Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
Profile Books (2018), Edition: 1st Edition, 316 pages
Description
"The funny and fascinating memoir of Bythell's experiences at the helm of The Bookshop, Scotland's largest second hand bookstore--and the delightfully unusual staff members, eccentric customers, odd townsfolk and surreal buying trips that make up his life there"--
Media reviews
Quartzy
Bythell is often as charmingly unlikeable as his customers, ridiculing them in the book and online. It’s not clear that he’s actually helpful. He routinely receives complaints about unfulfilled or switched book shipments. His employees appear mostly incompetent...
The Diary of a Bookseller
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doesn’t seem like it should work. Life at The Book Shop is boring. On a typical day Bythell might sell £200 worth of books, once as little as £5. But there is a soothing monotony to the rhythm of his days. Bythell somehow creates a sense of urgency in the nothingness, and readers may feel that if they skip even one day, they’ll miss some winningly cutting remark. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member TobinElliott
I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this book. I imagine, for the regular reader, it might get dull and repetitious, and Bythell could come off as an officious asshole, but...
...but...
For those readers who are also, in some way, on the other side of the counter, the ones who work in some way to get
I've read a few of the reviews on this book. Is the author a judgemental asshole? Well, to be honest, he addresses that in the book, and chides himself at least twice on being more lenient and less judgemental. However, as a guy who works in a bookstore, I will say, it becomes nearly impossible to not judge that weird, small percentage of freaks that show up to frustrate you and provide grist for later complaints and stories.
Seriously, I could write my own book just on these customers alone.
There's also the mention that he hates Amazon. Actually, he's fairly balanced and quite factual on what Amazon has done for book sales. But does he like them? No, and with reason. When you're faced with a customer who's looking for a very specific book, but they "don't know the author, don't know the title, I think it's red. I heard about it on the radio/TV/magazine about a year ago," then stare at you, obviously expecting to pull the exact book they're looking for out of your ass. And, after probing more, getting as much info as you can, then googling it (and politely not mentioning they could—and should—have done this all themselves) and finally coming up with the actual book (that always turns out to be any colour except the one they mentioned), then they look at the price, and point blank tell you they'll buy it on Amazon, "cuz it's cheaper." Despite not even knowing what the book was 30 seconds earlier (hint: it's usually just as, if not more expensive). For those customers, I suggest, in future, calling Amazon up and giving them the same vague description they gave me, and see how far they get in tracking the book down.
For anyone else who mentions Amazon, I simply stare at them blankly and say, "Amazon? Never heard of it." The looks and comments I get back are totally worth it.
But seriously, there's reasons why Amazon's despised by any self-respecting book lover.
Anyway, the insight into the day-to-day running of a mildly successful book shop, with its curmudgeonly owner, its flaky, weird, and typically hilarious staff, and all the goings-on in a year made for a fascinating read.
Honestly, I enjoyed every second, and laughed out loud a lot.
...but...
For those readers who are also, in some way, on the other side of the counter, the ones who work in some way to get
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books into people hands, this "year in the life" book is engrossing, and full of wit and truths about the bookselling profession.I've read a few of the reviews on this book. Is the author a judgemental asshole? Well, to be honest, he addresses that in the book, and chides himself at least twice on being more lenient and less judgemental. However, as a guy who works in a bookstore, I will say, it becomes nearly impossible to not judge that weird, small percentage of freaks that show up to frustrate you and provide grist for later complaints and stories.
Seriously, I could write my own book just on these customers alone.
There's also the mention that he hates Amazon. Actually, he's fairly balanced and quite factual on what Amazon has done for book sales. But does he like them? No, and with reason. When you're faced with a customer who's looking for a very specific book, but they "don't know the author, don't know the title, I think it's red. I heard about it on the radio/TV/magazine about a year ago," then stare at you, obviously expecting to pull the exact book they're looking for out of your ass. And, after probing more, getting as much info as you can, then googling it (and politely not mentioning they could—and should—have done this all themselves) and finally coming up with the actual book (that always turns out to be any colour except the one they mentioned), then they look at the price, and point blank tell you they'll buy it on Amazon, "cuz it's cheaper." Despite not even knowing what the book was 30 seconds earlier (hint: it's usually just as, if not more expensive). For those customers, I suggest, in future, calling Amazon up and giving them the same vague description they gave me, and see how far they get in tracking the book down.
For anyone else who mentions Amazon, I simply stare at them blankly and say, "Amazon? Never heard of it." The looks and comments I get back are totally worth it.
But seriously, there's reasons why Amazon's despised by any self-respecting book lover.
Anyway, the insight into the day-to-day running of a mildly successful book shop, with its curmudgeonly owner, its flaky, weird, and typically hilarious staff, and all the goings-on in a year made for a fascinating read.
Honestly, I enjoyed every second, and laughed out loud a lot.
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LibraryThing member murderbydeath
I saw this in my local just before Christmas and snatched it up, as my not-so-secret fantasy is to own a bookshop (me, not the bank, which is why it remains a fantasy), and I never get tired of reading first hand accounts from the front. But this one was even better than I was hoping for; it was
Each day begins with a tally of books sold online, and how many of those books he is able to actually locate in his stock (100,000 books; I can't even find a book I'm looking for in my paltry 1200 or so). From there it's a short narrative about what happened that day. Usually something his employee Nicky does, doesn't do, or says, or an anecdote about one or more customers doing something inane, rude, or more often, both. (This is not the book to read if you're looking for affirmation on humanity.)
Less often, but my favorites, were his field trips abroad to buy books. And strewn throughout is the very real, and very serious, consequences Amazon has on booksellers. It's one thing to know that Amazon is taking away independent booksellers' business by out pricing them on everything, but it's another thing altogether to understand how much control they have over small booksellers across the globe. Even if you don't buy your book from Amazon, Amazon likely controls or influences how you purchase it.
Each entry ends with the daily earnings; a number so fluid as to range anywhere from 5 Pounds to 1,000, and - spoiler alert - the days where he took in more than 700 Pounds was less than 3.
If bookshops and the eccentric people who visit them aren't your cup of tea, this book probably isn't going to delight you the way it did me, but if you secretly wish you could own, work, or live in a bookshop and have an appreciation for the irreverent humor of a man worn down by humanity at its most dubious, then definitely check out this book. As I said at the start, it's informative (in spite of the hard facts, I still want to own a bookshop), it's easy to read (although once I started I was disinclined to stop) and it's laugh out loud hilarious. I almost snorted. And I'm following the author on Facebook; I never follow authors (well, ok, Amy Stewart, but honestly, as much as I love her books, I follow her for her art - she's disgustingly talented).
In fact, check him out on facebook first; if you like his posts, you'll love this book!
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informative, succinct (it's truly a diary, so entries are rarely more than a page) and best of all, it's hilarious.Each day begins with a tally of books sold online, and how many of those books he is able to actually locate in his stock (100,000 books; I can't even find a book I'm looking for in my paltry 1200 or so). From there it's a short narrative about what happened that day. Usually something his employee Nicky does, doesn't do, or says, or an anecdote about one or more customers doing something inane, rude, or more often, both. (This is not the book to read if you're looking for affirmation on humanity.)
Less often, but my favorites, were his field trips abroad to buy books. And strewn throughout is the very real, and very serious, consequences Amazon has on booksellers. It's one thing to know that Amazon is taking away independent booksellers' business by out pricing them on everything, but it's another thing altogether to understand how much control they have over small booksellers across the globe. Even if you don't buy your book from Amazon, Amazon likely controls or influences how you purchase it.
Each entry ends with the daily earnings; a number so fluid as to range anywhere from 5 Pounds to 1,000, and - spoiler alert - the days where he took in more than 700 Pounds was less than 3.
If bookshops and the eccentric people who visit them aren't your cup of tea, this book probably isn't going to delight you the way it did me, but if you secretly wish you could own, work, or live in a bookshop and have an appreciation for the irreverent humor of a man worn down by humanity at its most dubious, then definitely check out this book. As I said at the start, it's informative (in spite of the hard facts, I still want to own a bookshop), it's easy to read (although once I started I was disinclined to stop) and it's laugh out loud hilarious. I almost snorted. And I'm following the author on Facebook; I never follow authors (well, ok, Amy Stewart, but honestly, as much as I love her books, I follow her for her art - she's disgustingly talented).
In fact, check him out on facebook first; if you like his posts, you'll love this book!
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LibraryThing member HeikeM
This is a year in the life of a second hand bookshop, told by the owner. I have read the owners Facebook page and from that I expected a humorous, slightly zynical view of dealings with customers. Although there is certainly some of that, it is so much more. Beautifully written, this is a love
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letter to the life of a book seller, so much more than just a diary. The fondness for the landscape, the town, the people, the books and the various employees in the bookshop shines through. It reads as witty as I hoped - this author is well read, across all genres it seems. It's also a really good read for anybody who wants to open a second hand bookshop - Shaun recommends a few books for budding shop owners, his should certainly be on that list. It made me smile, a little bit sad, and the fact that this bookshop exists makes me very happy. A wonderful read, warm, funny, honest and clever. Show Less
LibraryThing member DramMan
This is the diary of a bookseller, just as it says on the tin.....the books he buys and sells, and the people he buys from and sells to, Pretty simple stuff and somewhat interesting for 3-4 months, but a 12 month stretch is a bit much. For all that I love secondhand bookshops and hope this
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particular one will still be in business when I visit Wigtown. Show Less
LibraryThing member bragan
This is exactly what the title says: a day-by-day dairy by Shaun Bythell, owner of the largest secondhand bookstore in Scotland, about his activities and the operation of his shop from early 2014 to early 2015. I honestly do not know why I found this as readable -- indeed, as compelling -- as I
Whatever the reason, I enjoyed it and will be reading his other books at some point, perhaps next time my brain needs this kind of a break.
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did. There are a lot of mundane details. Much of it is very repetitive, with notes along the lines of "Person X worked today" and remarks about the weather, and similar things. There is, interspersed with that, some dryly snarky humor, glimpses into the quirky personalities of the shop's employees and customers and the small town where it's located, and thoughts about the difficulties of selling books in the age of Amazon. Mostly, though, it's not terribly exciting stuff, and you might think that even for an obsessive book-lover, after 300 pages, it would start to get tedious. But, nope. I read this faster and with more absorption than pretty much anything else I've read recently. I think there was something about it that was just really restful for my brain. Like I could just sit on this guy's shoulder while he bought and sold books for a year and relax, without any of the annoyances of my own life distracting me.Whatever the reason, I enjoyed it and will be reading his other books at some point, perhaps next time my brain needs this kind of a break.
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LibraryThing member AmaliaGavea
These are the experiences of Shaun Bythell, a bookseller in Wigtown in beautiful Scotland, in diary format. The working days, the interesting customers (problematic or not), the co-workers, the struggle to support a second-hand bookshop (the second largest in the country) in the era of technology,
There were two things that won me over and kept me going. The experiences of the author- sometimes, they proved to be real adventures- while trying to find the most appropriate books for his shop and the stories of the people linked to them. Their deceased owners and the ones that stayed behind and had to part with the books. Some of them. The rest were cruel monsters but anyway. Another interesting part is the connection of the bookshop world with Amazon and the importance of the online market in general. It was sad to learn how a mere rating in a dubious platform could influence your overall effort despite all your hard effort. In our digitalized, fast-food era, online purchases are vital for the survival of any shop. It further cemented my conviction not to support Amazon, a stance I’ve been supporting for years. On a lighter note, there were certain titles that were absolutely hilarious. Not one to judge but it definitely makes you wonder why people sometimes choose specific books. Do they buy them for the sake of research or have they organised their priorities wrong? These were the most amusing features of the book, in my opinion.
Unfortunately, here end my positive thoughts regarding The Diary of a Bookseller. Apart from the content, I always pay attention to the overall tone, the ‘’voice’’ of the writer, especially when it comes to Non-Fiction and in this case, there were quite a few moments that made me contemplate whether to stop reading altogether. Forgive me for saying this, but there is a fine line between sarcasm and rudeness and, in my opinion, Bythell crossed it. He didn’t strike me as the most sympathetic person on the planet. I’m not referring to his behaviour towards the customers (although it was definitely questionable at times) but to his overall thoughts and assumptions. Perhaps it is a matter of cultural difference but certain parts left a sour taste in my mouth. Needless to say, the majority of the customers mentioned in the entries were excruciatingly ignorant so these were the only moments when I felt that his responses could be justified. Furthermore, I found his posh, high-brow attitude towards Fiction rather unfair and, in all honesty, tiresome and absurd. His comments over ‘’large’’ (as he calls them) customers sounded problematic as did his observations over ‘’female’’ customers. And truthfully, repetition over Amazon statuses or problems he had been facing with an employee day after day made this an extremely mundane read.
Perhaps the most interesting feature was the inclusion of George Orwell’s quotes on books, readers and bookselling at the beginning of each chapter. I can see why many readers would enjoy The Diary of a Bookseller but the writing failed to engage me and gave me quite a few problematic moments. Therefore, I cannot possibly rate this with more than 2 stars (not that it matters, obviously) and naturally, it can’t hold a candle to Jen Campbell’s The Bookshop Book.
Many thanks to Melville House Publishing and Edelweiss for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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everything that makes bookselling such a fascinating and exhausting profession is included in this book. Despite the positive reviews and my high expectations, I have to say that I didn’t enjoy reading this at all….There were two things that won me over and kept me going. The experiences of the author- sometimes, they proved to be real adventures- while trying to find the most appropriate books for his shop and the stories of the people linked to them. Their deceased owners and the ones that stayed behind and had to part with the books. Some of them. The rest were cruel monsters but anyway. Another interesting part is the connection of the bookshop world with Amazon and the importance of the online market in general. It was sad to learn how a mere rating in a dubious platform could influence your overall effort despite all your hard effort. In our digitalized, fast-food era, online purchases are vital for the survival of any shop. It further cemented my conviction not to support Amazon, a stance I’ve been supporting for years. On a lighter note, there were certain titles that were absolutely hilarious. Not one to judge but it definitely makes you wonder why people sometimes choose specific books. Do they buy them for the sake of research or have they organised their priorities wrong? These were the most amusing features of the book, in my opinion.
Unfortunately, here end my positive thoughts regarding The Diary of a Bookseller. Apart from the content, I always pay attention to the overall tone, the ‘’voice’’ of the writer, especially when it comes to Non-Fiction and in this case, there were quite a few moments that made me contemplate whether to stop reading altogether. Forgive me for saying this, but there is a fine line between sarcasm and rudeness and, in my opinion, Bythell crossed it. He didn’t strike me as the most sympathetic person on the planet. I’m not referring to his behaviour towards the customers (although it was definitely questionable at times) but to his overall thoughts and assumptions. Perhaps it is a matter of cultural difference but certain parts left a sour taste in my mouth. Needless to say, the majority of the customers mentioned in the entries were excruciatingly ignorant so these were the only moments when I felt that his responses could be justified. Furthermore, I found his posh, high-brow attitude towards Fiction rather unfair and, in all honesty, tiresome and absurd. His comments over ‘’large’’ (as he calls them) customers sounded problematic as did his observations over ‘’female’’ customers. And truthfully, repetition over Amazon statuses or problems he had been facing with an employee day after day made this an extremely mundane read.
Perhaps the most interesting feature was the inclusion of George Orwell’s quotes on books, readers and bookselling at the beginning of each chapter. I can see why many readers would enjoy The Diary of a Bookseller but the writing failed to engage me and gave me quite a few problematic moments. Therefore, I cannot possibly rate this with more than 2 stars (not that it matters, obviously) and naturally, it can’t hold a candle to Jen Campbell’s The Bookshop Book.
Many thanks to Melville House Publishing and Edelweiss for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member mbmackay
A surprisingly good read.
The premise - daily diary notes by the owner of a second hand book shop in a remote corner of Scotland - hardly seems promising. But the author combines grumpiness with a good nature, and the text combines trivia with an assessment of the future of books in an Amazon run
I found myself taking note of books mentioned, while adding Wigtown to the list of destinations to visit when next in Scotland - if international travel ever gets back in gear. There is much wry humour, with the occasional laugh out loud moment.
The premise - daily diary notes by the owner of a second hand book shop in a remote corner of Scotland - hardly seems promising. But the author combines grumpiness with a good nature, and the text combines trivia with an assessment of the future of books in an Amazon run
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world.I found myself taking note of books mentioned, while adding Wigtown to the list of destinations to visit when next in Scotland - if international travel ever gets back in gear. There is much wry humour, with the occasional laugh out loud moment.
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LibraryThing member dieseltaylor
As a man who spent two happy years working part-time in a good second-hand bookshop in Oxted I can vouch for the veracity of the authors customer experiences.
Fortunately I would only work running the shop on Saturdays and perhaps an odd day so saw many more customers than weekday working. Great
The book is very funny but with a touch of sadness. We too would lose good customers. And yes my very knowledgeable boss did have a slightly similar view of mankind as does the author.
Fortunately I would only work running the shop on Saturdays and perhaps an odd day so saw many more customers than weekday working. Great
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fun.The book is very funny but with a touch of sadness. We too would lose good customers. And yes my very knowledgeable boss did have a slightly similar view of mankind as does the author.
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LibraryThing member jon1lambert
Patrick Modiano: Search warrant and Shaun Bithell: The diary of a bookseller
‘The time I’ve spent, waiting in those cafes’: Search Warrant by Patrick Modiano (Harvell Secker Press, 2014,) page 5.
I am in Coffee Roasters on The High in Oxford. It is raining outside. For some reason a flat white
Nevertheless, I read the first few pages of the book, became hooked and reminded myself of the importance of coffee and cigarettes to literature, for instance, Modiano introduces the cigarette as a characteristic of a Polish Jew who sold suitcases: ‘He was never without a cigarette dangling from the corner of his lips and, one afternoon, he offered me one’ (page 7). Simenon’s Maigret novels would be short stories without cafes, pipes and cigarettes.
My reading was interrupted by a woman asking me whether she could plug herself in under my feet and by another one who told everyone that her bus pass was running out today. The barista said ‘make the most of it, go anywhere, go to Abingdon’. She said ‘yeah’ but she was going to a porn shop in Cowley first. ‘You should see some of the stuff he’s got,’ she added as she went out the door.
Later in the day I finished reading Shaun Bythell’s The diary of a bookseller which cost me an outrageous £5.99 in a different Oxfam bookshop. I hope one day to visit the bookshop in Wigtown to be insulted. I really enjoyed Bythell’s book. It is reassuring to see how much customers irritate the bookseller who of course depends on the customer.
On page 232 he makes the point that ‘on the whole booksellers dislike librarians’. I have some sympathy with this. Librarians are almost certainly a book’s greatest enemy. The acquisition and deaccessioning processes cause grave damage to the quality of the book as a physical object. There is also the issue of free lending, endowing a sense of generosity upon librarians to the detriment of booksellers who have to make a living by selling and want to buy books for virtually nothing and then sell them on (or back to libraries) for the highest possible price. Mind you, I like the Wigtown bookseller’s approach to fines. Libraries fine people for books being overdue. In Wigtown, browsers who hang around and show a great interest in a book but don’t buy it, may find its price has been marked up by a fiver when they come back and eventually bring it to the till.
