I work in a Waterstones, not a used bookstore, so I'm sure my experience of bookselling will have a lot of differences to that of Shaun Bythell's. I was not prepared to find out how many similarities there are! What struck me most was the chapter about Experts.... I think every kind of shop has that kind of customer.
I have loved all of Bythell's books, his love/hate relationship with his job/shop/customers comes across so clearly. Mostly though, his books are hilarious. Especially this one.

Genre: Humour

The Gist: A celebration of the kind of people that you find shopping in bookshops.

Small Review: Following the success of Diary of a Bookseller and Confessions of a Bookseller, Shaun Bythell’s third release is a closer look at the customers that he has encountered over the years and how they fall into idiosyncratic categories.

Long Review: In a world full of YouTube videos and handheld computers. one of the industries hit hardest by the advancement of technology was that of the bookshop and seller. However, Shaun Bythell’s bookshop - called The Bookshop - has provided him with both an income and a career as a writer. Shaun Bythell’s career as a book seller has been celebrated in his first two releases Diary of a Bookseller and Confessions of a Bookseller (both brilliant reads) and his latest offering looks at the colourful cast of shoppers who have allowed him to keep his shop open.

The world of bookselling suffered a massive blow this year during the Pandemic and a lot of small independent businesses have sadly had to close. Strangely, during the pandemic reading increased however, with cheap paperbacks all the more readily available from supermarkets and online sellers again the independent shops have been hit the hardest.

Shaun Bythell released his latest book Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops during the pandemic and it really is a celebration of the weird and the wonderful. Once again, his book is chock-full of stories and experiences from his time as a bookseller. He reminds us that the kind of service and community that a local bookshop can create can never be found in a supermarket or online.

What is utterly charming is that all of these things haven’t seemed to change Bythell. Known for keeping people at arms length you actually feel that sensation when you read his book. It takes skill to invite someone into your world but to not allow them to get too close.

You really should buy this book for the book-lover in your life. Just do me a favour and buy locally. Your bookshops need you.

Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops by Shaun Bythell is available now.

For more information regarding Serpent’s Tail (@serpentstail) please visit www.serpentstail.com.

I really enjoyed this. It's a fun, quick read. Not to be taken too seriously, as the author says himself. I spent my time reading trying to figure out which category I fit into, and finally identified myself as part of a sci-fi couple. Can happily live with that!

This book is another delight from Shaun Bythell and his tales of his bookshop in Wigtown.
It takes a different form this time and tells about the seven people you might find in bookshops. This makes it no less funny though and this book is hilarious and charming.
You would not imagine that there were set types of people that frequent bookshops, but indeed there are.
This book is well written and a must for all fans of books and bookshops.
The characters in this book shine and I challenge anyone that reads this not to think of them next time you frequent a bookshop.
Roll on the next book from this author.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read in return for a review.

Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. A delightful read. Shaun, a second hand bookshop owner charmingly describes the 7 kinds of people that frequent bookstores. His descriptions of these people and their quirks is told in a disarmingly fun way, I found myself relating to a couple of the 7 types of people. A cosy feel good read for any book lover.⭐⭐⭐⭐ #netgalley #shaunbythell #sevenkindsofpeopleyoumeetinbookshops #goodreads #litsy #amazonkindle #bookstagram #tea_sipping_bookworm #bookqueen #greatreads

“Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops” provides an interesting, comedic look at the other side of the book industry. Having worked in bookstores briefly as a teenager, it was great to see how my experiences vary from those of someone with more time in the field. I found it a bit uncomfortable and mocking at times though, otherwise my rating would have been higher.

As a bookseller, I really enjoyed Shaun's first two books and genuinely found them laugh out loud. While I did enjoy this latest offering from him, I didn't find it as funny and, at some points, found it quite insulting to some areas of our society. Overall though, an entertaining read that I think customers will enjoy.

Shaun Bythell returns with another charming and amusing third book in the Bookshop series and is an exploration of those who frequent his bookshop. From behind the counter, Shaun Bythell catalogs the customers who roam his shop in Wigtown, Scotland. There’s the Expert (divided into subspecies from the Bore to the Helpful Person), the Young Family (ranging from the Exhausted to the Aspirational), Occultists (from Conspiracy Theorist to Craft Woman). Then there's the Loiterer (including the Erotica Browser and the Self-Published Author), the Bearded Pensioner (including the Lyrca Clad), and the The Not-So-Silent Traveller (the Whistler, Sniffer, Hummer, Farter, and Tutter). Two bonus sections include Staff and, finally, Perfect Customer―all add up to one of the funniest book about books you’ll ever find.

Shaun Bythell’s unique observational eye and dry wit make this perfect for anyone who loves bookshops―including all the kinds of the people you meet inside. It is a delightful, engaging and fascinating book, which all bibliophiles should thoroughly enjoy. The anecdotes kept me entertained throughout and it's written in such a way that you fly through the pages. Wigtown isn't too far from me and this has prompted me to want to visit the shop. A safe space for book lovers from all walks of life, Bythell is a sharp observer of those he meets. It's an interesting look at the life and trials and tribulations of a second hand bookshop proprietor, and I loved that his passion for what he does shines through in his writing. Many thanks to Profile Books for an ARC.

One could be forgiven for thinking, having read either of his previous books, that Shaun Bythell doesn’t like any of the customers to his bookshop. Here, he helpfully explains exactly WHICH ones he doesn’t like and why, but also explains who are his favourite type of visitor.

Honestly, the seven kinds of people outlined here can be found in various habitats other than the second hand book shop; many are familiar to anyone whose had to deal with members of the public on a regular basis. I found myself recalling people I’ve dealt with over the years in various public facing jobs.

