Bythell is the same sardonic self as he was in his last book, and I guess some people are put off by him, but I think if he was a Mr. Rogers (from Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood) the book would be borrrrring. Some of his observations, and some of the stuff that comes out his customer’s mouths, are quite interesting and /or funny. He typically gives us the weather for each day and I like that because I like rainy days to curl up with a book and there certainly were enough of those days where his bookshop was located. He made many a run to different homes to assess books the person at the home wanted to sell, and that was interesting enough. Shaun drives to distant houses to buy private libraries, meditates on the nature of independent bookstores ( “There really does seem to be a serendipity about bookshops, not just with finding books you never knew existed, or that you’ve been searching for, but with people too.”), and, of course, finds books for himself because he’s a reader, too. Our main protagonist is Fawn Birchill, who is the owner of the a local bookstore. She is struggling to keep her father's legacy of this bookstore running smoothly. For those people who think owning a second-hand bookshop in which one wants to have their head above water (i.e., be solvent, make more money than lose money) is easy, find some other business to start. I would have to guess that so many different businesses have been adversely affected by the Covid pandemic and I would think second-hand bookshops are one cluster of businesses that have been harmed. But I don’t know that for a fact…certainly there has been more time being at home, and so maybe book sales have been positively affected as this is a leisure time activity.

Confessions of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell | Goodreads

Shaun Bythell is the owner of The Bookshop in Wigtown, Scotland's National Book Town, and also one of the organisers of the Wigtown Festival. I wanted the book to continue, but rather like when the shop closes and Shaun goes off for a pint to read a book from his ever growing TBR, I have to do the same. There are some beautiful lines on family, lost childhood, priorities, and empathy. Made me wonder, we only know parts of the exchanges, and still form a solid image of the characters, develop love and hatred for them, how opinionated and judging we are! That is exactly what I loved about the story too, a very good read, a very critical one too on the protagonist, that doesn't show an all positive or all negative person as the head.As I was filling the log basket, I heard a frog croak in the pond—the first one I’ve heard since last autumn. For me, in the end, there was just something missing. That said, this might simply be my being the wrong reader for this novel. Overall, Fawn is a unique character that will stay with me for a while, but then I'm rather fond of eccentric older female characters. Four stars and not five because I found the ending a little too convenient and a little too happily-ever-after. Not that I begrudge Fawn a little lightness and optimism for the future, it just didn't fully ring true to me. The approach is in diary-form from 1st January to 31 December 2015 where the year starts with the shop, which is located in the Scottish town of Wigtown in Dumfries and Galloway, closed for New Year's Day. From New York Times bestselling author Joanne DeMaio comes an enchanting novel about love, family, and the delicate power of snowflakes.

Confessions of a Bookseller: THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Confessions of a Bookseller: THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

Of course she was an unreliable narrator, but that is soon made clear by her ranting and lies. I admit it was not hilarious but certainly amusing. After a varied career, Avril worked for many years in management within the charitable sector, with WRVS, NHS (Macmillan Cancer Support) and with Crossroads Caring for Carers. She studied at Lampeter University. Diverted Traffic is her first novel alth … I was looking forward to a fun, light-hearted read and since the title and concept of this book intrigued me, I dove into the rivalry between two bookshops. We gradually learn that Fawn is like all of us. Putting on a brave face, has issues with her past and present, and relationship issues with her dad. We have humour, cringeworthy moments, sad times and some laugh out loud moments along with aarrgh Fawn, what are you doing??? Bythell remains an unwavering correspondent whose daily rambles reminds us of the joy in real bookshops.”amusing and often cantankerous stories [that] bibliophiles will delight in, and occasionally wince at...” At first we think that she thinks she’s the ‘big I AM’. A new book shop is opening down the street but she has no fears as her shop is far superior, has been there 25 years and she’s an excellent, confident and successful business owner. Or so we are told. This just has me feeling all sorts of tingly and good throughout. Its one of those books you could curl up in front of a fire and let the hours slide by being completely engrossed in Shaun's book shop and everything his days entail. If the authors are serious, this is a silly, distasteful book. If they are not, it’s a brilliant satire.

Confessions of a Bookseller’ showed me all was well with the ‘Confessions of a Bookseller’ showed me all was well with the

Inundated with requests from customers that range from the regular requests for a particular copy of a book, people wanting to take selfies with the kindle to the slightly strange and often the outright bizarre requests from customers who really are not engaging their brains before opening their mouths. He also has to battle with those that think nothing of selecting a number of books off the shelf, coming up to the counter and then offering a paltry sum for the books that they want. No one would think of doing that in any other shop, so why should he be different. After lunch I took down the Christmas decorations from the window displays. The left-hand window was still full of little puddles in places.Anyway, it's a cute book although it does get dull in spots. I mean no one's life is that interesting 365 days a year but his life is pretty darn close. I mean visiting places and looking through their book collections to buy, working in an actual store and reading actual books seems ideal to me. The eccentric customers, strange incidents, and Bythell’s sharp wit prove that running a bookstore is anything but boring.” humorous, philosophical, personal, written by someone shaking his head at the eccentricities of his fellow human beings… an easy and entertaining read.” This is an absolute delight. Shaun Bythell brings to life the trials, tribulations and thoughts of a independent bookshop owner.

Confessions of a Bookseller (Audio Download): Shaun Bythell Confessions of a Bookseller (Audio Download): Shaun Bythell

Fawn was not a nice person, though she thought she was. Hints are given along the way, especially in her journal, for her distorted view of the world and people around her. only toward the end, after what should have been a personal tragedy , did she begin to see her childhood and her family in a different light. This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by Next comes her dynamic with Richard, a fellow librarian and her ex boyfriend. She has been very mean to her and has been practically tagging him along with a lie about his father's death. Quite honestly, there’s way too much madness going on in this book. If I knew anyone like this in my life, I would drop them like a hot potato. Someone who is so full of themselves and their business and selfishly could care less about others = toxic relationship. And who needs that in this world nowadays?It is endlessly entertaining and genuinely laugh out loud in places. Customers, those oh so wanted people, come in many shapes and sizes and we learn of their foibles, manners and interests. There are descriptions of regular customers, as well as many who drive the author to despair. The shop's place in Wigtown is well described, as we see the various life of the town interact with the people - and tourists - and see how Shaun plays his part in festivals and other's initiatives and events. Thank you to Goodreads Giveaway and Lake Union Publishing for providing me with a copy of this novel.