The Diary of a Bookseller
4 journalers for this copy...
This was okay. I didn't really warm to the author. Having worked in retail and other customer service jobs, I can understand that some customers are frustrating but I felt that he was unkind at times. If you don't really like people, it's probably a good idea to think of a different career!
And off it goes to paulanni as part of the wishlist tag game. Funnily enough, it's on about 4 Finnish Bookcrosser wishlists, so it's nice how things work out sometimes!
Journal Entry 3 by Paulanni at Riihimäki, Kanta-Häme / Egentliga Tavastland Finland on Monday, August 30, 2021
The book has arrived, thank you for fulfilling a wish. And, as you noticed, I will be able to fulfill somebody else's, closer to home, after I have read it.
And I was so glad to receive the parcel delivered by a postman to my home. No need for any business with customs, hooray!
And I was so glad to receive the parcel delivered by a postman to my home. No need for any business with customs, hooray!
Journal Entry 4 by Paulanni at Riihimäki, Kanta-Häme / Egentliga Tavastland Finland on Sunday, May 22, 2022
I enjoyed the book. As a lover of books, I find bookshops - and books about bookshops - fascinating, but have never had an opportunity to work in one, so this was a great peek behind the scenes. I also wondered why the owner wrote unkind things about customers in facebook updates - didn't they shy away from the shop as a result?
Journal Entry 5 by Paulanni at Riihimäki, Kanta-Häme / Egentliga Tavastland Finland on Sunday, May 22, 2022
Released 1 yr ago (5/22/2022 UTC) at Riihimäki, Kanta-Häme / Egentliga Tavastland Finland
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
The book is already on the way to another Finnish bookcrosser who has it on her wishlist. Happy birthday! Hope you enjoy all the books and treats that (have) come your way to help you celebrate.
Thanks! I've had such a shower of presents from the Finnish Birthday Group that I feel totally spoiled. Thank you also for those BC stickers and labels - nearly 4000 registered books mean that every one of those stickers is most welcome and will be put into good use. I am having a well-deserved tea-break at work and drinking the tea you sent, yammy.
Back to the book, I have visited this shop in Wigtown in 1998, when it was still owned by the previous owner. I have casually read Mr Bythell's comments ("The Bookshop") in FB and am wondering how anybody visits that shop as he does not seem to like people and thinks the majority of his customers are morons - and does not hide his opinions. I also wonder how he ever became a bookshop keeper, because with his superior intelligence he should have known that he actually has to meet people eye-to-eye preferably on a regular basis. Having an internet bookshop rids you off all personal contacts, so that is a good option nowadays for those who only love to sell book.
Perhaps this book gives me answers and as an ex-bookshop keeper I am always delighted to read about bookshops anyhow. But actually I am going to meet my old (86? years) workmate from the Academic Bookstore tomorrow and I might lend her this. She has been more or less house-bound for 2,5 years and I've been taking her book bags every now and then. She used to be the life and soul of the English pocket book department and loved her customers dearly - let's see how she finds Mr Bythell. I got a good number of books for my birthday, so she can read this first.
Hello Bookfrogster! We met in person in 2018, when I was visiting Edinburgh. Hope you have stayed well despite Covid-19.
Back to the book, I have visited this shop in Wigtown in 1998, when it was still owned by the previous owner. I have casually read Mr Bythell's comments ("The Bookshop") in FB and am wondering how anybody visits that shop as he does not seem to like people and thinks the majority of his customers are morons - and does not hide his opinions. I also wonder how he ever became a bookshop keeper, because with his superior intelligence he should have known that he actually has to meet people eye-to-eye preferably on a regular basis. Having an internet bookshop rids you off all personal contacts, so that is a good option nowadays for those who only love to sell book.
Perhaps this book gives me answers and as an ex-bookshop keeper I am always delighted to read about bookshops anyhow. But actually I am going to meet my old (86? years) workmate from the Academic Bookstore tomorrow and I might lend her this. She has been more or less house-bound for 2,5 years and I've been taking her book bags every now and then. She used to be the life and soul of the English pocket book department and loved her customers dearly - let's see how she finds Mr Bythell. I got a good number of books for my birthday, so she can read this first.
Hello Bookfrogster! We met in person in 2018, when I was visiting Edinburgh. Hope you have stayed well despite Covid-19.
My ex-workmate was so hungry for new books that she was ready to risk reading about a rude bookshop keeper!
Journal Entry 8 by AnonymousFinder at Helsinki, Uusimaa / Nyland Finland on Thursday, October 6, 2022
I liked this book. As a retired bookshop keeper I enjoyed recognizing familiar customer types and (silly) questions.
I was most impressed about his stock, he seemed almost always have the books people were looking for. It was also interesting to follow him to his buying trips. Some people had had magnificent libraries, other mainly rubbish, but yet there was the chance of finding a real gem.
What I couldn't understand was why he didn't sack that totally irresponsible walking catastrophy called Nicky!!
I particularly liked the fact that he had comfy armchairs in his shop and even a bed for somebody needing a place to stay overnight. If it weren't for Nicky and her unorthodox way of placing books to whichever shelf happened to have room, Shaun seemed to be living a nice bookseller-life.
The book goes next to my daughter, who has worked some summers in a bookshop when she was still studying.
I was most impressed about his stock, he seemed almost always have the books people were looking for. It was also interesting to follow him to his buying trips. Some people had had magnificent libraries, other mainly rubbish, but yet there was the chance of finding a real gem.
What I couldn't understand was why he didn't sack that totally irresponsible walking catastrophy called Nicky!!
I particularly liked the fact that he had comfy armchairs in his shop and even a bed for somebody needing a place to stay overnight. If it weren't for Nicky and her unorthodox way of placing books to whichever shelf happened to have room, Shaun seemed to be living a nice bookseller-life.
The book goes next to my daughter, who has worked some summers in a bookshop when she was still studying.
Journal Entry 9 by AnonymousFinder at Helsinki, Uusimaa / Nyland Finland on Thursday, October 6, 2022
Mom suggested I should read this book. It was enjoyable, relaxed story-telling, but not quite "laugh-out-loud-funny", like the cover claimed.
Goes back to Kirjakko.
Goes back to Kirjakko.