Confessions of a Bookseller

Thank you Netgalley for my copy of this book. Last year I read and hugely enjoyed Shaun Bythell's previous book to this one, Diary of a Bookseller. This one is remarkably similar but no less entertaining; it is essentially a diarised account of a year in the life of Shaun and The Bookshop in Wigtown. He recounts some hilarious stories about customers, books, staff and so on; it all adds up to a light-hearted but very funny book, that has left me yearning to visit Wigtown! Well worth reading.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

So as soon as I saw this on Netgalley, I knew I had to request it. Even if I didn't get it, I was so happy to see that Shaun had another book coming out, and out of respect for his anti Kindle views, of course I'm going to buy a physical book when it comes out to match my copy of Diary of a Bookseller. I even had the pleasure of telling my favorite book store owner here that there was another book coming out! (she has a copy on her bedside table of the first!)

I adored this, and laughed many, many times. Granny especially cracked me up, but Nicky's antics were fun too. Shaun himself is the slightly cynical and well read bookseller we all might know, but he's also social (far more than I would be surrounded by that many books) and has such a large knowledge of books that I wish I knew him in person.

This is a booklover's delight, and I highly recommend going out and trying the first book while you wait for this to be published. Also like The Bookshop on Facebook for funny posts/updates! Five stars.

This is a fabulous follow up to Diary of a Bookseller. As someone who works in secondhand books, I can tell you he is spot on! Funny, honest, and interesting--10/10 would definitely recommend.

I loved Diary of a Bookseller so I was so excited to see this follow up book on Netgalley. Shaun is still as good a writer as ever and I loved the behind the scenes of the bookshop. As a librarian, I could really identify with so much that he wrote about. A great read!

CONFESSIONS OF A BOOKSELLER is an invitation to once more step inside The Bookshop, Scotland’s largest second-hand bookstore. With the same acerbic wit that made THE DIARY OF A BOOKSELLER a joy to read, Shaun Bythell again opens the pages of his diary to share his perspective on his quirky customers and even quirkier employees. Wigtown comes to life as a vibrant community, and I found Bythell’s spare description of the end of an important relationship particularly moving. This is a must-read for anyone who loves books. Order your copy now—from an indie bookstore, of course.

Black Books in the flesh!
A wonderful diary from a man that loves books as they ought to be loved, and creates a life lived within their proximities.
I rarely read non-fiction, preferring fantasy novels, but I laughed out loud at the descriptions in this diary, and commiserated with Shaun as he chronicles the absurdities of being a second hand bookseller.
Anyone that loves books, or perhaps enjoys Bill Bryson, will love this book. Recommended.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I read The Diary of a Bookseller early last year and absolutely loved it so I was excited to see that the sequel will be released in August 2019. I was lucky enough to be approved for a review copy on NetGalley and I am pleased to say that I loved this just as much. Having not finished a book since 1st May which is an unheard of amount of time for me, this was the perfect book to get me back into the rhythm of reading regularly.

Shaun Bythell has a quality to his writing that is so easy to read and keeps you turning pages. This is helped by the diary format and the endearing (and at times strange) ‘characters’. Reading this, I kept forgetting that this is non-fiction and I found myself laughing out loud at parts.

I love being in this world and would love to visit this bookshop one day. I hope that Bythell carries on publishing these as I thoroughly enjoy exploring the second-hand book selling world through his diaries.

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Having thoroughly enjoyed 'Diary of a Bookseller' I was very excited to be approved to read a copy of its follow-up and it did not disappoint. It was lovely to read more of Shaun and co's antics in the bookshop and in Wigtown, including the return of Sandy the Tattooed Pagan, Nicky, Anna, and the new (I think) 'Mole Man' and the hilarious 'Granny'.

This truly is a giggle aloud read, and I found myself reading bits aloud to my husband as they amused me. However there is also a sadder, more reflective side to this volume as Shaun opens up about some of his insecurities and sadnesses.

I honestly think I could read about Shaun's book-buying tricks, issues with Abe orders, accounts of haggling and unusual customers, and reflections on the book trade indefinitely. As long as he continues to publish them, I'll keep reading them. Highly recommended, and having read the first book is not a requirement either.

Confessions of a Bookseller is absolutely delightful. Warm and witty and it left me wanting to go to Scotland,.

'I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.' So grateful to netgalley for an early copy of this book. I adored Shaun Bythell’s first book “ The diary of a bookseller” and this follow up is just as good. I will be buying a copy as soon as it released to give to my mum to read as she also loved his first book. I hope he keeps producing these diaries as the humour and descriptive detail about the realities of running a book shop allows the reader to feel as though they are there working in the shop too.

My favorite kind of book- one based on bookstores or libraries! I think any of us who actually work in wither could write our own tales. I enjoy discovering that there are others dealing with the same types of patrons as I do. Quirky ones, to be polite. And then there are other scarier types....But, these journal type books are such a hoot! They give a whole other perspective to our chosen fields! Kudos Shaun Bythell! Fun quick read for summer! Take it to the beach! I'm off to locate book one.

As I've read Diary of a Bookseller, I couldn't resist this Confessions of a Bookseller. Confessions of a Bookseller is just as laugh out loud as the first, especially if one has experience with secondhand bookstores and quirky customers. As the setting is in Wigtown, Scotland, it's even more charming.

I loved the author's first book The Diary Of A Bookseller and this was equally entertaining for a book lover :)
This book is the author's memoirs about running a second-hand bookshop in Wigtown. The writing styles of 2 books are very similar, so if you liked the first one, you'd like this one. Or vice versa.
His sense of humor is very enjoyable to read. The addition of another entertaining character was very fun as well. Emanuela, an Italian intern who has a poor eyesight.
I enjoyed . this book massively, and I'd recommend to any book lover.

Thanks a lot to NetGalley and publisher for this copy in . exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely loved this!! I had no idea when I requested this it was a biography. That made me love it even more! I really liked the format of the book as a "diary or journal" entry. This was a charming, funny book about the hilarious customers and people Shaun has deal with throughout his day as a bookshop owner in Scotland. Bookworms will LOVE this book, but you certainly do not need to be a bookworm to enjoy it. Definitely recommend.

(Side Note: Just saw under the description this is being made into a tv show! Can't wait!)