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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
3.5 rounded up
Sometimes the quotidian can be delightful in its own sort of way. This book is exactly what the title suggests—a daily diary of a bookseller based in Wigtown, Scotland.
So many people have overly romanticized ideas of what it’s like to run a bookshop, and Bythell puts those to rest by chronicling the mundane nature of it all (especially in a small out of the way coastal town) and the slightly ridiculous aspects. I loved the recurring characters like Mrs Phillips (I’m ninety-three and nearly blind), Deacon, Smelly Kelly and his Brut 33, and Nicky, whose categorizing skills could use some polishing. The author has a sarcastic wit, which comes across as mildly rude but made me giggle at so many of his stories. I also enjoyed the fact that some turns of phrase were strikingly uncommon to me as an American.
I enjoyed his perspective on reading on Kindle (though I don’t share it—I read this book on Kindle) and also gained an appreciation and understanding for why the 100+ books I recently purged from my own personal library didn’t sell well.
Sometimes the quotidian can be delightful in its own sort of way. This book is exactly what the title suggests—a daily diary of a bookseller based in Wigtown, Scotland.
So many people have overly romanticized ideas of what it’s like to run a bookshop, and Bythell puts those to rest by chronicling the mundane nature of it all (especially in a small out of the way coastal town) and the slightly ridiculous aspects. I loved the recurring characters like Mrs Phillips (I’m ninety-three and nearly blind), Deacon, Smelly Kelly and his Brut 33, and Nicky, whose categorizing skills could use some polishing. The author has a sarcastic wit, which comes across as mildly rude but made me giggle at so many of his stories. I also enjoyed the fact that some turns of phrase were strikingly uncommon to me as an American.
I enjoyed his perspective on reading on Kindle (though I don’t share it—I read this book on Kindle) and also gained an appreciation and understanding for why the 100+ books I recently purged from my own personal library didn’t sell well.
"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 [...] so I took a calculated risk and decided to focus on customer behaviour [...] It appears to have paid off, and those who follow the shop seem to become more delighted the more offensive I am about customers."
That about sums up the book.
I have to commend the author for really letting his personality come out in his writing. It's just too bad he seems like such a rude and boring man.
DNF - stopped at page 63
That about sums up the book.
I have to commend the author for really letting his personality come out in his writing. It's just too bad he seems like such a rude and boring man.
DNF - stopped at page 63
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Е, в един момент бях решила да търся помещение, което да превърна в своя собствена книжарница за книги втора употреба, но иначе книжката не е кой знае какво.
The Diary of a Bookseller was a fun listen. I spent most of my time listening on dog walks and found myself laughing out loud often. In this diary, Shawn Bythell, the owner of The Book Shop in Wigtwon, Scotland tells of the trials and tribulations of running a bookstore in a time dominated by Amazon in an industry increasingly becoming electronic. Each day, he recounts how many books were sold online, how many these orders were actually found in the store, the number of pounds in the till, and total number of walk-in customers. Wigtown Scotland is known today as “Scotland’s National Book Town” due to the number of bookstores and their Book Festival. I’ll be visiting this town next August. Guaranteed. Book it!
Shawn is sarcastic and ornery and has a dry sense of humor. He has a disdain for many of his customers and is constantly annoyed by / entertained by his employees. As time marches on, Shawn tells of his encounters with the many different types of customers, some quirky, some insufferable, and some (not many) delightful. All are memorable. When not dealing with the employees and customers he is on road trips, traveling to private residences and estate sales to look at book collections up for sale in hopes of finding a rare gem or at least something with resale value.
The author also writes about personal trips and vacations he takes in his area in southwestern Scotland, “Scotland’s Forgotten Corner” as he calls it.
Each chapter starts with a quote from George Orwell about bookstores. I did not know that Orwell worked in a bookstore and wrote an essay about his experiences.
I felt that the book got a little repetitive towards the end and my interest started to wane. I think maybe ten hours was a bit too long for this one.
I would still highly recommend, especially for bookstore lovers. It’s fun to learn about the what it's like at a bookstores from the other side of the counter, especially from someone as funny as Shawn Bythell.
Shawn is sarcastic and ornery and has a dry sense of humor. He has a disdain for many of his customers and is constantly annoyed by / entertained by his employees. As time marches on, Shawn tells of his encounters with the many different types of customers, some quirky, some insufferable, and some (not many) delightful. All are memorable. When not dealing with the employees and customers he is on road trips, traveling to private residences and estate sales to look at book collections up for sale in hopes of finding a rare gem or at least something with resale value.
The author also writes about personal trips and vacations he takes in his area in southwestern Scotland, “Scotland’s Forgotten Corner” as he calls it.
Each chapter starts with a quote from George Orwell about bookstores. I did not know that Orwell worked in a bookstore and wrote an essay about his experiences.
I felt that the book got a little repetitive towards the end and my interest started to wane. I think maybe ten hours was a bit too long for this one.
I would still highly recommend, especially for bookstore lovers. It’s fun to learn about the what it's like at a bookstores from the other side of the counter, especially from someone as funny as Shawn Bythell.
I loved this. Shaun is a great writer, funny, acerbic sometimes poignant, always entertaining. Book selling is not for wimps, that's very clear. A year in the life of Scotland's biggest second hand bookshop. The terrible customers, the persistent war with online retailers and software. The venom of William at the post office and all the human stories that flow in and out as the year progresses. It was an absolute pleasure to read and if I didn't live five hours drive away I'd be visiting tomorrow.
I took this book out with little expectation and was really surprised about how readable and funny it was. I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes books and/or has to deal with customers ;)
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced