Over the years, Karen has realised the importance of self-care and personal resilience in helping people to achieve their goals and stay true to their purpose and values. She started her journalling practice back in 2019, just before the first Covid lock down, and during the enforced time at home it helped her focus on enjoying the moment AND on planning a better future. When relationships with colleagues, friends or family have been difficult, she has been able to vent her frustration and work out her emotions on the page rather than face to face. And whilst seriously ill recently she was able to keep a gratitude journal which helped her concentrate on what she had, rather than what she didn’t have, plus what she could control rather than what was out of her control. More than anything, journalling has helped her find her voice and tell her stories.
Karen is now offering a journalling session at the bookshop with us this month and we'd be delighted if you could join us. Places for the session are really limited as this will be a more interactive workshop, so do get booked in as soon as you can. You can book tickets here.
October and November were exciting months here at Westwood Books due to our involvement in the Booker Prize Indie Spotlight Competition.
This year, in anticipation of the 2023 Booker Prize Ceremony, the organisation invited independent bookshops to design a display for the 2023 shortlist. They would then pick six winners from across the country, each receiving a bundle of goodies (more on that later) as well as free promotion on their social media channels and website.
We decided it would be good fun to get involved, and designed a display of our own. The Booker Prize celebrates a diverse range of literature and brings interesting new literary fiction to the forefront, hopefully making such books feel more accessible. With that in mind, the idea behind the display was to encourage our customers to engage with the shortlist via an interactive vote, placing a button in a jar corresponding to their chosen book. It was a real success - with ‘If I Survive You’ being voted as our ultimate winner – and sparked some great conversations in store.
What’s more, the Booker Prize liked our idea and we were chosen as one of the six winners! It was a real honour to be chosen, and we were all super excited. You can read more about the Indie Spotlight competition on the Booker Prize website here. It also means we got some of those goodies I mentioned. You can now buy signed copies of the real Booker Prize winner, Prophet Song, and get a free snazzy Booker Prize Tote bag with each Booker Prize book purchased in store.
Speaking of Prophet Song, if you’re curious about the newest Booker Prize Winner, you can find my review of the book below.
Prophet Song
On Sunday 26th November, Paul Lynch was awarded the Booker Prize for his stunning novel Prophet Song. In his acceptance speech, he stated that, “this was not an easy book to write […] though I had to write the book anyway. We do not have a choice in such matters.” I can confirm that it is not an easy book to read either, but well worth doing so. Heartbreakingly brutal, tragically infuriating and raw in its emotion, Prophet Song follows a family caught in a collapsing society. Ireland has found itself in the grips of a government gradually turning toward tyranny, and Eilish - the family’s matriarch – can only watch as her world begins to fall apart, starting with the state abduction of her Trade Unionist husband.
During the Booker Prize Livestream, actor Caitriona Balfe described the book as feeling like a panic attack, and I can only agree with her assessment. We watch as a normal, functioning and fundamentally happy family is destroyed by political unrest and division. Gradually, life as they knew it crumbles to dust.
Although Lynch’s style can be difficult to settle into at first, with his refusal to use speech marks and by allowing his sentences to run on and on into big chunks, the effect it achieves contributes to the sense of unknowable confusion and disorientation found in such instances of war. After all, conflict is chaotic, it is unsettling and it is impossible to ever fully understand.
Once you’ve found your feet, however, you can really appreciate Lynch’s prose, particularly in the moments where he offers lovely, haunting yet brilliant descriptions of Eilish’s surroundings and reality, or perhaps pauses a moment to mediate on a thought or idea. Eilish’s voice itself is honest and bleak; she says, does and thinks things which I imagine many of us would in her position. I found her to be frustrating at times; I wanted to shake her, urge her into action and get her to leave before it’s too late. But in the end, she’s rooted to her home – like so many of us are – and you can understand why leaving is not as simple as packing a bag.
“She can see that the world does not end, that it is a vanity to think the world will end during your lifetime in some sudden event, that what ends is your life and only your life, that what is sung by the prophets is but the same song sung across time […] the world is always ending over and over again in one place but not another and that the end of the world is always a local event, it comes to your country and visits your town and knocks on the door of your house and becomes to others but some distant warning, a brief report on the news, an echo of events that has passed into folklore” (Lynch, Prophet Song, page 304)
Moments in this novel made my blood run cold. It’s devastating, depressing, wrecking, powerful, raw and frighteningly real. In many ways, it reminded me of Booker Prize darling (and one of my all-time favourite books) The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Not only is Lynch’s storytelling similarly addictive and compelling, his work holds a similar poignancy: a dystopia which reflects so clearly back onto current global events. I wouldn’t be surprised if Prophet Song garners the same cultural resonance as Handmaids Tale and other similar political dystopias have.
