It’s Independent Bookshop Week
(#IBW2016) again – a celebration of all things books and bookshops! Kicking off
on Saturday just gone, the week is full of bookish activities taking place
across independent bookshops nationwide including author events, signings, the
#IBW2016 book awards and plenty of bloggers and vloggers taking part in a
#bookshopcrawl! And, as this year marks 10 years of Independent Bookshop Week,
the lovely people @booksaremybag created a fun and interesting tag as well! So,
without further ado, here are my answers to the #IBW2016 Tag!
What books are currently in your bag?
I have lots of books in my bag at
any given time as I always carry my Kindle in my handbag so that I am never
without something to read (it comes in handy when queuing at the post office)! I’ve got a NetGalley proof of ‘Smoke’ by Dan Vyleta
which I’ve just started on that. I do prefer reading physical books however –
you just can’t beat the feel of a ‘proper’ book – and am currently reading ‘The Glorious Heresies’ by Lisa McInerney, which won the 2016 Baileys Prize. That
lives in my book bag, where I also keep my bullet journal.
What’s the last great book you read?
The last book that really
affected me was Hanya Yanigahara’s ‘A Little Life’, which I read last year.
That book gave me all sorts of feels, from elation through to anger and sorrow.
I felt the ending was a bit of a cop out but, overall, it’s a book that’s all
sorts of amazing and it made a lasting impression. More recently, ‘The Natural Way of Things’ by Charlotte Wood and ‘The Girls’ by Emma Kline have been
impressive reads and are both well worth seeking out this summer.
What book have you gifted the most?
It’s a toss-up between ‘Pride and Prejudice’, which I gift to anyone who hasn’t yet read it as proof that the classics
can be both funny and relevant, and Caitlin Moran’s ‘How to Be a Woman’, which
gets foisted on all younger female friends and relatives the moment they turn
eighteen because I think it should be mandatory reading for all women. Both
books, in their way, are remarkable and the Jane Austen can always be found in
a beautiful edition, making it ideal for gifting!
Booka Bookshop in Oswestry is,
sad to say, probably my nearest independent bookshop. I say sad because I live
in the next county over so that fact that the nearest independent is over an hour
away shows why you should go out and support your local booksellers!
Fortunately, Booka more than makes up for the travelling distance by being an
amazing bookshop with a wide selection of fiction and non-fiction, covetous author-signed stock, a stellar
line-up of author events and readings and super-friendly and knowledgeable
booksellers. Plus, they have tea and cake (amazing
cake) and what shop isn’t made even better by the inclusion of those?!
I doubt I would have picked up
‘The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August’, a novel about a man who cannot die,
if it wasn’t for my bookseller friend Claire waving a copy under my nose.
Claire works at my local branch of Waterstones and we have quite similar tastes
so I take her recommendations very seriously. She was spot on with ‘Harry
August’ – I raced through it and am about to start author Claire North’s latest
book ‘The Sudden Appearance of Hope.’
What’s your favourite bookshop memory?
I don’t think there’s one
particular incident – I have so many happy memories of bookshops that it is
hard to narrow them down. I do however fondly recall rocking up in Waterstones
with my first year university reading list and having a genuine excuse to buy
two bags full of books (plus a few non-list books as well because what else is
a student loan for?!). And I really look forward to my book group every month
and have many happy memories of being there – everyone is friendly and the
discussions are always lively without ever veering into combative. Plus, we
have cake, which helps us get through even the toughest of books!
What do bookshops mean to you? What do you love about them?
Bookshops are my retreat from the
everyday worries of the world. I love the aura of peace that comes with being
in them – there’s just something lovely and comforting about being surrounded
by piles and piles of books and by people who love them as much as you do. Discovering
the best bookshops - the ones with the carefully curated stock that feels like
it was all picked just for you – can feel like making a new friend.
I was very fortunate to grow up
in a booky household so books and reading have been part of my life since I was
very small. I have fond memories of being read Beatrix Potter and Roald Dahl,
as well as Grimm’s Fairy Tales, One Thousand and One Nights and the exploits of
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Growing older, Jane Austen
became a favourite after my mum lent me ‘Pride and Prejudice’ when I ran out of
books on holiday - I soon hoovered up her remaining novels before moving onto
‘Jane Eyre’ and other classics. ‘The Lord of the Rings’ remains my favourite
book of all time however and I spent many happy evenings tucked up in bed while
my Grandad read me this epic – he kept having to read the same bits twice when
I fell asleep! Later, I read them for myself and realised how carefully Grandad
must have edited them to remove the long descriptive passages and keep the
action moving forwards to keep me engaged. I usually re-read ‘The Lord of the
Rings’ every year – there’s just something about the story that gives me great
comfort and takes me instantly to my happy place.
What book did you gift for Father’s Day?
My dad is a keen fisherman so,
when I walked into Booka and saw ‘Rivers Run: An Anger’s Journey from Source to Sea’ by Kevin Parr on prominent display, I thought they must have seen me
coming! I hope he enjoys it.
What book is currently at the top of your TBR pile?
My TBR has exploded a bit
recently so I’m trying to work my way through a few on it before buying any
more books – easier said than done! I have just bought ‘The Essex Serpent’ by
Sarah Perry and cannot wait to start it – the cover called to me from across
the bookshop and I’ve heard that the writing inside is just as beautiful as the
exterior! I’m also really looking forward to reading ‘Homegoing’ by Yaa Gyasi,
a debut that’s already making waves in the US – it’s about two half-sisters,
one who is married to a slave-trader and another who is a slave herself and is
sold to the US plantations. The novel follows their descendants over many
generations – it’s a book I think we’ll be hearing a lot about in the coming
months.
So, now that you’ve read my
#IBW2016 Tag, get thee to your nearest independent bookshop and go celebrate
Independent Bookshop Week 2016! And don’t forget to join in on Twitter using
#IBW2016 and by following @booksaremybag. You can also follow me, @amyinstaffs,
and you can find me on Litsy @ShelfofUnreadBooks. Whatever you’re up to and
wherever you go, enjoy the rest of Independent Bookshop Week 2016 and, until
next time…
Happy Reading! x
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