoyed. As she leaves England and Europe, the author is less personally involved with the shops she details. The bookstore descriptions read in some cases as if they came from the store's website.
June 10, 2024
This brilliant and moving book by Jen Campbell is a love letter to different bookshops all around the world. I found a signed copy of this at a local used bookshop I like to frequent.
The interviews with different bookshop owners, writers, and artists I found to be incredibly inspiring, and I was delighted that Campbell wrote about three particular bookshops that I have perused around in and purchased books from: Daunt Books in London, Blackwell's bookshop in Oxford, and The Book Exchange in Asheville, North Carolina.
The interviews with different bookshop owners, writers, and artists I found to be incredibly inspiring, and I was delighted that Campbell wrote about three particular bookshops that I have perused around in and purchased books from: Daunt Books in London, Blackwell's bookshop in Oxford, and The Book Exchange in Asheville, North Carolina.
February 18, 2019
A bit uneven,too much Europe,too little of the rest ,the latter not well researched either but charming.
February 5, 2016
A great wonderful book about bookstores around the world. I especially loved the ones in London/United Kingdom!
February 24, 2019
Very interesting, but the interest is limited to people who love bookshops. I am one, and even I only bought it by mistake, thinking I was buying the author's other book "Weird things customers say in bookshops", the title of which is featured confusingly prominently on the cover. (I should have known there was a reason it cost only about 1/4 of any other edition!). Basically, it is a world travel guide for bookshops; Every time I travel from now on, I will definitely consult it before I start and try to visit any interesting bookshops.
February 7, 2016
“Perhaps that is the best way to say it: printed books are magical, and real bookshops keep that magic alive.”
A wonderful book about bookshops, booksellers, readers and authors. It made me want to travel the world, one bookstore at a time. From the obscure camel caravans – camels carrying books across the desert – to an actual floating bookstore, this book is filled with hidden treasures and wonderful bookish things.
A wonderful book about bookshops, booksellers, readers and authors. It made me want to travel the world, one bookstore at a time. From the obscure camel caravans – camels carrying books across the desert – to an actual floating bookstore, this book is filled with hidden treasures and wonderful bookish things.
November 10, 2014
If you ever dreamed of opening a bookshop - here's your handbook!
I think we all love independent book stores, but without our support they will die out. This book collates stories that underline why these quirky shops can never be replaced by a computer algorithm.
Jen Campbell travels the length and breadth of the UK and further afield to bring you great tales of people behind these shops, their lives, loves and even their pets!
An absolutely enchanting book.
I think we all love independent book stores, but without our support they will die out. This book collates stories that underline why these quirky shops can never be replaced by a computer algorithm.
Jen Campbell travels the length and breadth of the UK and further afield to bring you great tales of people behind these shops, their lives, loves and even their pets!
An absolutely enchanting book.
October 4, 2014
Это идеальная книжка, которая дает силу и не дает думать, что мы одиноки во вселенной. 300 независимых книжных магазинов и люди, которые их создали, описанные Джен Кэмбл в разных форматах — от интервью до личных впечатлений, от кратких исторических очерков до анекдотов и отдельных фактоидов, — это и есть наша вселенная, наш прайд, наши братья по разуму, где бы они ни были. Они похожи на нас, они вообще такие же, как мы, у нас даже шутки одинаковые и во многом такие же пути к книгам и отношение к ним. Утешительное чтение, утешительное знание.
По ходу чтения я поймал себя на том, что не помню, какую книгу я купил в жизни первой. Даже какую сам прочитал, не помню. Я с ними жил всегда — они были дома, бабушка работала библиотекарем, приносила меня на работу в соседний дом, расстилала между стеллажами одеяло (розовое суконное, довольно жесткое, но помягчевшее от времени, окантованное бордовым атласом, не очень большое, как я потом понял), и там по нему ползал и перелистывал книжки, еще не умея, само собой, читать. Но этот проход между стеллажами библиотеки Клуба связи помню отлично, помню стеллажи, помню одеяло. Год мне тогда был, что ли, вряд ли больше, как мне потом рассказывали. Помню даже, где там стояла «История государства российского» Соловьева и энциклопедии, хотя названия эти я прочел гораздо позже, когда бабушка вышла в первый раз на пенсию, а я записался в эту же библиотеку сам и подружился с бабушкиной сменщицей — смешливой барышней, обожавшей югославских певцов. Эти тома мне казались очень большими и я рассчитывал когда-нибудь их прочесть. Может, и прочту еще.