This is a short, snappy follow up to his previous diary style efforts and is both amusing and an enlightening look into the life of a second hand bookseller and the people he encounters. It’s a fun read but is probably best read being familiar with his previous works rather than as a stand alone book.

Shaun Bythell, is one hell of a human. With over 20 years selling books Shaun portrays someone of his shop regulars. Shauns had them all. The good the bad and the ugly.

I stupidly read the title for this book and got so trigger happy that I requested it on NetGalley before reading the synopsis. Personally this one wasn’t for me. I found the writing to be whitty yet extremely arrogant.

It was a short one so it was easy to get though. Than you NetGalley.

I feel like I have almost had the opportunity of working in a bookshop after reading this book. The flow of people mixed with how people relate to books and bookshops made this a fun read. It definitely fed by fascination with books and book related people.

I’m a big fan of Shaun Bythell’s tales of running a second-hand bookshop and gave Confessions of a Bookseller a rave review last November. Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops does more or less what it says on the tin: Bythell describes the typical customers you get in bookshops (although they’re not limited to bookshops - I definitely met some of these characters when I worked in a supermarket and a charity shop!) with his usual acerbic wit. It only took me about an hour to read, providing a restorative shot of humour and normality in these strange days.

I snorted out loud several times while reading this book. Bythell has such an eye for people and turn of phrase that you can’t help but laugh at and recognise his portraits of self-appointed experts, conspiracy theorists, the perpetually disdainful, loiterers, misers, bargain-hunting book dealers, and many more. I especially loved his descriptions and stories of three main types of people you get in the erotica section: furtive men, teenage boys guilelessly following in the footsteps of previous generations, and the occasional woman who browses ‘with a combination of curiosity and disappointment’.

You don’t feel mean enjoying the less flattering accounts of real people because they don’t spend much money in the shop, and can be a real pain for the staff to deal with. Besides, Bythell is very honest about his own shortcomings as a put-upon bookseller, you don’t get the impression he sees himself as superior to anyone else and, as the ‘bonus’ section shows, there are good and bad booksellers as well as customers!

Furthermore, he also includes positive descriptions of customers who love books and reading, and don’t complain about the prices or try to haggle. These include Haynes Manual and railway book enthusiasts, sci-fi and graphic novel fans, and book-loving patrons who always find something to buy each time they browse.

Bythell is very sympathetic towards children and parents; the former when they’re really into books without having to be pushed, and the latter when they just want a few minutes’ peace perusing the shelves, so long as they don’t take advantage and treat the bookshop as a childcare facility. Despite all his gripes about running a bookshop, you can just tell that these customers make it all worth it.

Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops is a short, funny treat.

A short introduction to the seven(ish) kinds of people you often meet in bookshops. From the bearded pensioner to the insistent whistler, Shaun Bythell covers them all.

This had the potential to be a little mean spirited, however Bythell has a certain type of humour that lends itself well to self depicting as well as generally just making fun of human behaviour and it's various quirks. He exudes a fondness for his customers while in the same breathe lamenting their existence. I also love that Shaun drops in little gems of information on literature and the book buying world. It's such an interesting, highly niche market with such an eclectic set of clientele. I just wanted more, and this is why I can't rate this any higher. His previous books have delved a lot deeper into Shaun's life, his friendships and colleagues on top of these customers and I guess I wanted more of that.

Short and sweet, this would be a good introduction to Bythell's writing, but do check out The Diary of a Bookseller too for more of an in-depth look into this utterly fascinating line of work.

As an exbookseller from the same company that trained one of Bythell’s employees, I knew I was going to love this book. Having watched the online event from Wigtown Book Festival to promote it, I was really looking forward to getting my hands on a copy, so I was delighted to be given a proof version.

I know that the customer isn’t always right, in fact some of them are extremely frustrating. Whilst working in a bookshop that sells new books is a slightly different experience I could recognise & relate to the reactions of some of the categories that are mentioned. And I’ve certainly seen plenty of them when I’ve been a customer enjoying the delights of antiquarian/second hand bookshop myself.

Like Bythell’s previous books, I laughed at and with his astute comments and wry observations whilst nodding along in agreement. It’s Fantastic and perfect stocking filler for your book loving relatives, just maybe not the annoying ones that like to hum or whistle while browsing in shops!

Such an interesting novel. At times it was laugh-out-loud funny and others it was introspective. I loved it all and would recommend it to anyone!

As someone who has worked in a bookshop for the last three years, even though it is a chain bookstore, I recognised many of these characters. Shaun’s observations about his customers and staff are always honest and hilarious, a breath of fresh air if you’re looking for your next non-fiction read.

This book was clearly written during the Covid-19 pandemic and aspects of the lockdown make an appearance in the book. It demonstrates the importance of second-hand bookshops, independent businesses of all kinds, and the consumers’ decisions that really affect people’s lives and livelihoods.

I really enjoyed this book and though serves a different purpose to his other books, I would still recommend this to any book lover. An enjoyable, easy read for anyone interested in the marvellous world of books. This would make a particularly good gift!

I really enjoyed the ‘Diary of a bookseller’ so was excited to read this review copy. However, this was a bit of a disappointing read, the format was quite repetitive and it was also very short.

Some humorous anecdotes along the way though and an easy read for an Autumnal evening.

A bit of a filler or to be charitable, a novella after his two previous unmissable diaries, this is a light, humourous and perceptively written description of the different types of customers who frequent bookstores.

The writing is sharp and to the point and totally accurate.

I was left wishing for more.

Short but funny! Observations from an antiquarian bookshop owner. I found myself laughing out loud! Book lovers will particularly enjoy these musings.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

I love all of his books. They are gems for a book lover. Witty, very accurate and well written. Just a very enjoyable time to read these books.

Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.