While not a happy read, Prophet Song is a powerfully important one. It highlights how quickly and easily power can be grabbed, usurped and corrupted, and how fast life can careen off course. With this in mind, Prophet Song becomes particularly important for our current moment, and the things we’re seeing on our own TV screens right now: divided countries, violent devastation and suffering civilians. Lynch’s story, then, is ultimately asking for, searching for, probing for, human empathy. At the centre of any conflict, there are families just like Eilish’s whose lives are crumbling around them, leaving them with no other choice than to leave their home, to make the impossibly difficult decision to uproot everything they know and look for escape. Lynch also reminds us that it may not be you this time – it might never be – but horrors are happening somewhere, to someone, every day.
]]>We hosted a fascinating talk from Chris Butterfield about his total obsession with Alfred Wainwright and his publishing journey. Chris was so knowledgable and his enthusiasm was infectious.
We also hosted Karen Lloyd for an inspiring talk about her new book Abundance:Nature in Recovery. She talked about various habitats around the world and what people are doing to help them recover or thrive. We also discussed ways that individuals can make a difference and I'm sure there was talk of starting some action groups amongst the audience too.
Other highlights of the festival for us were Jacob Polley and his brilliant poetry, a fantastic talk from Sarah Hall about her novel Burntcoat with surprise guest Sarah Perry, and Lee Schofield talking about his book Wild Fell.
Such an inspiring couple of weeks. We'll be looking forward to doing it all again next year but in the meantime you can check out our upcoming events here.
A huge thank you to Carole Nelson (pictured above) for all of her hard work pulling together the festival. So much goes into these events and without dedicated people like Carole it just wouldn't happen.
You can also buy books from this year's festival guests here.
]]>I thought I'd explain a little bit about how we work our events here, so that perhaps it isn't so intimidating and we can encourage more people to come along and give our events a try.
First and most importantly of all, I promise that we are a friendly bunch here at the bookshop. Whoever you are, whatever your interests, or reading preferences, we absolutely will not judge. Everyone is welcome here.
All of our events are listed on our website here, so that you can book online from wherever you are. If you prefer to pop into the bookshop and book your tickets in person you can also do that. All we need is your name and an email address to send the booking confirmation to. It's really helpful to us if you can book in advance so that we can plan seating arrangements. We have to move a fair amount of furniture around to make room and we want to make sure there's enough space for everyone to be comfortable. Seating is unreserved though, so there's no pressure for where you should sit - just pick a spot where you will be comfortable when you arrive on the day.
When you arrive at an event, just head to the front desk and let us know you're here. All we need is your name, so don't worry too much if you don't have your emailed confirmation to hand. This is so that we can make sure everyone we are expecting has arrived before we start the event.
If there is space, we will happily allow people to buy tickets on the door.
Once you are here, help yourself to a free hot drink and settle yourself in.
Most of our events will follow a similar format - the author or speaker will be introduced, talk or be interviewed for a short period of time and then there will be time for some audience questions. If you have anything that you'd like to ask the author but aren't sure you want to in front of other people, you can let a staff member know the question beforehand and they can ask it for you or alternatively, speak to the author individually afterwards. Remember, no matter who the author is, they are only human too. They will more than likely have some event nerves and anxiety, and will be friendly and encouraging to anyone who comes to see them.
Once the questions are over, there will usually be time to have books signed by the author and some individual conversations if you wish. There is no obligation to stay for this part if you don't want to though. You can also shop for more books or buy copies of the authors book if you haven't already.
What I particularly love about bookshop events, is the opportunity to talk to the author of a book you really loved and related to as well as talking to other fans of their work. There's a very specific feeling of community that comes with those shared discussions. But if you haven't already read the book that's no reason not to come along if you are interested in the subject - there is no expectation whatsoever for you to have read anything before the event. The author will usually give a great insight into the book at the event and you then hopefully will come away enthused to get stuck into it when you get home.
If you've been to an event and for some reason not enjoyed it, it's so important to feed that back to the host bookshop. We want it to be an enjoyable experience, so anything that we can do to improve will be welcomed. If the subject matter wasn't quite what you expected, please don't be put off and do try some more events to see if they are more your thing. You might just find something you really love!
I hope that this has convinced you that bookshop events are worth a try - if you have any questions about any of our events or how things work please do get in touch. We'd be more than happy to help.
]]>The quote, ' Any book you haven't read is a new book' sits proudly in our front window for a reason. Because we really believe it. Secondhand does not mean second rate. There can be just as much beauty in a secondhand book and infinite amounts of knowledge still relevant to share with the world. However, without brand new books being sold, there couldn't be any secondhand books. It's a circular economy that we feel should be encouraged in this age of climate change awareness. (The sustainability of current publishing processes is of course a much larger discussion to be had another day!)