Книжки из библиотеки, натурально, иногда списывали, и бабушка их не выбрасывала, а тайком приносила домой (а может, и не тайком, может, это можно было), поэтому они составляли основу нашей домашней библиотеки — огромного стеллажа под потолок (когда переезжали на новую квартиру, пришлось отпиливать, он высотой был метра три). Многие до сих пор у меня – с перечеркнутым овальным штампом библиотеки и инвентарными номерами, написанными бабушкиной рукой. Читать я любил до того, что мне запрещали, «чтобы не портил зрение». Зрение я себе все-таки испортил, как гласил семейный миф — потому что «читал с температурой», когда болел ангиной (а я ею в детстве болел постоянно), а шрифт был мелкий. Но это было несколько позже, а года в два-три от меня книжки закрывали, прикнопив к нижним полкам стеллажа газету и загородив его стулом. Я отлично помню, как пробирался под этим стулом, отковыривал пальцем газету, вытаскивал что-нибудь и с добычей уползал под стол. Стол до сих пор у меня, но я под ним уже не очень помещаюсь, а когда-то он был огромный, как пещера, и с тайными полками (где — не скажу, они до сих пор тайные). Там-то я книжки прятал от мамы, надеясь, что пропажи с полки и прорыва газеты на стеллаже она не заметит (она ж за стулом, правда? но замечала всегда). В два-три года это было, и я, конечно, в основном смотрел картинки в раннесоветских изданиях русских классиков, которые были с меня ростом. А страниц не рвал никогда, в этом мама и бабушка были уверены — запрещали, говорю же, не поэтому.
А читать я научился года в четыре, но это уже другие истории. Когда мы переехали на другую квартиру, выписываться из библиотеки Клуба связи не пришлось, хоть она и осталась на другом краю города практически, в центре, а мы переехали на окраину, к Луговой. Там у меня был пожизненный абонемент за бабушкины заслуги. Но я записался и в ту библиотеку, которая была недалеко от дома, обычную районную или типа того. Там было не очень интересно с т.з. худла, а весь детский внятный научпоп я перечитал довольно быстро. Но меня уже начали пускать и во взрослые отделы, и вот там было много книжек по кино и вообще «западной культуре», которые никто не брал (я не знаю, что вообще там брали, не помню ни одного посетителя, кроме себя, хотя наверняка же были). Поэтому у нас с Иэном Рэнкином, который дал интервью Джен Кэмбл, истории похожи. Только его не пускали на взрослые фильмы, потому что мал был, а в совке они не шли в принципе. Но в книжках воспроизводились кадры, тусклые, смазанные, довольно ужасного качества, но это были окна в большой мир. Рэнкин у себя читал романы, по которым ставили запретные для него фильмы, а я рассматривал картинки и выуживал из советской кинокритики скупые отрывки сюжетов, пропущенные через сито «культурологов в штатском».
Ну а потом уже были магазины. Тут я написал когда-то про один важный в своей жизни (http://booknik.ru/today/all/gorodskie...), но там вся серия очерков «Места силы» хороша, не поленитесь прочесть. Это даст дополнительный стимул раздобыть и прочесть «Книжку о книжных» Джен Кэмбл.
По ходу чтения я поймал себя на том, что не помню, какую книгу я купил в жизни первой. Даже какую сам прочитал, не помню. Я с ними жил всегда — они были дома, бабушка работала библиотекарем, приносила меня на работу в соседний дом, расстилала между стеллажами одеяло (розовое суконное, довольно жесткое, но помягчевшее от времени, окантованное бордовым атласом, не очень большое, как я потом понял), и там по нему ползал и перелистывал книжки, еще не умея, само собой, читать. Но этот проход между стеллажами библиотеки Клуба связи помню отлично, помню стеллажи, помню одеяло. Год мне тогда был, что ли, вряд ли больше, как мне потом рассказывали. Помню даже, где там стояла «История государства российского» Соловьева и энциклопедии, хотя названия эти я прочел гораздо позже, когда бабушка вышла в первый раз на пенсию, а я записался в эту же библиотеку сам и подружился с бабушкиной сменщицей — смешливой барышней, обожавшей югославских певцов. Эти тома мне казались очень большими и я рассчитывал когда-нибудь их прочесть. Может, и прочту еще.
Книжки из библиотеки, натурально, иногда списывали, и бабушка их не выбрасывала, а тайком приносила домой (а может, и не тайком, может, это можно было), поэтому они составляли основу нашей домашней библиотеки — огромного стеллажа под потолок (когда переезжали на новую квартиру, пришлось отпиливать, он высотой был метра три). Многие до сих пор у меня – с перечеркнутым овальным штампом библиотеки и инвентарными номерами, написанными бабушкиной рукой. Читать я любил до того, что мне запрещали, «чтобы не портил зрение». Зрение я себе все-таки испортил, как гласил семейный миф — потому что «читал с температурой», когда болел ангиной (а я ею в детстве болел постоянно), а шрифт был мелкий. Но это было несколько позже, а года в два-три от меня книжки закрывали, прикнопив к нижним полкам стеллажа газету и загородив его стулом. Я отлично помню, как пробирался под этим стулом, отковыривал пальцем газету, вытаскивал что-нибудь и с добычей уползал под стол. Стол до сих пор у меня, но я под ним уже не очень помещаюсь, а когда-то он был огромный, как пещера, и с тайными полками (где — не скажу, они до сих пор тайные). Там-то я книжки прятал от мамы, надеясь, что пропажи с полки и прорыва газеты на стеллаже она не заметит (она ж за стулом, правда? но замечала всегда). В два-три года это было, и я, конечно, в основном смотрел картинки в раннесоветских изданиях русских классиков, которые были с меня ростом. А страниц не рвал никогда, в этом мама и бабушка были уверены — запрещали, говорю же, не поэтому.