Having relocated my custom to an independent bookshop that sells carrot cake as well as books, I have become aware of a seemingly courteous respectful customer who has asked whether it is ok for him and his partner to have a coffee outside with their dog. The bookseller replied very positively saying, ‘even better, the dog would be most welcome inside’. I, a pre-existing customer, had no say in the matter. Within 2 minutes the shop was a menagerie. Dog meant two dogs, a lurcher and a poodle, with their owners, both international canine authorities, with loud voices to boot. The lurcher is called Lofty. Apparently, anything that is a greyhound is a lurcher. Lofty has Irish wolfhound in him and has beautiful colouring. The totally 100% poodle is a miniature bitch and quite rare. She is nearly a year old, cute and has huge eyes. Lofty can’t seem to sit still. The word ‘sit’ echoes repetitively round the bookshop. Mixed breeds need a lot of brushing. I couldn’t get past Lofty to get at the local history so left.
Elsewhere in his book, page 293, Mr Bythell suggests that marginalia and annotations made by readers are ‘captivating additions – a glimpse into the mind of another person who has read the same book’. I tend to agree. That is why I bought the second copy of Search Warrant. The previous owner had protected the book from desecration through the neatness of the writing, the page references and providing them as an insert on yellow-lined paper. As for their value, I’ve changed my mind. The notes are quite helpful in sorting out Modiano’s multiple chronologies but in my view are way off the mark in terms of assessment, for instance ’much is surmise’ is seen as a bad thing; characters are thought to be rather ordinary, one doesn’t get to know them, and the streets of Paris didn’t join up. I think the point of fading memory and things not joining up is what the book is all about. I reckon that Search warrant (Dora Bruder) is one of the best books I have ever read.
Also, I discovered on the back cover something brown that looks like remnants from one of Nicky’s Foodie Friday discount takeaways from Morrisons. It won’t come off.
‘The time I’ve spent, waiting in those cafes’: Search Warrant by Patrick Modiano (Harvell Secker Press, 2014,) page 5.
I am in Coffee Roasters on The High in Oxford. It is raining outside. For some reason a flat white
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to drink in is cheaper than a flat white to take away: £2.50 rather than £2.60. I picked up my second copy of Search Warrant by Patrick Modiano in the Oxford St Giles Oxfam bookshop. I only bought it for the neat set of page-by-page notes loosely inserted within. I don’t need to read the book now, just the notes, was my thinking, Nevertheless, I read the first few pages of the book, became hooked and reminded myself of the importance of coffee and cigarettes to literature, for instance, Modiano introduces the cigarette as a characteristic of a Polish Jew who sold suitcases: ‘He was never without a cigarette dangling from the corner of his lips and, one afternoon, he offered me one’ (page 7). Simenon’s Maigret novels would be short stories without cafes, pipes and cigarettes.
My reading was interrupted by a woman asking me whether she could plug herself in under my feet and by another one who told everyone that her bus pass was running out today. The barista said ‘make the most of it, go anywhere, go to Abingdon’. She said ‘yeah’ but she was going to a porn shop in Cowley first. ‘You should see some of the stuff he’s got,’ she added as she went out the door.
Later in the day I finished reading Shaun Bythell’s The diary of a bookseller which cost me an outrageous £5.99 in a different Oxfam bookshop. I hope one day to visit the bookshop in Wigtown to be insulted. I really enjoyed Bythell’s book. It is reassuring to see how much customers irritate the bookseller who of course depends on the customer.
On page 232 he makes the point that ‘on the whole booksellers dislike librarians’. I have some sympathy with this. Librarians are almost certainly a book’s greatest enemy. The acquisition and deaccessioning processes cause grave damage to the quality of the book as a physical object. There is also the issue of free lending, endowing a sense of generosity upon librarians to the detriment of booksellers who have to make a living by selling and want to buy books for virtually nothing and then sell them on (or back to libraries) for the highest possible price. Mind you, I like the Wigtown bookseller’s approach to fines. Libraries fine people for books being overdue. In Wigtown, browsers who hang around and show a great interest in a book but don’t buy it, may find its price has been marked up by a fiver when they come back and eventually bring it to the till.
Having relocated my custom to an independent bookshop that sells carrot cake as well as books, I have become aware of a seemingly courteous respectful customer who has asked whether it is ok for him and his partner to have a coffee outside with their dog. The bookseller replied very positively saying, ‘even better, the dog would be most welcome inside’. I, a pre-existing customer, had no say in the matter. Within 2 minutes the shop was a menagerie. Dog meant two dogs, a lurcher and a poodle, with their owners, both international canine authorities, with loud voices to boot. The lurcher is called Lofty. Apparently, anything that is a greyhound is a lurcher. Lofty has Irish wolfhound in him and has beautiful colouring. The totally 100% poodle is a miniature bitch and quite rare. She is nearly a year old, cute and has huge eyes. Lofty can’t seem to sit still. The word ‘sit’ echoes repetitively round the bookshop. Mixed breeds need a lot of brushing. I couldn’t get past Lofty to get at the local history so left.