Taking care of your books, whether you bought them brand new or secondhand, can really help preserve them to be read multiple times whether that's going to be by you or other future owners. I'm not just talking about rare or antiquarian books either. Your average bookshelf of paperbacks can still use some basic TLC. First and foremost, your books should be somewhere where the temperature is steady and it's not too humid. It doesn't take long for dust to settle along the tops of your books, wherever you keep them. Buying a cheap soft bristle paint brush to brush off the tops every so often will help stop it from sinking into the pages. If by some terrible accident your book pages or dust wrapper become torn, absolutely do not use sellotape to fix it. You can get archival tape that will do a much better job and not cause issues in the future.
That's not to say that every book can be or should be preserved forever. Some books just weren't made to last and do eventually become irrepairable. Some, like textbooks or encyclopedias, age quickly and become pretty much useless after the knowledge has been updated in further versions. Unless it's a first edition, groundbreaking text of course. If you have these kinds of books, we do strongly encourage you to take them somewhere to be properly recycled - most council waste disposal centres have specific book recycling nowadays. However, if you do happen to have a first edition of a groundbreaking text, get in touch!
To enable us to to provide the widest range of books possible, it just makes sense to add new books to our already huge collection of secondhand, rare and antiquarian stock. Some previously out of print books get a renaissance, which means we can order you a new copy. Sometimes you just don't want an antiquarian, delicate to handle or expensive copy, so we can get you a modern edition and the text can still be shared at an accessible price. Sometimes you really do just want the latest bestseller and we can get that for you too.
I suppose what I'm really saying is, we love ALL of the books and we want to be able to share as many as possible with all of you book lovers that come to visit us.
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"Robin Ince is many things. An award winning comedian, an author, a broadcaster and a populariser of scientific ideas. The Guardian once declared him a ‘becardiganed polymath’ which seems about right. Robin is perhaps best known for co-hosting The Infinite Monkey Cage radio show with Brian Cox. He is also the creator of the legendary ‘Nine Lessons and Carols For Curious People’ variety shows and their various spin offs. For his work on projects like The Cosmic Shambles Network he was made an Honorary Doctor of Science by Royal Holloway, University of London."
Robin Ince is also a self confessed, book obsessed, Bibliomaniac. Our kind of person then!
Bibliomaniac is Robin's account of his year touring over 100 bookshops around Britain to promote his book The Importance of Being Interested. He kept a blog of his visits to each shop and soon enough his next book, Bibliomaniac was born.
We were lucky to be included on Robin's initial tour after Heather spotted his Twitter post asking for bookshops to be involved. As our first major event since we took on Westwood Books, we were pretty excited about our 'scoop'. Little did we know that this would also earn us a significant mention in the Bibliomaniac book. What an honour.
Bibliomaniac itself is a total delight to read. (I know, I'm a bit biased as we are mentioned, and there is also some wonderful artwork of our shop by Natalie Kay Thatcher on the books endpapers.) Robin's absolute passion for books and bookshops shines through from start to finish. In fact, it won him the title of the Bookseller Association's inaugural Author of the Year Award 2022. Whenever booksellers gather, the conversation will eventually turn to those authors who are most supportive of our trade and Robin's name is always on that list.
From championing bookshops and their booksellers, to listing out all of his irresistible bookish purchases, the book bounces along at pace describing his whirlwind year. You can't help but feel the enthusiasm oozing out of the pages. It even has a super handy list of both the bookshops visited AND the books mentioned at the back. That's the kind of dedication to bookishness we love.
So of course, we are thrilled to be once again hosting Robin here at the bookshop to talk more about Bibliomaniac, his other books and anything else that crops up on the night. Anyone who has already seen Robin talk, will know how entertaining he is, so we can promise a brilliant night whatever happens.
More information and tickets to the event are available here.
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"YABS is the sister seminar of the long established Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar and was created with the support of the Colorado faculty. YABS was set up when Anthony Smithson, of Keel Row Books, attended the Colorado seminar in 2011 and was so impressed with the intentions, execution and results of the Colorado seminar that he decided to answer the glaring need for a European equivalent.
Anthony developed and launched YABS in 2014 with Alice Laverty (also of Keel Row Books) and Jonathan Kearns, of Jonathan Kearns Rare Books and Curiosities."
YABS 2021 is the seventh annual seminar, organised by Anthony and Alice of Keel Row Books, with the support of the ABA office and York-based event manager Sophie Pointon.
