Remainders of the Day: A Bookshop Diary
Shaun Bythell
(Author)
Description
New from the author of Confessions of a Bookseller and Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops, another hilariously grumpy year behind the counter at The Bookshop. Though diaries of daily life, Shaun Bythell has created an endearing and cozy world for booklovers, a warm and welcome memoir of a life in books.
The Bookshop in Wigtown, Scotland is a book lover's paradise, with thousands of books across nearly a mile of shelves, a real log fire, and Captain, the portly bookshop cat. You'd think that after twenty years, owner Shaun Bythell would be used to his quirky customers by now. Don't get him wrong, there are some good ones among the antiquarian porn-hunters, die-hard train book lovers, people who confuse bookshops for libraries, and the toddlers just looking for a nice cozy corner in which to wee. He's sure there are some good ones. There must be . . .
Filled with the pernickety warmth and humor that has touched readers around the world, stuffed with literary treasures, hidden gems, and incunabula, Remainders of the Day is a warm and welcome memoir of a life in books. If you're new to Shaun Bythell's bestselling series, this is a great place to start. If you're one of Bythell's legion of fans, welcome back to The Bookshop.
Product Details
Price
$27.95
$25.99
Publisher
David R. Godine Publisher
Publish Date
December 06, 2022
Pages
376
Dimensions
6.3 X 9.3 X 1.4 inches | 1.6 pounds
Language
English
Type
Hardcover
EAN/UPC
9781567927566
BISAC Categories:
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About the Author
Shaun Bythell is the owner of The Bookshop, the largest second-hand bookshop in Scotland. He is the author of Confessions of a Bookseller and Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops, both published by Godine. Shaun lives in Wigtown, Scotland.
Reviews
Praise for Remainders of the Day and The Bookshop Diary series
"Bythell returns with another rollicking account of running The Bookshop, Scotland's second-largest used bookstore. Bythell records his interactions with his colorful Wigtown neighbors, presented in short anecdotal entries alongside a running tally of daily sales....The time frame is prior to the advent of Covid, yet it's a reminder of how bookstores remain sacred spaces, as well as the very real labor that goes into maintaining them: 'The sun still rises in the east, and sets in the west. The shop is still here.' Bythell's narration is equal parts preposterous and profound, sure to prove irresistible to fellow bibliophiles."--Publishers Weekly "As the lure of a good book found in the comforting confines of a
cozy bookstore endures, so does the work of the bookseller....What
remains along with Bythell's wit and curmudgeonly demeanor is a continued dedication to the written word. Thankfully, books and booksellers will never fade."
--Booklist
"[Of the series] Remainders of the Day feels more grounded, happier. Bythell ends the book with the same assurance as the previous two: 'The shop is still here.' And that is good news for us all."
--Minneapolis Star Tribune
"A charming look at a small-town bookstore, its owner, and the people he meets....Bythell's dry humor and skeptical view of humanity make for a very funny take on his business."
--Library Journal
"Delightful....Bythell could be mistaken for a misanthrope, but he's a more complicated host than that....he's curious, observant, and appreciative of individual foibles, quirks, and flaws....set time aside for Remainders of the Day."
--Foreword Reviews, starred review
"Bythell's understated wit is at its best in his observations of the many quirky people who find their way into The Bookshop, Scotland's largest secondhand bookstore...the author's thoughtful eccentricity makes for entertaining reading. A refreshingly human narrative."
--Kirkus Reviews
"What comes through strongly is Shaun Bythell's obvious love of books and affection for those who spend their lives reading them, buying them--or giving him material for his next volume."
--Guardian
"Among the most irascible and amusing bookseller memoirs I've ever read."
--Dwight Garner, New York Times "Shaun Bythell's wicked pen and keen eye for the absurd recall what comic Ricky Gervais might say if he ran a bookshop."
--Wall Street Journal "Something of Bythell's curmudgeonly charm may be glimpsed in the slogan he scribbles on his shop's blackboard: 'Avoid social interaction: always carry a book.' "
--Washington Post "Warm, witty and laugh-out-loud funny..."
--Daily Mail "Bythell is a skillful writer . . . he creates a full, appealing world populated with colorful characters. The Scottish landscape--geese flying over the salt marsh, the meandering river where he likes to fish--is gorgeous . . . an endearing and thoughtful book."
--Minneapolis Star Tribune "Equal parts preposterous and profound, sure to prove irresistible to fellow bibliophiles."
--Publishers Weekly "Bythell writes with biting humor . . . he is a man on a mission, and a year seen through his eyes convinces the reader that is a mission worthy of undertaking."
--Chicago Tribune "An enveloping account from the front lines of an industry in flux."
--Foreword "Bythell remains an unwavering correspondent whose daily rambles reminds us of the joy in real bookshops."
--Fine Books & Collections Magazine "A bookseller in Wigtown, Scotland, recounts a year in his life as a small-town dealer of secondhand books....Irascibly droll and sometimes elegiac, this is an engaging account of bookstore life from the vanishing front lines of the brick-and-mortar retail industry. Bighearted, sobering, and humane."
--Kirkus Reviews "Bythell's witty descriptions of cheap customers, the drudgery and comfort of his daily routines and the consistent weather manages to create a sense of place strong enough to capture my flittery mind for long enough to feel settled-in near his fire."
--Portland Herald Press
