Following on from last week’s thought I decided to ask myself what it is about some booksellers that we appreciate. They can all be quite exceedingly different in person but, usually, have a genuine interest in their work. When you ask some of them for book recommendations you can sometimes even see their eyes go up and to the side in thought. All the more so if you’ve asked about a particular genre…
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Thoughts #5: What Makes A Good Bookshop?
Think back to the last time you entered a bookshop. What appealed to you? What did you like and dislike?
When you’re still outside there might be a window display. Books arranged carefully and neatly proclaim best sellers, local writers, or ones the proprietors have simply quite enjoyed. It’s wonderful to…
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Thoughts #4: A Good Place To Read
Imagine you’re on a worn but comfortable chair or sofa as you read your book, a blanket adding a little extra warmth over your shoulders. It’s a dark night and there’s a gentle rhythmic patter of rain against the window. You’re reading, and if it’s a large heavy book perhaps you’ve got it propped up on your knee. There’s a hot cup of…
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Thoughts #3: Books You Can’t Finish – A Muse on DNF’s
I’m a stubborn reader. I like to read a book all the way through from cover to cover to the bitter end but sometimes when you do that it can feel like you’re reading through gritted teeth and relentless forced eye movements across the page. Until recently I could hardly recall books that I had stopped reading half way through, I just put up with it and ploughed through it. And then recently…
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Thoughts #2: Film and Movie Adaptations Of Books
It’s a tricky one. For the directors especially. They take material that is perhaps well loved by legions of fans and from it must recreate the magic that endeared people to those stories in the first place. Succeed and they can capture that magic on the big screen, sharing the emotions of the story, perhaps even greatly expanding the fan base. Fail and we are left with disappointment, more so if…
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Thoughts #1: On Books That Fit In Your Pocket
How convenient and satisfying, when you can walk through town or through the woods, and sitting down at a cafe table or on a tree stump, pull a compact, flexible book from your pocket. No bag unpacking required. What a good feeling. You can skim a few pages or just a paragraph or two and then back it goes and you’re on your way. The age of paperbacks that you could truly…
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