The Bookshop Book by Jen Campbell
| The Bookshop Book by Jen Campbell | |
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| Category: Lifestyle | |
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Reviewer: Luke Marlowe
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| Summary: Poet, writer, and bookshop worker, Jen Campbell has created a beautiful book that serves as a love letter to the bookshop, to the people who run the bookshops, buy the books, and to the very books themselves.
Charming, touching and full of wonderful stories, this is well worth a read, and will make a fantastic present. " | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 288 | Date: October 2014 |
| Publisher: Constable | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 9781472116666 | |
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I love a good bookshop. The smell, the feel of an old bookshop, and the wonderful feeling when you chance upon a book that appeals to you. They may be a dying breed in some places, but Jen Campbell has written a fantastic book that celebrates the bookshop and those who love them.
Jen Campbell is a poet, writer, and also works in an antiquarian bookshop. Given that she spends most of her time around books, it's no surprise that she is passionate about them. Collecting Bookshop facts, accounts of wonderful bookshops the world over, and interviews with both the bookshop owners and a smorgasbord of excellent authors, this is a rich collection that packs a huge amount into its fairly small size.
Writing about bookshops all over the world, it's clear that no matter the differences between cultures, bookshops are treasured everywhere. In fact, in a world full of kindles and ereaders, this book serves as testament to the fact that a lot of us still like to feel the weight of a book in our hand, and to while away an hour (or many an hour in fact) in wonderful, characterful bookshops.
This is a book to give as a gift - in fact, buy two, as you'll want one for yourself. Keep it in a bedside cabinet, and produce it whenever you plan a holiday or a trip, as there are hundreds of wonderful bookshops listed to help you plan excursions.
Wonderfully written and researched, and created with what is clearly a huge amount of love, The Bookshop Book is absolutely marvelous.
Many thanks to Constable Books for the copy
For another book dedicated to the love of bookshops, Mr Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan is an original and inventive read.
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is aimed at younger readers but works for all - and whilst it is a far darker story, it never fails to remind the reader of the importance of books.
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You can read more book reviews or buy The Bookshop Book by Jen Campbell at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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