А читать я научился года в четыре, но это уже другие истории. Когда мы переехали на другую квартиру, выписываться из библиотеки Клуба связи не пришлось, хоть она и осталась на другом краю города практически, в центре, а мы переехали на окраину, к Луговой. Там у меня был пожизненный абонемент за бабушкины заслуги. Но я записался и в ту библиотеку, которая была недалеко от дома, обычную районную или типа того. Там было не очень интересно с т.з. худла, а весь детский внятный научпоп я перечитал довольно быстро. Но меня уже начали пускать и во взрослые отделы, и вот там было много книжек по кино и вообще «западной культуре», которые никто не брал (я не знаю, что вообще там брали, не помню ни одного посетителя, кроме себя, хотя наверняка же были). Поэтому у нас с Иэном Рэнкином, который дал интервью Джен Кэмбл, истории похожи. Только его не пускали на взрослые фильмы, потому что мал был, а в совке они не шли в принципе. Но в книжках воспроизводились кадры, тусклые, смазанные, довольно ужасного качества, но это были окна в большой мир. Рэнкин у себя читал романы, по которым ставили запретные для него фильмы, а я рассматривал картинки и выуживал из советской кинокритики скупые отрывки сюжетов, пропущенные через сито «культурологов в штатском».
Ну а потом уже были магазины. Тут я написал когда-то про один важный в своей жизни (http://booknik.ru/today/all/gorodskie...), но там вся серия очерков «Места силы» хороша, не поленитесь прочесть. Это даст дополнительный стимул раздобыть и прочесть «Книжку о книжных» Джен Кэмбл.
February 12, 2015
I just love Jen Campbell:-) I had to purchase this nonfiction through the Book Depository website since it's only available in the UK. This beautiful and fun book is a more international version of my beloved My Bookstore-Writers Celebrate Their Favorite Places to Browse, Read, and Shop (edited by Ronald Rice).
Books about books are largely informational, and thus hard to give a star rating. The only questions I ask myself are: Did it instill a curiosity about the places listed? Were the anecdotes amusing? In this case yes and yes! The main details (location, shop features, types of books sold, owners) are interspersed with bookish facts throughout history, beautiful illustrations, and author interviews which include imaginings of what their fictional bookshop would look like.
My favorite fact: "The Kenya National Library started its Camel Library Service in the 1990's to promote literacy in nomadic communities... Each 'caravan' consists of 200 books and travels with a librarian, two librarian assistants, and a camel herdsmen. Those who borrow books can keep them for two weeks, until the camel comes around again." (pg. 158). There are also Biblioburro (donkeys) in Colombia that have satchels filled with books. How cool is that??!
Every time I thought I had picked my favorite bookstore, the next store summary would entice me all over again! I'm a huge nerd for books about bookstores and reading. I have quite a collection. It's becoming hard for me to read new material (especially about the United States' independent bookstores) but Jen's book managed to provide me with new, awesome facts. A must for the traveling book lover!
Books about books are largely informational, and thus hard to give a star rating. The only questions I ask myself are: Did it instill a curiosity about the places listed? Were the anecdotes amusing? In this case yes and yes! The main details (location, shop features, types of books sold, owners) are interspersed with bookish facts throughout history, beautiful illustrations, and author interviews which include imaginings of what their fictional bookshop would look like.
My favorite fact: "The Kenya National Library started its Camel Library Service in the 1990's to promote literacy in nomadic communities... Each 'caravan' consists of 200 books and travels with a librarian, two librarian assistants, and a camel herdsmen. Those who borrow books can keep them for two weeks, until the camel comes around again." (pg. 158). There are also Biblioburro (donkeys) in Colombia that have satchels filled with books. How cool is that??!
Every time I thought I had picked my favorite bookstore, the next store summary would entice me all over again! I'm a huge nerd for books about bookstores and reading. I have quite a collection. It's becoming hard for me to read new material (especially about the United States' independent bookstores) but Jen's book managed to provide me with new, awesome facts. A must for the traveling book lover!
January 17, 2019
This is such a gorgeous book about different bookshops around the world, their remarkable histories, quirky bookshop owners and interesting interviews with authors about books. It has made me fall in love even more with bookshops and made me appreciate what a beautiful experience it is to walk amongst overflowing bookshelves, trying to glimpse your next favorite book while allowing your fingers to roam over the book spines. Truly a book worth reading.
April 30, 2024
What a great surprise find! I found this in a charity shop and intended to read it all the way through,but I feel this book is appreciated most by dipping into it whenever you have five minutes to spare, just to enjoy a section of it at a time. This book will interest and amuse all the bookworms. Tales from authors, memories of book shopping, childhood, and travelling make this collection fascinating yet heartwarming to the avid reader.
