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A review by elixierbroth
A Bookshop of One's Own: How a Group of Women Set Out to Change the World by Jane Cholmeley
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
3.0
Very enjoyable. Jane has a lovely conversational style so even with the bits with the driest facts, it's easy to stay with her! It makes you feel both the struggles and fun times the Silver Moonies went through in its history.
It also really made me feel what I missed. I never even knew Silver Moon existed until this book came out - I suppose I was only just at the age of being allowed to explore the city on my own when it closed in 2001, and I still feel sick with jealousy I missed it!
I have been recommending it to everyone.
I would love to see a bookshop like this rise again but I see all the reasons in 2024 that, likely, none will. Jane lists the shops on Charing Cross road in 2020 in chapter 20 (Bastard Landlords). The three book shops remaining then, are now down to two. There's a predominance of bakery and beauty shops, which does give the street a more distinct character than in 2020, but when I think of having had a whole street mostly of bookshops, a mini Hay-On-Wye in London Town, it makes me angry the city continues to drive towards the bottom dollar than any attempt at cultivating character for different areas of the city.
I'm not an economist, nor even a city planner. I just live here. I'm sure there's an importance to making money over conservation or even the convenience for the city dweller of being able to find clusters of related shops...I just sometimes wonder what this drive towards profits is all for, ultimately. Itself?
I don't read a lot of non-fiction so I wasn't sure what to say about pacing!
It also really made me feel what I missed. I never even knew Silver Moon existed until this book came out - I suppose I was only just at the age of being allowed to explore the city on my own when it closed in 2001, and I still feel sick with jealousy I missed it!
I have been recommending it to everyone.
I would love to see a bookshop like this rise again but I see all the reasons in 2024 that, likely, none will. Jane lists the shops on Charing Cross road in 2020 in chapter 20 (Bastard Landlords). The three book shops remaining then, are now down to two. There's a predominance of bakery and beauty shops, which does give the street a more distinct character than in 2020, but when I think of having had a whole street mostly of bookshops, a mini Hay-On-Wye in London Town, it makes me angry the city continues to drive towards the bottom dollar than any attempt at cultivating character for different areas of the city.
I'm not an economist, nor even a city planner. I just live here. I'm sure there's an importance to making money over conservation or even the convenience for the city dweller of being able to find clusters of related shops...I just sometimes wonder what this drive towards profits is all for, ultimately. Itself?
I don't read a lot of non-fiction so I wasn't sure what to say about pacing!