Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Once Upon a Tome: The Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller
Once Upon a Tome: The Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller | Oliver Darkshire
One morning, Oliver Darkshire stepped into the hushed interior of Henry Sotheran Ltd. in London to interview for what he thought would be a year-long bookselling apprenticeship. Captivated by the smell of old books and the temptation of a management-approved afternoon nap, Darkshire was soon unteetering stacks of first editions and fending off overeager collectors while placating the store's resident ghost (the late Mr. Sotheran, hit by a tram). By turns unhinged and earnest, Once Upon a Tome is a hilarious coming-of-age story that brings us into a strange and fascinating profession.Darkshire describes Sotheran's customs and customers and shares delicious trivia about ancient editions and the dark art of selling old things to the curious characters that covet them. A love letter to the benign, unruly world of antiquarian bookselling, Once Upon a Tome is the colorful story of working at a hallowed bookshop, where to be uncommon or strange is the best possible compliment.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
blurb
LeahBergen
post image

Book mail!

I‘ve been looking forward to the release of this memoir for ages. Oliver Darkshire applied for what he thought would be a year-long apprenticeship in rare bookselling at Sotheran‘s (one of the oldest bookshops in the world) but he somehow never left.

I follow him on Twitter and he‘s quirky and hilarious.

Leftcoastzen I just saw this on B&N site ! I want to take a peek at that! 1w
ShelleyBooksie Stacked! This sounds so good and the cover is beautiful. 1w
rubyslippersreads I think I need this. #blameitonleahbergen 😄 1w
See All 21 Comments
LeahBergen @Leftcoastzen It might be your cup of tea! 1w
LeahBergen @ShelleyBooksie This is one of the rare occasions where the North American cover is better than the UK. 1w
gossamerchild This was so fun and quirky. I got the finished copy, too, and it's so beautiful! I loved it. 1w
jlhammar That is one gorgeous book! Can‘t wait to get myself a copy. 1w
squirrelbrain So pretty! ❤️ 1w
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Beautiful 🤍💚 7d
Leftcoastzen @LeahBergen I love coffee, I love tea, I love the Java jive & it loves me!🎵🎶 7d
Aimeesue Oh, that‘s lovely. 7d
CarolynM I ordered a copy of this last week. It‘s a present for my husband‘s birthday but I think I‘ll be reading it too😆 7d
Ruthiella I just heard about this book from a Canadian Booktuber today. I recognize that beautiful cover immediately! 😍 7d
LeahBergen @gossamerchild Oh, good to hear! 👏 7d
LeahBergen @jlhammar @squirrelbrain @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Aimeesue Definitely inspired book design for this edition. 👍 7d
LeahBergen @CarolynM How convenient. 😉😆😆 7d
LeahBergen @Ruthiella It‘s such a striking cover! 7d
batsy Gorgeous book. Yes, the twitter account is perfection isn't it 😁 7d
LeahBergen @batsy It‘s quite weird and hilarious. 😆 2d
68 likes6 stack adds21 comments
blurb
K.Wielechowski
post image

I can‘t get over how beautiful this book is! Or how much it sounds like dark academia/fantasy and not the memoir it is. Cannot wait to start!
#strangelingsbookclub

Chelsea.Poole Agreed! That‘s so pretty! 1w
11 likes1 stack add1 comment
blurb
Bookishlie
post image

Just delivered……book cover love can‘t wait to open it!!

jlhammar So pretty! 1w
24 likes1 comment
blurb
PatriciaU
post image

This came in the mail today and oh do I need it tonight! Have spent the last 3 days in hospital with brother who has had 2 strokes since Saturday. Need to lose myself in a good book….

Aims42 Nice 🙌 I‘m number 20 on my library‘s waitlist, this sounds delightful 😁 1w
TheBookgeekFrau 🙏🏼for you and your brother 1w
Lindy Best wishes to you and your brother 🌻 1w
See All 9 Comments
Librarybelle I keep eyeing this book. Thinking of you and your brother. 1w
DivineDiana Sending healing wishes to your brother and you. ❤️ 1w
Fortifiedbybooks I just ordered it because that is one beautiful book! 1w
PatriciaU Thanks for the good wishes. No change today. @Fortifiedbybooks this book is so light in weight! 1w
Fortifiedbybooks @PatriciaU It really is! I've got paperbacks heavier than this book 😆 I got it in the mail today, and it's just as beautiful as in your picture, so I'm thrilled 😁 1w
Leftcoastzen Just saw your post , hope your brother improves. 6d
32 likes1 stack add9 comments
review
Mybookcafelife
post image
Pickpick

This was a delightful book. Who wouldn't enjoy a book about booksellers, particularly antiquarian booksellers? This memoir describes how the author became an apprentice bookseller at an old bookshop in London. It was a clever and interesting look into the antiquarian book trade. Well written and packed with intriguing book-related information.

review
gossamerchild
post image
Pickpick

This was so much fun. I'm always intrigued by what it's like to work with books from perspectives other than mine (as a public librarian), and this was so flippin' charming. I'm not being condescending, it was simply lovely. Highly recommend.

Thanks to #wwnorton for the #arc.

21 likes1 stack add
blurb
Leniverse
post image

From one fairytale inspired title to another - I came home to book mail!

squirrelbrain Ooh, this sounds good! 6mo
Leniverse @squirrelbrain He runs Sotheran's Twitter account too, and it's amazing. Worth being on Twitter just for that. 6mo
LeahBergen I have this one on my “to buy” list. 👍 6mo
35 likes3 stack adds3 comments