January 22, 2019
As a future owner of a bookshop, I read this book as a research, but also for the love of books and talks about them. It got me really worried and frustrated to read about booksellers that know waaay much more than I do about books, about this business, and also about bookshops that spread on tens and hundreds of square miles and sell rare books, expensive books, quirky books. And then, I read this:
"I don't particularly enjoy selling books to rich people; I prefer to sell books to regular human beings, who buy the sorts of unexpected books that I could imagine buying for myself. Truly valuable books - the $5,000 signed first edition of some literary landmark or the eighteenth-century ornithology folio with glorious hand-tinted plates - are already-acknowledged commodities in a high-end collectors' marketplace."
And then I reasoned that this is exactly what I also don't want to do, the customers I don't want to target.
And further in the book, I came across this:
"Books Actually focuses heavily on what we ourselves, the people running it, like. [...] What we like to read - you will see it on the bookshelves. This is the most important stocking policy that we have."
And I realized that yes, all books I purchased to sell in my second hand bookshop are books I loved, I read, I plan to read, and want everybody to read them.
And I was happy and serene after The Bookshop Book opened my eyes and helped me get a clearer view.
Oh, and also, changed a little the way I would travel from now on.
"I don't particularly enjoy selling books to rich people; I prefer to sell books to regular human beings, who buy the sorts of unexpected books that I could imagine buying for myself. Truly valuable books - the $5,000 signed first edition of some literary landmark or the eighteenth-century ornithology folio with glorious hand-tinted plates - are already-acknowledged commodities in a high-end collectors' marketplace."
And then I reasoned that this is exactly what I also don't want to do, the customers I don't want to target.
And further in the book, I came across this:
"Books Actually focuses heavily on what we ourselves, the people running it, like. [...] What we like to read - you will see it on the bookshelves. This is the most important stocking policy that we have."
And I realized that yes, all books I purchased to sell in my second hand bookshop are books I loved, I read, I plan to read, and want everybody to read them.
And I was happy and serene after The Bookshop Book opened my eyes and helped me get a clearer view.
Oh, and also, changed a little the way I would travel from now on.
December 15, 2023
3.5 stars to 4 stars
4 stars as it highlights the importance of independent bookstores - although most readers know this
I loved reading the history of the bookstores thru every country of Europe but seriously for Australasia it was so short like super short!! We have so much history with bookshops and authors and New Zealand did not even rate a mention - that country is just so stunning for many good reasons!
4 stars as it highlights the importance of independent bookstores - although most readers know this
I loved reading the history of the bookstores thru every country of Europe but seriously for Australasia it was so short like super short!! We have so much history with bookshops and authors and New Zealand did not even rate a mention - that country is just so stunning for many good reasons!
April 25, 2016
What a delightful book, smiled nearly all the way to the end. Having been born in London and then moving to Edinburgh I have visited many of the shops here, the memories came flooding back. Now for a large format full colour edition with photographs of them all in detail. ahhhhhhh. This is required reading for all bibliophiles.....So that's EVERYONE on Goodreads then?
October 3, 2014
This book to me is a full of love stories, a travel guide book, fairy-tale and magic book. It has so many different aspects but in its main, to quote the book.
“It is like sitting down with the bookshop owners, with tea, and listening to their stories”
With tales from 300 hundred bookshops across six different countries.
A few of my favorites, Scarthin Books in Peak District has “The Utterly Unfair Tall Father Book Prize” where if your father’s head touches a beam you can claim £3 worth book credit. And that now has a book on its shelves, that sings when you open it, thanks to a customer’s mischievousness. Now that’s what I call approved book vandalism.
Shaun Bythell and Jessica Fox love story coming out of The Bookshop in Wigtown, Scotland. In which Jessica wrote a book about. (now on my to read pile)
Another is of a market in Thailand that has booked stacked up 7 feet high. If you find a book you want in the middle of the pile, you have to try and get it out, without toppling the pile. It’s a game of book Jenga.
I could go on forever; this book is charming and has warmed my heart so much. I dare you not to want to visit all the bookshops in this book and add many loved editions to you TBR pile. That is the only bad thing I have to say about it, I know need a bigger bank balance to keep up with my growing Bucket Bookshop List. https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
It’s also full of interviews with well-known authors such as I an Rankin Ian Rankin and Audrey Niffenegger Audrey Niffenegger. Talking about their favorite bookshops, there memories of books and what drew them into this bibliophile world. I didn’t know who some of these authors were, but Jen has put a little explanation at the start of each interview, to explain who each person is. I really liked this as I may not have known their author but I had heard of their books and could link them up.
The book is scattered with bookish facts, such as “Part of the M6 toll road in the UK is made out of pulped Mills and Boon Novels” or “If Hitler conquered Britain, apparently he planned to use the city of Oxford as the capital of his kingdom, which is one of the reasons why it was never bombed during the Second World War”
What struck me most about this book is its stories of hope and wonder. The many people who were bogged down by life. And through a spark of an idea, serendipity or life stress. Suddenly just dropped their worries, stopped reacting, escaped the rat race and opened a bookshop.
