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On the southwest coast of Scotland lies the village of Wigtown. And in this village is a bookshop named The Bookshop. This shop is the largest second-hand bookshop in Scotland and is owned by Shaun Bythell, a misanthropic lover of books who is now writing books of his own.
“Confessions of a Bookseller” is his second book about the comings and goings of his staff and customers. In his first book, “Diary of a Bookseller,” we are introduced to Nicky, the Jehovah’s Witness staff member; Mole-Man, who comes into the shop, buys many books, and never speaks a word; and Sandy, the tattooed pagan, who carves walking sticks. “Confessions of a Bookseller” reveals additional information about these characters and introduces us to many more.
Bythell writes his books as daily diary entries. The entries are humorous, philosophical, personal, written by someone shaking his head at the eccentricities of his fellow human beings.
The anecdotes Bythell shares, and his railings against the many-tentacled beast, Amazon, creates an easy and entertaining read. I recommend “Confessions of a Bookseller” to anyone who loves books and bookshops. I am eagerly looking forward to Bythell’s upcoming book, “Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops,” set to be published in November 2020.