Elsewhere in his book, page 293, Mr Bythell suggests that marginalia and annotations made by readers are ‘captivating additions – a glimpse into the mind of another person who has read the same book’. I tend to agree. That is why I bought the second copy of Search Warrant. The previous owner had protected the book from desecration through the neatness of the writing, the page references and providing them as an insert on yellow-lined paper. As for their value, I’ve changed my mind. The notes are quite helpful in sorting out Modiano’s multiple chronologies but in my view are way off the mark in terms of assessment, for instance ’much is surmise’ is seen as a bad thing; characters are thought to be rather ordinary, one doesn’t get to know them, and the streets of Paris didn’t join up. I think the point of fading memory and things not joining up is what the book is all about. I reckon that Search warrant (Dora Bruder) is one of the best books I have ever read.
Also, I discovered on the back cover something brown that looks like remnants from one of Nicky’s Foodie Friday discount takeaways from Morrisons. It won’t come off.
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LibraryThing member NorthernTeacher
Brilliant! Next time I go to Scotland, it's to Wigtown!
LibraryThing member herschelian
As one who is drawn to 2nd hand bookshops like a moth to a flame, this book was right up my street. Enjoyed it, felt I had got to know the shop, the staff and the customers. Kept loosing my place though.
LibraryThing member LARA335
Loved this charming diary of owning a second-hand bookshop. Shaun’s brief and very amusing entries made me feel I was there. A scan for The Bookshop on Facebook, and videos of this treasure-trove of an establishment, and lovely Nicky judging the postcard competition. I work in a shop and will be
Shaun’s observations on his customers are spot-on, and I recommend he start his own ‘customer bingo’ as we have at work. Instead of numbers, our cards contain variations of customer sayings: “what discount are you giving me I’ve come all the way from....’ / ‘I like to support local shops’ (then don’t buy) / ‘the price is £..., online, match it’ / ‘you don’t get if you don’t ask’ / I’ve just had an operation, I’ll show you’ etc,etc.
Despite the bookshop’s dire income, Shaun is so easy going, happy & contented, it was a pleasure spending time in his world, and I’m already having withdrawal symptoms.
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channeling her facial expressions.Shaun’s observations on his customers are spot-on, and I recommend he start his own ‘customer bingo’ as we have at work. Instead of numbers, our cards contain variations of customer sayings: “what discount are you giving me I’ve come all the way from....’ / ‘I like to support local shops’ (then don’t buy) / ‘the price is £..., online, match it’ / ‘you don’t get if you don’t ask’ / I’ve just had an operation, I’ll show you’ etc,etc.
Despite the bookshop’s dire income, Shaun is so easy going, happy & contented, it was a pleasure spending time in his world, and I’m already having withdrawal symptoms.
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LibraryThing member muddyboy
A year in the daily life of a Scottish book store owner. Not anyone could write a book on this subject and make it entertaining. But, this guy has a great amount of contempt for his customers and employees (curmudgeon). A lot of witty sarcasm is involved in his daily observations. He points out all
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the inane comments and questions people say. He really doesn't seem to read that many books himself but he knows his trade. You can read about his shop on social media. It is called The Book Shop and is located in Wigtown, Scotland, so you can read about it before/after you read the book. I really liked it. Show Less
LibraryThing member auntmarge64
The owner of a used book store in rural Scotland kept a diary for a year, recording his daily sales, battles with online selling sites such as Amazon and AbeBooks, encounters with variously delightful and troublesome customers, book-buying visits to people selling collections, and interactions with
It's a delightful book to read, although I'm not sure it's always comfortable being one of the author's customers. He's very funny and very, very sarcastic, and he seems to put up with employee foibles much more leniently (for all his complaining about them) than he does customers whose questions irritate him.
Anyway, all you LTers will probably love the book and this guy's adventures and attitudes. Highly recommended to this group.
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an opinionated and idiosyncratic staff. The store has an active presence on Facebook and is heavily involved with the annual book fair and other events in town and with visits from authors passing through, many of whom stay overnight with the store owner. He seems to have a wide personal acquaintance with numerous people and an appreciation for individuality. It's a delightful book to read, although I'm not sure it's always comfortable being one of the author's customers. He's very funny and very, very sarcastic, and he seems to put up with employee foibles much more leniently (for all his complaining about them) than he does customers whose questions irritate him.
Anyway, all you LTers will probably love the book and this guy's adventures and attitudes. Highly recommended to this group.
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LibraryThing member bnbookgirl
Being a bookseller myself, many of the customer interactions rang true and I found I could relate. This is definitely on my list of bookstores to visit when I visit Scotland. I kept snapping photos of things customers said and sent them to my friends. A great read for book lovers and book sellers.
LibraryThing member dsc73277
The author of this book will not be at all impressed that I got my copy from the library. Perhaps understandably he suggests that librarians and booksellers are not kindered spirits. Their are funnier and far less grumpy books about bookshops, but this was nonetheless an entertaining read.
LibraryThing member pgchuis
This was very whimsical and gently enjoyable. I could have gone on reading it far longer.