There has been so much worry that bookshops are closing, and that bookselling is dying art. But this book just goes to prove the opposite. So may bookshops have just moved, or been re built from their own ashes.
Such as Kinda a Lou ‘Endeavour’ in Kinda, Kenya, run by Khaleb Omondi. It was looted and destroyed in the wake of 2007elections and Khaleb’s leg was broken while running from the violence. A year later, thanks to the help of others, he has managed to start a new bookshop nearby, even though he is still under the fear of another attack.
This book is stuffed to the brim of stories like this and I almost feel they come out of the pages and you are transported into these wondrous places. For any book lover, bibliophile, library lover or story teller. This book is for you. Read it!
“It is like sitting down with the bookshop owners, with tea, and listening to their stories”
With tales from 300 hundred bookshops across six different countries.
A few of my favorites, Scarthin Books in Peak District has “The Utterly Unfair Tall Father Book Prize” where if your father’s head touches a beam you can claim £3 worth book credit. And that now has a book on its shelves, that sings when you open it, thanks to a customer’s mischievousness. Now that’s what I call approved book vandalism.
Shaun Bythell and Jessica Fox love story coming out of The Bookshop in Wigtown, Scotland. In which Jessica wrote a book about. (now on my to read pile)
Another is of a market in Thailand that has booked stacked up 7 feet high. If you find a book you want in the middle of the pile, you have to try and get it out, without toppling the pile. It’s a game of book Jenga.
I could go on forever; this book is charming and has warmed my heart so much. I dare you not to want to visit all the bookshops in this book and add many loved editions to you TBR pile. That is the only bad thing I have to say about it, I know need a bigger bank balance to keep up with my growing Bucket Bookshop List. https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
It’s also full of interviews with well-known authors such as I an Rankin Ian Rankin and Audrey Niffenegger Audrey Niffenegger. Talking about their favorite bookshops, there memories of books and what drew them into this bibliophile world. I didn’t know who some of these authors were, but Jen has put a little explanation at the start of each interview, to explain who each person is. I really liked this as I may not have known their author but I had heard of their books and could link them up.
The book is scattered with bookish facts, such as “Part of the M6 toll road in the UK is made out of pulped Mills and Boon Novels” or “If Hitler conquered Britain, apparently he planned to use the city of Oxford as the capital of his kingdom, which is one of the reasons why it was never bombed during the Second World War”
What struck me most about this book is its stories of hope and wonder. The many people who were bogged down by life. And through a spark of an idea, serendipity or life stress. Suddenly just dropped their worries, stopped reacting, escaped the rat race and opened a bookshop.
There has been so much worry that bookshops are closing, and that bookselling is dying art. But this book just goes to prove the opposite. So may bookshops have just moved, or been re built from their own ashes.
Such as Kinda a Lou ‘Endeavour’ in Kinda, Kenya, run by Khaleb Omondi. It was looted and destroyed in the wake of 2007elections and Khaleb’s leg was broken while running from the violence. A year later, thanks to the help of others, he has managed to start a new bookshop nearby, even though he is still under the fear of another attack.
This book is stuffed to the brim of stories like this and I almost feel they come out of the pages and you are transported into these wondrous places. For any book lover, bibliophile, library lover or story teller. This book is for you. Read it!
January 23, 2016
Describing this book as Amazing and Phenomenal would be a mere understatement.
But however, I would like to share my opinions about this book now.
This isn't a proper Review but it's actually about the various aspects of the book which impressed me.
So If you are looking for a proper,Professional, Well-written Review of this book, then better don't read this.
What it is about: This Book is the A-Z of Bookshop and all other aspects of it.
Time Spent to Read: 20 days (Although, not continuous)
What I felt about the Book:
Before picking up the book to read, I had no idea about the context of the book. I just picked it straight out of blue! I love to experiment with books a lot :)
10 Minutes into the book, I got a basic idea about what the book is really about and i started to get excited...I got the No-way-i'm-gonna-hate-this-book kind of feeling.
This book comprises of information about some of the Best Bookshops around the world.
The book is divided into several sections which denote the Main Continents/Countries. Under each Continent, say South America, information about the Famous bookshops present there is neatly given.
It not only has information about the bookshops but mainly consists of the Opinion,thoughts,feelings of the so many Book lovers,authors who all share a great passion for Bookshops. It's really nice to read about the thoughts of those people , the love they have for books, how they feel about the bookshops of the present and past, how books have influenced their lives. Even the Authors too share their feelings about books and how they went on to start their very own bookshop and how they felt before and after taking the decision.
This Book serves as a Perfect Handbook for those Bibliophiles who would love to Visit the Best Bookshops in the World.
As for me, I would surely keep this Book with me whenever I get the chance to go to Other Countries and Places.
