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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Second time reading:
I listened to this on audiobook this time round and though I still loved it I found that I had much more enjoyed it when I was physically reading it.
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I can't begin to describe just how much I loved this book. I have always adored books so when I heard about this one in a youtube video I knew I had to have it and luckily for me while I was on holiday this year I found it in a WHSmith.
It is the diary of Shaun Bythell, a bookseller in Wigtown, a place I have visited only once when I was a child and after reading this I am dying to return there.
This book is great, so many memorable characters, the interactions with customers are funny and infuriating, each page just drips with personality (a lot of it sarcastic, which I loved). I also found this book very informative, I feel like I learned so much about the industry and it was very fascinating. I also love the format of the book, I think it's one of the reasons I read through it quickly.
The book won't be for everyone. It can get very repetitive sometimes, this didn't bother me but I can understand why it would annoy other readers. There might also be some opinions in here you won't agree with.
Thinking about this book, there was nothing personally for me that I didn't like. Maybe save the ending but not for a bad reason. This has been one the best books I've read this year. I really really need to get to Wigtown next year!
I listened to this on audiobook this time round and though I still loved it I found that I had much more enjoyed it when I was physically reading it.
.
.
.
I can't begin to describe just how much I loved this book. I have always adored books so when I heard about this one in a youtube video I knew I had to have it and luckily for me while I was on holiday this year I found it in a WHSmith.
It is the diary of Shaun Bythell, a bookseller in Wigtown, a place I have visited only once when I was a child and after reading this I am dying to return there.
This book is great, so many memorable characters, the interactions with customers are funny and infuriating, each page just drips with personality (a lot of it sarcastic, which I loved). I also found this book very informative, I feel like I learned so much about the industry and it was very fascinating. I also love the format of the book, I think it's one of the reasons I read through it quickly.
The book won't be for everyone. It can get very repetitive sometimes, this didn't bother me but I can understand why it would annoy other readers. There might also be some opinions in here you won't agree with.
Thinking about this book, there was nothing personally for me that I didn't like. Maybe save the ending but not for a bad reason. This has been one the best books I've read this year. I really really need to get to Wigtown next year!
Hade inte fattat var det var för bok när jag föll för den och inhandlade den. Trodde det skulle vara en fiktiv berättelse ungefär som Livet enligt Fikry, men det visade sig vara en RIKTIG bokhandlares faktiska dagbok, med dagskassa och allting! Blev om möjligt än mer pepp för det kändes mysigt att läsa om, och kul och intressant. Och den känslan följde mig genom hela boken! Gillar att läsa om de olika böckerna som Shaun Bythell handlar med, vilka kunder som köper vad och hur mycket han får in på olika investeringar. Men får också ångestpåslag, hjärtklappning och krupp av att läsa om alla kunder som kräver rabatt, som försöker sätta dit en, som tror att de kan allt osv osv osv. Gud får såna flashbacks till det egna livet bakom kassan, tiden på Gamestop och som chef. FY. Vill aldrig tillbaka till butiksjobbet! Och så mycket likheter mellan att jobba med begagnade tevespel och begagnade böcker. Precis som det är en viss sorts kunder som kommer till en butik för att leta efter antika böcker, är det en viss sorts kunder som letar upp en tevespelsbutik och letar efter vintage-spel... Typ allt av Nintendo drar ju riktiga original. Gosh.
Fick också panik av Nicky, som jobbar extra i butiken och verkar rent ut sagt odräglig. Blev så glad och lättad av att läsa i epilogen att hon inte längre jobbar kvar. Att hon inte lyssnar på honom, gör som hon själv vill, alltid är sen, packar upp lådor lite grann (och lämnar resten ouppackat i högar på golvet!!!) stället saker helt fel, GUD jag får PANNE, skulle inte klarat av att jobba med en sån människa i ens en dag! Så det förstörde upplevelsen lite. Tyckte inte hon var "charmig" eller "rolig" utan bara en pain in the ass.
Men ja, mysig och underhållande dagbok och jag önskar Shaun allt gott med butiken. Är om inte annat sjukt sugen på att åka dit och besöka antikvariatet!
Fick också panik av Nicky, som jobbar extra i butiken och verkar rent ut sagt odräglig. Blev så glad och lättad av att läsa i epilogen att hon inte längre jobbar kvar. Att hon inte lyssnar på honom, gör som hon själv vill, alltid är sen, packar upp lådor lite grann (och lämnar resten ouppackat i högar på golvet!!!) stället saker helt fel, GUD jag får PANNE, skulle inte klarat av att jobba med en sån människa i ens en dag! Så det förstörde upplevelsen lite. Tyckte inte hon var "charmig" eller "rolig" utan bara en pain in the ass.
Men ja, mysig och underhållande dagbok och jag önskar Shaun allt gott med butiken. Är om inte annat sjukt sugen på att åka dit och besöka antikvariatet!
At times I enjoyed this memoir of a used-bookstore owner in Scotland. Often, the interactions between the owner and the customers are humous. And the descriptions of various locations in Scotland and the details of the town and annual festival were charming and very interesting. But I'll be honest with you, by 3/4 of the way through, I was done and found it tough to finish. At times, the tone of the book is rather grating and I grew tired of that.
It's just the day-to-day of running a bookshop, which on the surface seems like it would be really boring, but it's not.
Here are a couple of the one-paragraph stories he includes:
Nicky arrived at 9.15 a.m., as usual [She was late]. Straight away she offered me a plastic tray of what might have passed for food were it a few days fresher, asking, ‘Would you like a cinnamon roll?’ (Tesco ‘Reduced to 27p’ sticker clearly visible). I replied, ‘I’d love one, thanks, Nicky.’ And as I reached for one, she swatted my hand aside and said, ‘I wouldn’t go for that one. I licked the icing off it on the way into work this morning.’
When the old man in the crumpled suit came to the counter to pay for the copy of Dostoevsky’s The Idiot, I discreetly pointed out that his fly was open. He glanced down – as if for confirmation of this – then looked back at me and said, ‘A dead bird can’t fall out of its nest,’ and left the shop, fly still agape.
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Here are a couple of the one-paragraph stories he includes:
Nicky arrived at 9.15 a.m., as usual [She was late]. Straight away she offered me a plastic tray of what might have passed for food were it a few days fresher, asking, ‘Would you like a cinnamon roll?’ (Tesco ‘Reduced to 27p’ sticker clearly visible). I replied, ‘I’d love one, thanks, Nicky.’ And as I reached for one, she swatted my hand aside and said, ‘I wouldn’t go for that one. I licked the icing off it on the way into work this morning.’
When the old man in the crumpled suit came to the counter to pay for the copy of Dostoevsky’s The Idiot, I discreetly pointed out that his fly was open. He glanced down – as if for confirmation of this – then looked back at me and said, ‘A dead bird can’t fall out of its nest,’ and left the shop, fly still agape.
Read more stories on the Facebook page.
I love this book. A fun read with a great cast of characters.
Wow I loved this! Hilarous characters and a brilliant insight into how a secondhand bookshop is run and what goes on. Very excited to read the next one. 100% recommend!
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