LibraryThing member Fliss88
Have you ever come across a book where you just wanted to bring every character home? This book has a cast of eccentrics like no other and they're all gravitate in and around one bookshop. The author fails, in my eyes, to come across like the curmudgeon he wishes he was, as he gives us a yearly
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account of the life and workings in his rambling but cold, secondhand bookshop. The writing style is wickedly flippant, the author clearly loves what he does, despite what he says, and it all makes for splendiferous reading. Show Less
LibraryThing member Mikalina
Some good observations, both on books and readers. Amazon consists of the small bookshops selling their stock cheaply - so why use Amazon? I guess I buy secondhand books more often than new books on Amazon. Provided by secondhand bookshops. If the smaller secondhand bookshops joined in making and
That said, I cannot take a day of and go fishing if the weather is good. The price tag of that kind of freedom is maybe selling out your co-workes work to Amazons amazing engine, so you don't have to give up fishing at leisure and stay put at daytime, managing the 3rd most amazing bookshop in the world?
A book far too projective in tone to be funny.
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controlling an engine for secondhand books - buyers would follow - I use Amazon because there is few alternatives. The town and country I live in - is to small for it ever to be - an English bookshop here - which means that if I´m to have a taste at anything but the home-brew cooked up in a language read and understood by 4 millions of the world´s 7 billions I have to buy and read books in another language ( I read Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, French and English books in original, and are more often than not left to read translated versions of Spanish, Russian, East-European books I´m interested in, in English).That said, I cannot take a day of and go fishing if the weather is good. The price tag of that kind of freedom is maybe selling out your co-workes work to Amazons amazing engine, so you don't have to give up fishing at leisure and stay put at daytime, managing the 3rd most amazing bookshop in the world?
A book far too projective in tone to be funny.
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LibraryThing member SarahEBear
"The Diary of a Bookseller" by Shaun Bythell offers a sometimes amusing look at the ins and out of running a second hand book store, Presented in diary format, Bythell describes the challenges of managing the store, acquiring stock, dealing with staff, weird and wonderful customers, various cats
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(including the store cat), dealing with Amazon, and the IT dramas when using the systems for on-line book selling. From a business point of view, it is interesting (if not a little alarming) to see what his daily takings are, and to hear what other activities he engages in, in order to turn a profit. Worth a read. Show Less
LibraryThing member adzebill
Interesting insight into the day-to-day work of running a used-book shop, with 100,000 books and 20,000 sold each year. Battles with Amazon, with odd customers, with odder staff, with their inventory software… A rather endearingly grumpy narrative voice throughout. I didn't enjoy the sequel as
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much, nor the gushy memoir by his partner about how they met (in the sequel he's splitting up with her). Show Less
LibraryThing member Petroglyph
Shaun Bythell owns and operates a large second-hand bookshop in tiny Wigtown, down in an almost-forgotten corner of Scotland. His diary consists mainly of the everyday grind that is dealing with customers and gathering new stock, as well as the seasonal excitement that are annually-recurring events
I’m not sure what persona Bythell was aiming for: I have the impression that many reviewers think of him as a cantankerous but lovable bookseller -- perhaps like a toned-down version of the Bernard Black character of Black Books. To me, though, he comes across as more of a regular self-employed service industry worker: sales interactions are fine, attempts to “connect” are not. Anecdotes showcasing his grumpiness feel cherry-picked, like affecting a Bernard-Blackish persona for marketing purposes.
Either way: this book chugged nicely along, and it contains just enough local interest and social commentary on corporate-run capitalism to elevate it above mere fluff. Its main interest, for me, was the look behind the scenes of the day-to-day running of a bookshop. It was especially interesting to learn how second-hand stock is acquired.
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organised by the bookshop and by the town. Bythell agitates against massive online retailers that are driving shops like his out of business: he likes a good complaint about non-customers who merely visit in order to check his stock’s prices against those online. He also likes it when his staff and customers are characters: they provide funny anecdotes that fill the pages and that make this a largely effort-free read. Also, since I work part-time in a shop, several of the interactions with customers or the kind of people who are looking for something to complain about (and anyone to complain to) are comfortingly familiar. Easy reading. I’m not sure what persona Bythell was aiming for: I have the impression that many reviewers think of him as a cantankerous but lovable bookseller -- perhaps like a toned-down version of the Bernard Black character of Black Books. To me, though, he comes across as more of a regular self-employed service industry worker: sales interactions are fine, attempts to “connect” are not. Anecdotes showcasing his grumpiness feel cherry-picked, like affecting a Bernard-Blackish persona for marketing purposes.
Either way: this book chugged nicely along, and it contains just enough local interest and social commentary on corporate-run capitalism to elevate it above mere fluff. Its main interest, for me, was the look behind the scenes of the day-to-day running of a bookshop. It was especially interesting to learn how second-hand stock is acquired.
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LibraryThing member m.belljackson
Shaun Bythell presents a calm, measured delivery of the life of a used bookseller.