What's Ironic is that, I read about the Feeling of having bought a book from bookshop, reading it, and about the feeling of having the book in hands , all using an E-reader. (IFYWIM)
There were also fragments of Bookish Facts at the end of each chapter which is quite interesting to read :)
Overall :- This Book is definitely the one I would recommend to all my Bookish and Non-Bookish friends to read. Reading this book will make them realize the true story behind the existence of Book shops and will also emphasize about the importance of books and the true beauty of having Books in physical form :)
5 Stars for Sure ! Totally worth it.
4.31 Ratings in Goodreads is Justifying the Awesomeness Of this book.
After reading this book, if you come across any book shop in your locality or anywhere, I'm pretty sure you would have that urge to check out that Bookshop and get a couple of books for yourself :P
That's the Kind of Influence this book will have on you :)
But however, I would like to share my opinions about this book now.
This isn't a proper Review but it's actually about the various aspects of the book which impressed me.
So If you are looking for a proper,Professional, Well-written Review of this book, then better don't read this.
What it is about: This Book is the A-Z of Bookshop and all other aspects of it.
Time Spent to Read: 20 days (Although, not continuous)
What I felt about the Book:
Before picking up the book to read, I had no idea about the context of the book. I just picked it straight out of blue! I love to experiment with books a lot :)
10 Minutes into the book, I got a basic idea about what the book is really about and i started to get excited...I got the No-way-i'm-gonna-hate-this-book kind of feeling.
This book comprises of information about some of the Best Bookshops around the world.
The book is divided into several sections which denote the Main Continents/Countries. Under each Continent, say South America, information about the Famous bookshops present there is neatly given.
It not only has information about the bookshops but mainly consists of the Opinion,thoughts,feelings of the so many Book lovers,authors who all share a great passion for Bookshops. It's really nice to read about the thoughts of those people , the love they have for books, how they feel about the bookshops of the present and past, how books have influenced their lives. Even the Authors too share their feelings about books and how they went on to start their very own bookshop and how they felt before and after taking the decision.
This Book serves as a Perfect Handbook for those Bibliophiles who would love to Visit the Best Bookshops in the World.
As for me, I would surely keep this Book with me whenever I get the chance to go to Other Countries and Places.
What's Ironic is that, I read about the Feeling of having bought a book from bookshop, reading it, and about the feeling of having the book in hands , all using an E-reader. (IFYWIM)
There were also fragments of Bookish Facts at the end of each chapter which is quite interesting to read :)
Overall :- This Book is definitely the one I would recommend to all my Bookish and Non-Bookish friends to read. Reading this book will make them realize the true story behind the existence of Book shops and will also emphasize about the importance of books and the true beauty of having Books in physical form :)
5 Stars for Sure ! Totally worth it.
4.31 Ratings in Goodreads is Justifying the Awesomeness Of this book.
After reading this book, if you come across any book shop in your locality or anywhere, I'm pretty sure you would have that urge to check out that Bookshop and get a couple of books for yourself :P
That's the Kind of Influence this book will have on you :)
February 8, 2017
What a beautiful non-fiction book. This was a new kind of trip through books for me. And what a bookish trip!
Jen Campbell has collected in just a few hundred pages the stories of lots of bookshops, booksellers and writers of all continents and none of them could feel at any moment boring. I wanted to read the book slowly, taste it like a book gourmet, and I never lost my excitement. Reading some pages every night made going to bed very special.
Apart from the interesting contents, the way Jen writes and recopiles the information makes it more interesting: you can feel her passion through her words. This is a great work; apart from informing, it transmits you something further.
In my opinion, the best way to enjoy this book is reading it from beginning to end. Page after page, no jumps, and without any hurries. And then, keep it as a reference book to enjoy every now and then.
Which was my favourite story? Get the book and go to page 159.
Jen Campbell has collected in just a few hundred pages the stories of lots of bookshops, booksellers and writers of all continents and none of them could feel at any moment boring. I wanted to read the book slowly, taste it like a book gourmet, and I never lost my excitement. Reading some pages every night made going to bed very special.
Apart from the interesting contents, the way Jen writes and recopiles the information makes it more interesting: you can feel her passion through her words. This is a great work; apart from informing, it transmits you something further.
In my opinion, the best way to enjoy this book is reading it from beginning to end. Page after page, no jumps, and without any hurries. And then, keep it as a reference book to enjoy every now and then.
Which was my favourite story? Get the book and go to page 159.
November 3, 2015
This book is an ode to bookshops and bibliophiles all around the world. Jen Campbell has conducted a spectacular research, travelling around the most notable bookshops and meeting all kinds of different people who are all connected through their passion for books and reading. She has discovered bookshops and bibliophiles in some parts of the world where one would have never thought they would exist.
The book sets off with a brief but informative history of books and then it proceeds with an array of bookshops, divided by continent. In between, there are some pages with 'bookish facts', 'some wonderful (bookish) things' and chats Jen has had with various authors, booksellers or simply book lovers.
I loved every single page in this book, since it very successfully reminded me why I adore books and bookshops and why they had, they still have and they will always continue to have such an important place in my life.
