BooksAboutBooks

Prompt: Library Fun

Fun for real! I loved going to the University Library. It brought back lots of memories as I worked for 3 years at the University Library when I was an undergraduate.

#Falling

Eggs, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

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Mattsbookaday

Once Upon a Tome: The Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller | Oliver Darkshire

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Once Upon a Tome, by Oliver Darkshire (2022)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Premise: A memoir about a young man‘s apprenticeship at an esteemed London antiquarian book dealer.

Review: I discovered the author through his recent novel and was intrigued to learn that he first became known for his unique and humorous takes on a notoriously staid trade. ⬇️

Mattsbookaday This book is comprised of short vignettes, and while they are as charming and fun as expected, they also felt a bit rushed in places. But overall this was super fun.

Bookish Pair: Darkshire‘s recent novel Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil (2025). 2d

Aims42 This was such a fun palate cleanser between heavier reads 👍 2d

Mattsbookaday @Aims42 that‘s exactly how I used it too! 2d

11 likes3 comments

Robotswithpersonality

The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore | Evan Friss

so-so

Meh, this one is mostly my fault, but it did help me figure out the kind of bookstore book I would be more interested in reading in the future.
Understandably, the early chapters of the book, talking about the early history of American bookstores are also tied in with early American history, and maybe it's that next-door-neighbour Canadian thing, but I've kind of had my fill of American history. 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? I did love when the book started focusing in on later bookshops and the personalities and movements involved such as:
Gotham Book Mart - freedom of expression, contesting censors, supporting writers
Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop - gay pride, community support
Drum & Spear - activism and education against racism, segregation 2d

Robotswithpersonality 3/? Didn't feel much like reading about Nazis, but the chapter titled The Aryan Bookstore did also discuss co-evolving socialist and communist, radical bookstores, supporting movements for various people's rights.
Unavoidably, the book covers the role in American bookstore history played by Barnes and Noble and Amazon Books, but not being American, not loving chain or mall or supersized bookstores or what Amazon has done, I was less interested 2d

Robotswithpersonality 4/4 in these chapters.

Going forward, I think I need to look for individual independent book shop histories, those with character, and/or focused on quirky niche topics, or a history of revolution and activism or social/community support.
Happy to receive recommendations! 😁

⚠️Suicide attempt, homophobia, antisemitism, racism 2d

12 likes3 comments

dabbe

Great Novels: The World's Most Remarkable Fiction Explored and Explained | DK Publishing

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I love books about books. GREAT NOVELS is a well-executed book for what it sets out to be: a visually-driven, accessible introduction to world literature. Its value lies in its ability to demystify, educate, and inspire. It is a fantastic gateway book—a starting point for a deeper journey into literature, not the destination itself. Its approach is like that of a curated museum tour, not a semester course in literature.

DGRachel That sounds like fun! 4d

Amiable Ooh, this is right up my alley —stacking! 4d

dabbe @DGRachel It was, and of course, I stacked more books! 🧡🩶💛 4d

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dabbe @Amiable I love their books, especially all of the literary ones. 🧡🩶💛 4d

MemoirsForMe Great review! I may have to read this one. 🙌🏻 4d

dabbe @MemoirsForMe I thoroughly enjoyed it and added more books to the tbr! 🧡🩶💛 4d

58 likes6 stack adds6 comments

Leftcoastzen

More Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason | Nancy Pearl

#CharacterCharm #Librarian Nancy Pearl started recommending books on a Seattle public radio segment. It grew into a series of books . She recommended so many great books over the years , fiction, non-fiction, historical, series etc. Her books were always fun to browse, it‘s fun to pick a category you may not have tried before,she always has a knack for finding a good title to try to see if you might want to read further!

Eggs, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Eggs This sounds wonderful!! 5d

43 likes1 comment

Amiable

The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore | Evan Friss

Shoutout to my local indie: RJ Julia in Madison, CT!
And The Book Barn in Niantic.
And Bank Square Books in Mystic.
And Northshire Books in Manchester, VT.
And The Strand in NYC. …

Ah, Hell, who am I kidding? Gimme ALL the bookstores… 😍 this is why I shop at Bookshop.org. So I can spread the love…

#serenesaturdays

TheBookHippie

kspenmoll I love this shout out! In CT let me add Riverbend bookstore- their main store is in Glastonbury, their smaller store in West Hartford. And yes to every Indio bookstore everywhere! 5d

Amiable @kspenmoll I‘ll have to stop at Riverbend the next time I take my car up to Liberty Mazda in Hartford for service! I usually come home along Route 2 and could stop in Glastonbury. 5d

kspenmoll @Amiable Great idea! Next time! We do go to RJ Julia‘s in Madison every summer. It‘s a family tradition! 5d

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TheBookHippie Making LOOOOONG list of bookstores to visit ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ 5d

Amiable @TheBookHippie Someone on here was going to compile a list of “favorite Litsy bookstores” at one point —I don‘t think they ever did and I forget who it was. But I‘d love to see a list like that! 5d

TheBookHippie @Amiable YESSSSS!!!!!! 5d

dabbe 🧡🩶💛 5d

44 likes7 comments

julieclair

I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life | Anne Bogel

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Written by a reader, for readers, these lovely essays on the fun and foibles of a reading life are totally relatable for book nerds. I recognized myself in these pages! This was my #MonthlyNonfiction2025 pick for August.
#MonthlyNonfiction

AnnCrystal 🆒🤩💝💝💝. 6d

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