He presents enlightening perspectives of the damage done to book selling and buying as a result of the recent practices of both Amazon and, even more sadly, abe.com. Potential customers doing online
"ghost-stealing"
It's amazing that he makes a profit and surprising that so little passion is shown for his girlfriend's
arrivals and departures.
Reviews of the books that he mentions he is reading would have been welcome as would a decision to keep his cat inside when new baby birds were hatching and growing rather than to see if the cat annihilates the tiny struggling creatures.
Nicky, the monsoon, Eliot's shoes, & Wilma and the postman were simply boring fillers,
while a photo or drawing closeup of a walking stick would have livened things up.
Mr. Deacon was the only character I cared about.
He presents enlightening perspectives of the damage done to book selling and buying as a result of the recent practices of both Amazon and, even more sadly, abe.com. Potential customers doing online
"ghost-stealing"
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price fixing is another unwelcome development.It's amazing that he makes a profit and surprising that so little passion is shown for his girlfriend's
arrivals and departures.
Reviews of the books that he mentions he is reading would have been welcome as would a decision to keep his cat inside when new baby birds were hatching and growing rather than to see if the cat annihilates the tiny struggling creatures.
Nicky, the monsoon, Eliot's shoes, & Wilma and the postman were simply boring fillers,
while a photo or drawing closeup of a walking stick would have livened things up.
Mr. Deacon was the only character I cared about.
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LibraryThing member PDCRead
Wigtown is a beautiful rural town nestling in the south west of Scotland, and it has been designated as Scotland's official BookTown. It is home to a range of bookshops and book-related businesses as well as its own book festival. The Bookshop in Wigtown is Scotland's largest second-hand bookshop,
The proprietor of this bibliophile heaven is Shaun Bythell and on the 5th February 2014, he decided to start keeping a diary of the things that happened in the shop. Over the next year, he tells us just how it is running a bookshop in the modern world, from battling against the 1100lb gorilla that is Amazon to travelling around Scotland looking at collections of books, hoping, but not expecting to come across that rare book that he knows will sell.
Whilst he likes to have paying customers through the doors, it is his financial lifeblood, after all, there are certain types that he is critical of. Those that cross the threshold declaring a love of all things bookish are frequently the ones who leave empty-handed. He argues with customers who think that a second-hand bookshop should only stock titles that are £1 each and catching those that surreptitiously amended the prices of the books.
And then there are the staff…
This is a brilliant portrait about running a business in a small town, that the things that happen all have some impact on everyone in the town. He does not hold back in saying just how tough some things can be and how the core of second-hand bookshops, rare collectable and signed editions have had the heart and soul ripped out of the market with the internet in general and Amazon in particular. I really liked the way that he noted the number of orders that came through via the internet and the way this frequently varied from that actual number of books they could then find! Rightly, he has never embraced the flawed philosophy that the customer is always right and also seems to relish the verbal battle with those that want something for almost nothing. If, as a book lover, you have ever contemplated or dreamt of opening and owning your own bookshop then this is the book to read; you might just change your mind…
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with around 100,000 items of stock and miles of shelves, an open fire and nooks and crannies to lose yourself in.The proprietor of this bibliophile heaven is Shaun Bythell and on the 5th February 2014, he decided to start keeping a diary of the things that happened in the shop. Over the next year, he tells us just how it is running a bookshop in the modern world, from battling against the 1100lb gorilla that is Amazon to travelling around Scotland looking at collections of books, hoping, but not expecting to come across that rare book that he knows will sell.
Whilst he likes to have paying customers through the doors, it is his financial lifeblood, after all, there are certain types that he is critical of. Those that cross the threshold declaring a love of all things bookish are frequently the ones who leave empty-handed. He argues with customers who think that a second-hand bookshop should only stock titles that are £1 each and catching those that surreptitiously amended the prices of the books.
And then there are the staff…
This is a brilliant portrait about running a business in a small town, that the things that happen all have some impact on everyone in the town. He does not hold back in saying just how tough some things can be and how the core of second-hand bookshops, rare collectable and signed editions have had the heart and soul ripped out of the market with the internet in general and Amazon in particular. I really liked the way that he noted the number of orders that came through via the internet and the way this frequently varied from that actual number of books they could then find! Rightly, he has never embraced the flawed philosophy that the customer is always right and also seems to relish the verbal battle with those that want something for almost nothing. If, as a book lover, you have ever contemplated or dreamt of opening and owning your own bookshop then this is the book to read; you might just change your mind…
Show Less
LibraryThing member kaulsu
Nothing too deep, but quite enjoyable. Many of the characters were quite...er, quite. Nicki, in particular, aroused in me chuckles and a desire to strangle. However, bless Shaun for keeping her employed! Some day I will travel to Scotland and make sure to pass through Wigtown.
Awards
Books Are My Bag Readers Award (Shortlist — Non-Fiction — 2018)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2017-09-28
Physical description
316 p.; 7.64 inches
ISBN
9781781258637
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DDC/MDS
| 381.45002092 |