The book sets off with a brief but informative history of books and then it proceeds with an array of bookshops, divided by continent. In between, there are some pages with 'bookish facts', 'some wonderful (bookish) things' and chats Jen has had with various authors, booksellers or simply book lovers.
I loved every single page in this book, since it very successfully reminded me why I adore books and bookshops and why they had, they still have and they will always continue to have such an important place in my life.
March 9, 2016
I wish this book didn't have to end. I love Jen's Youtube channel and as I was reading this book, I could hear her telling me all about these bookshops. The bookish facts, author interviews, and photos really added to the already enjoyable snippets of bookshops all over the world. If you love books or just love to read in general, I would definitely recommend picking this up.
November 10, 2014
The Bookshop Book is a love letter to bookshops all around the world. Well, it's also a love letter to bibliophiles around the world too. Prepare to lose yourself in this book as you read about some of the most wonderful and beautiful bookshops in the world. The media is constantly focused on the closures of libraries and independent bookshops, and rightly so, it's a travesty us book lovers wish we could prevent but it's not all that often a book comes along celebrating books and the places they are sold in this way. But there are bookshops around the world still thriving, and still managing to stay open despite the likes of Amazon and supermarket discounts taking over. The book does at times focus on the difficulties bookshops have faced and continue to face, with insights from booksellers, bookshop owners and people from the world of publishing. There's also chapters from various authors such as Jacqueline Wilson, Ian Rankin and Bill Bryson discussing what bookshops mean to them, what they love about them and how reading and writing has changed their lives.
Will there come a time when all of our shopping is done online? When all bookshops close and our only choice of choosing a book in the real world comes from the charts in ASDA or Tesco? It seems almost frightening to consider. We all love a bargain and admittedly 95% of my book shopping is done via Amazon, yet you still can't beat walking into a bookshop, the smell, the warm and friendly atmosphere and the hundreds (sometimes thousands) of books on the shelves is a staggering and wonderful sight to behold. This is the story of the feelings walking into a bookshop evokes. I can remember the first time I got my library card, the first time I nagged my parents to take me into a bookshop and the many times over the years I continued to drag them in to buy books. It's hard to imagine a world where other children can't grow up doing the same thing.
There are so many stories in this book I'd love to quote and talk about, but the enjoyment really comes from discovering them for yourself. I do have a few favourites I will mention later in the review. The book contains a plethora of Bookish Facts and Some Wonderful Things which are fun and interesting anecdotes about the book world. There's also a brief history about bookshops such as Waterstones and Foyles.
There's so many bookshops that stood out as favourites in the book yet some of my absolute favourites are:
Silverdell bookshop in Kirkham which is also an ice cream parlour where when they have a book signing a signature ice cream for the author is made. Books and ice cream? As long as it doesn't drip onto the pages what could be better?
The Book Barge, Lichfield which is a bookshop on a houseboat inspired by Rosie and Jim and it sounded absolutely perfect. I'd rather be on it by myself reading books and travelling along a canal rather than share it with customers but it's still a pretty exciting place to buy books!
London is a city full of bookshops but the ones listed here were quite brief, covering bookshops around the world however means you can't list them all! Camden Lock Books is mentioned though which is one of the capital's most iconic bookshops.
The World's Smallest Bookstore in Toronto which is inside a ten foot by ten foot cabin and all the books cost $3 and are paid for via an honesty box (hard to imagine this working in certain parts of England) and you also get a leaflet entitled: 'Why I Love Books'.
The Book Nook in Texas which has a second hand section where you can fill a bag for $13 and the bookshop donates a box of books to troops serving overseas for every bag sold.
The Underground Bookshop in Coober Pedy, South Australia which is an underground bookshop inside an old opal mine.
Brazenhead Books in New York, a controversial bookshop that technically doesn't exist. You have to email or phone the owner to arrange a visit!
The book was either very short or just that good that I read it quickly. With my NetGalley copy I didn't notice but what was missing for me was pictures. I'm unsure whether the print or Kindle book has pictures but it would have helped me with picturing some of the bookshops described here. The book is one of those that you could pick up at random intervals and read a chunk of, or leave lying around for people visiting you at home to pick up and browse through and pictures would work really well.
This book is simply a must read for book lovers and one that comes highly recommended by me. Liverpool doesn't have all that many bookshops which is a shame for such a cultural city, and this book has left me wanting to travel the world visiting the many wonderful places mentioned in this book.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy via NetGalley.
Stories connect people: I want to share the stories of three hundred wonderful book shops across six continents, and thoughts from famous authors about their favourite book shops, too. These days, we've got booksellers in cities, in deserts, and in the middle of a rainforest; we've got travelling book shops, and book shops underground. We've got book shops in barns, in caravans and in converted Victorian railway stations. We've even got booksellers selling books in the middle of a war.
Are book shops still relevant? They certainly are.
All book shops are full of stories, and stories want to be heard.
