Bookshop Love
April 24, 2021
Today is Independent Book Shop Day – a day for taking time to consciously support those little independent shops in which we reliably find books, conversation, comfort and more. (Like puzzles. Or cards. And maybe romance if you’re a character in a book.)
Though many of us may secretly dream of being book shop owners, in reality it is a very few who have the gumption and the grit to successfully bring these dreams to life and then keep them alive in hard times. I, for one, am extremely grateful to all those independent book shop owners and employees who rise to the challenge every day. This last year has been a doozy and I have so admired the innovation shown by bookshop keepers around the world who have creatively committed to keeping the rest of us joyfully connected with books and writers despite not always being able to even open their doors. Thank you all!
As a little toast to our favourite bookshops, here is a list of novels with bookshop themes. There are hundreds more I'm sure (share any favourites I haven't listed) but these are all fairly recent. I have a hard time passing up a bookshop or a bookshop book!
Emerging from Hibernation
March 5, 2014
Well, hello there! It’s been a while … No, I was not lost in a giant bookstore, or trying to read my way out of an avalanche of unread books, nor did I choose to hibernate like a bear, cuddled up with pages and pages to enjoy. (As appealing as all of those options sound!) No, I am afraid I very simply slipped out of the blogging routine. I’ve missed our chatting and appreciate all the kind inquiries as to what the heck happened. Ready or not, Bedside Table Books is back in action.
The writing may have come to a halt but I did keep up some slow-paced reading. I thought I’d bring you up to date on the good ones and encourage you to share any happy discoveries you’ve made too. ( Click on the book covers to learn more)
The Mistress of Nothing by Kate Pullinger: This had been languishing on my bookshelf for some time and now I realize it was a treasure hiding in plain view. Inspired by true events, this fits into that Fictional Memoir/Historical Fiction category I so adore. Off to Egypt with you – you’ll be glad you did!
The Hare with Amber Eyes: A Hidden Inheritance by Edmund de Waal: A loaner from the UK (thank you A.L.!) … I devoured this. What an exciting foray into history and a man’s compelling investigation of his own story. So beautifully written you’ll want to have a pen on hand to jot down some of the sentences. I borrowed but will have to collect a copy of my own to take pride of place on my shelf.
The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa: A slight book with some might. This is truly one of those stories you’ll be able to finish in a sitting and savour every moment doing so. Very moving and, well, just lovely!
The Soldier’s Wife by Margaret Leroy: Thank goodness for well-read hockey moms … I had just surfaced from a lo-o-o-ng slog through A Winter’s Tale and was in desperate need of something to restore my faith in a good straight forward, engaging story when a fellow hockey mom recommended this one. Just the ticket! (Yay P.D.!) If you loved the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society …
The Bookstore by Deborah Meyler: The title alone had me snookered, of course. I will be honest, I went in to this expecting a treacly chick-lit romp but have to admit, there was a little depth here that pleasantly surprised. Furthers romantic notion of book shops being magical but also brings attention to the untethered folks in big cities and to how important belonging is to us all.
The Obituary Writer by Ann Hood: Alternating points of view from chapter to chapter which can be off-putting to some but a thoughtful tale of two women in different eras whose stories connect.
And there you have a few highlights of my reading season. What have you been reading lately?
P.S. Has this been happening to you too?
