Shaun Bythell

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 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 show more wry humour, with the occasional laugh out loud moment. show less

Most book lovers and aspiring librarians, at some point in their life, want to work in a bookstore. There’s something about the enchantment of the space when you’re a buyer that you soak in and think to yourself, “Wow, this job looks amazing. I really want to work here.”

And then you read this book and realize that maybe you don’t.

Shaun Bythell’s first biographical diary of his life as a bookseller is one of the most enjoyable reads of 2020. Shaun begins the book explaining that show more he bought the bookshop years ago from the previous owner, and at some point somebody told him that he should write a book about his experiences. The book spans more-or-less a year in Shaun’s life as he manages the bookshop and muses about what it’s like to do so in the age of Amazon and AbeBooks.

Shaun might not think of himself as much of a writer, but the candidness of the diary and the cast of characters, and how beautifully he renders them onto the page is honestly so refreshing. He writes with a biting honesty that I feel a lot of books of this nature lack. He isn’t trying to fool anyone into thinking that his life is glamorous or that he’s some kind of devilishly handsome smart guy. Shaun is incredibly honest about the fact that, though he owns a shop, he hates being around people and think that many of the people who walk into his shop are morons. But he also loves being a bookseller, because he wouldn’t have kept it up if he didn’t. Shaun is very transparent about the fact that he doesn’t make as much money as people believe that he does, with every single daily entry in the diary ending with how much money he made that day, and how much of that money was done through online purchases.

What I love about this book isn’t just how honest it is, though. I love it for giving an inside look into a profession that up until reading it I was very intent on joining at some point. He talks about how people come into the shop asking to sell him books and then leaving in a huff when he offers them less than they want (but always explaining to the readers why he offered that sum). He talks about travelling for long distances to view collections and the satisfaction at sometimes finding the odd gem in a collection of duds. He tells us about the events that he hosts at the bookshop to help the community of his small village and about his cat, Captain. He writes about people coming into the shop to buy something very specific and how, more often than not, the customer is not always right.

This book lays bare the massive problems that lie within the bookselling industry today as it is taken over by giants such as Amazon and Waterstones. Shaun struggles daily with having to both keep his business afloat and also make a deal with the devil and manage his business online as well with the hopes of selling some very specific books. And while I’m not one to talk as some of my own books are available on Amazon, I fully understand what he’s talking about when he says that the bookselling industry is slowly dying as people who make their living selling books are being bought out by companies such as Waterstones which are really just big conglomerates who can afford to sell books at lower prices because look how many of them there are.

All in all, this book is a fantastic read, and has made me realize that I don’t want to work in this industry because it isn’t as glamorous as I thought it would be. Also, I would love to visit Shaun’s shop, but I do know that he doesn’t like too much attention, so maybe I won’t do it just yet…

A 5/5 for this excellent read, and I definitely will read the sequel at some point! show less

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 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 show more 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

Two things you need to know about this one: I don’t think there was a single entry where I didn’t nod in understanding, laugh, learn something, or all three; and I’ve already decided this is going to be one of my Major Christmas Picks at work. A third thing: I’m making all of my coworkers read it too.

To get more specific, this is pretty much perfectly suited to me. It’s warm in the way of all bookish people writing about books; illuminating in that yes, the Scots have those show more customers and coworkers too, and in that I didn’t know much about used bookselling; and the humour runs from wry British understatement to scathing pithiness to three-month-later punchlines. Also, Bythell’s style in general is great. His voice comes across beautifully and almost (almost) makes me want to visit Wigtown just to get snarked at. He has a great gift for characterization, too, and for drawing the reader into the minutiae of his life and his job, even the less than great parts. The aches and pains of financial realities, for instance.

I’m not sure I can say more without blithering on and repeating myself—but I recommend this to pretty much every book person out there. Reader, bookseller, wannabe bookseller, librarian, book collector, writer…. This’ll entertain you, comfort you, break your heart just a little, and maybe even act like a rallying cry for the importance of bookstores.

Warnings: Many aspersions cast upon Amazon. Which is fair.

9/10 show less