Will there come a time when all of our shopping is done online? When all bookshops close and our only choice of choosing a book in the real world comes from the charts in ASDA or Tesco? It seems almost frightening to consider. We all love a bargain and admittedly 95% of my book shopping is done via Amazon, yet you still can't beat walking into a bookshop, the smell, the warm and friendly atmosphere and the hundreds (sometimes thousands) of books on the shelves is a staggering and wonderful sight to behold. This is the story of the feelings walking into a bookshop evokes. I can remember the first time I got my library card, the first time I nagged my parents to take me into a bookshop and the many times over the years I continued to drag them in to buy books. It's hard to imagine a world where other children can't grow up doing the same thing.
Bookish Facts:
Part of the M6 toll road in the UK is made out of pulped Mills & Boon novels. A reported 2.5 million recycled books were mixed in with asphalt and Tarmac to create the road surface.
In 2008, Gabriel Levinson started spending his weekends cycling around public parks in Chicago on his custom-built Book Bike. The bike had a box built around it that folded out to display 300 titles. Gabriel have books away to anyone who promised they would read them.
There are so many stories in this book I'd love to quote and talk about, but the enjoyment really comes from discovering them for yourself. I do have a few favourites I will mention later in the review. The book contains a plethora of Bookish Facts and Some Wonderful Things which are fun and interesting anecdotes about the book world. There's also a brief history about bookshops such as Waterstones and Foyles.
There's so many bookshops that stood out as favourites in the book yet some of my absolute favourites are:
Silverdell bookshop in Kirkham which is also an ice cream parlour where when they have a book signing a signature ice cream for the author is made. Books and ice cream? As long as it doesn't drip onto the pages what could be better?
The Book Barge, Lichfield which is a bookshop on a houseboat inspired by Rosie and Jim and it sounded absolutely perfect. I'd rather be on it by myself reading books and travelling along a canal rather than share it with customers but it's still a pretty exciting place to buy books!
London is a city full of bookshops but the ones listed here were quite brief, covering bookshops around the world however means you can't list them all! Camden Lock Books is mentioned though which is one of the capital's most iconic bookshops.
The World's Smallest Bookstore in Toronto which is inside a ten foot by ten foot cabin and all the books cost $3 and are paid for via an honesty box (hard to imagine this working in certain parts of England) and you also get a leaflet entitled: 'Why I Love Books'.
The Book Nook in Texas which has a second hand section where you can fill a bag for $13 and the bookshop donates a box of books to troops serving overseas for every bag sold.
The Underground Bookshop in Coober Pedy, South Australia which is an underground bookshop inside an old opal mine.
Brazenhead Books in New York, a controversial bookshop that technically doesn't exist. You have to email or phone the owner to arrange a visit!
The book was either very short or just that good that I read it quickly. With my NetGalley copy I didn't notice but what was missing for me was pictures. I'm unsure whether the print or Kindle book has pictures but it would have helped me with picturing some of the bookshops described here. The book is one of those that you could pick up at random intervals and read a chunk of, or leave lying around for people visiting you at home to pick up and browse through and pictures would work really well.
This book is simply a must read for book lovers and one that comes highly recommended by me. Liverpool doesn't have all that many bookshops which is a shame for such a cultural city, and this book has left me wanting to travel the world visiting the many wonderful places mentioned in this book.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy via NetGalley.
March 31, 2016
Finished reading: March 27th 2016
“Because whether we're in the middle of the desert or in the heart of a city, or the top of a mountain or on an underground train: having good stories to keep us company means the whole world.”
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
February 8, 2018
I love the idea behind this book, and although I didn't know whether I would enjoy reading so much, I was pleasantly surprised.
The book is divided into six continents and Jen Campbell goes on an expedition to many locations in search for bookstores. You will read about some of the strangest bookshops, but also some of the more well-known chains. You will discover hidden gems, and you will really just want to get up, pack a bag and travel to all those destinations. It was such a fun and enjoyable read, and I loved the little bookish facts you read along the way, and the snippets that other authors and writers wrote about their bookshop experiences or their opinions about books and bookstores.
The most important thing about this book though is that it keeps bookshops alive. And it gives me hope that bookshops are here to stay, that they still have their loyal, book-loving customers, and that makes me very happy.
The book is divided into six continents and Jen Campbell goes on an expedition to many locations in search for bookstores. You will read about some of the strangest bookshops, but also some of the more well-known chains. You will discover hidden gems, and you will really just want to get up, pack a bag and travel to all those destinations. It was such a fun and enjoyable read, and I loved the little bookish facts you read along the way, and the snippets that other authors and writers wrote about their bookshop experiences or their opinions about books and bookstores.
The most important thing about this book though is that it keeps bookshops alive. And it gives me hope that bookshops are here to stay, that they still have their loyal, book-loving customers, and that makes me very happy.
May 24, 2016
I really enjoyed this book but I did not care for all the author stories. I would rather have read about even more bookshops, especially more that are in other areas than the EU and USA. My last point of critique is the placement of the photos: it makes no sense. Why show pictures of bookshops before you have talked about them? I would have liked it more to see it spread out in a more logical way.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 539 reviews