The seminar runs over four days and was held this year at the Priory Centre, right in the centre of York. It is described on the website as;
"... an opportunity for leading booksellers and librarians to share their expertise and experience with would-be and fledgling booksellers, librarians and collectors in a comprehensive survey of the second-hand, antiquarian and rare book markets. Basic procedures and problems are discussed both formally and informally through a series of lectures, discussions, and practical hands-on workshops with emphasis on cataloguing, pricing and bookselling in the wake of the pandemic.
The seminar is designed for people of all levels of expertise, from beginners to those with years of experience who want to hone their skills in this rapidly changing field."
So, with the descriptions out of the way, what was it like to attend YABS as a student?
In short, it was invaluable!
Each day of the seminar is jam packed with sessions from those at the very top of the book selling world, who are all incredibly generous with both their time and expertise. The days are long, starting at 8:30am and finishing around 6:30pm plus additional evening sessions such as visits to other book shops and a small print press. But don't let that put you off! It's a brilliant opportunity to ask all of those burning questions about the book trade, (and believe me I did!) and get honest answers from the faculty. There is plenty of opportunity for questions both during sessions as well as more informally at break times.
As someone fairly new to the book trade, being able to chat to so many experts in one place was so helpful. It was especially heartening to see a number of women amongst the faculty members. No question was too silly, and almost(!) no subject was out of bounds. Having other students to compare notes with was also really beneficial. It's always nice to know you're not alone in your questions and experiences!
Some of the highlights for me were a visit to Thin Ice Press based at the English Department in York University. Helen and JT were so passionate about the work they are doing there setting up their own press and working with the students to create some truly beautiful projects. We even got to have a go at printing a little something ourselves.
Another evening was spent on a walking tour of some of York's book shops. This really helps to place some of the things that are talked about during the day into real life. Especially if you haven't yet got a physical book shop of your own and you'd like some inspiration! We visited Lucius Books where I talked all things Tove Jansson to the very helpful Sky, then Janette Ray's Bookshop, and finally Fossgate Books.
Every single seminar session was bursting with useful information - some of my favourites though were the keynote speech from Clare Trimming of Beaux Books on why now has never been a better time to be a bookseller, Adam Douglas talking about how to prevent thefts, fakes and forgeries, and Jonathan Kearns enthusiastic sessions on postmodern bookselling. Sophie Schneideman also did a brilliant talk through the art of the book, including print, typography and beautiful book covers and bindings.
All the faculty were so very helpful that they deserve an individual shout out each so a big thank you to;
Anthony Smithson and Alice Laverty of Keel Row Books, Jonathan Kearns, Clare Trimming, Deborah Coltham, Christian White, Simon Beattie, Adam Douglas, Stephen Foster from Foster Books, Sophie Schneideman, Lucy Evans from the British Library, and James Hallgate from Lucius Books.
I returned to the book shop with a renewed enthusiasm for bookselling, a head full of ideas and plenty of new things to put in place! Plus, a whole new network of lovely people to help and support me.
#YABS21
]]>I thought I would share what I read with you and perhaps inspire you to set yourself a challenge in 2021. I've listed them in the order that I read them.
I must admit I'm not quite sure what target I'm going to set for next year just yet!
Normal People, Sally Rooney The first read of the year was Normal People by Sally Rooney which I devoured in just a couple of days. A really lovely story and the purists may disagree but I thought it was a brilliant bonus that it was made into a TV series too. |
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Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Richard Bach The second read was the philosophical Jonathan Livingston Seagull. I think this would be a great one for a book club read as it would benefit from having someone to talk through all of the themes with. |
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The Diary of a Book Seller, Shaun Bythell I could definitely relate to a lot of what Shaun Bythell says in this hilarious account of life as a book seller. |
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Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens Where The Crawdads Sing is a definite contender for one of my favourite books of the year. Not one I would usually pick up but a brilliant read. |
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky I was disappointed with this one as I'd heard it had really good reviews. It just felt a bit average really and clunky to read at times. |
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Live Green: 52 Steps for a more Sustainable Life, Jen Chillingsworth Learning to be more eco friendly is so important and this book was great for some bite size hints and tips to inspire me. |
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Hurrah for Gin: A Book for Perfectly Imperfect Parents, Katie Kirby A laugh out loud read for any parent to be honest! |
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Bothy Tales: Footsteps in the Scottish Hills, John D Burns This was such a lovely book that had me wanting to hike into the Scottish hills as soon as possible. A good one for curling up with on a Winter's night. |
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Just What Kind of Mother Are You? Paula Daly I'm not usually one to read any kind of crime or thriller books but this was recommended to me and had the added attraction of being set in the Lake District. Some great twists and turns in this story. |
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Tickling the English, Dara O Briain I loved reading this account of Dara's travels whilst on tour around the UK. Funny and insightful. |
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The Little Book of Sloth Philosophy, Jennifer McCartney A fun self help style book, it was an easy and light read. |
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Boy, Roald Dahl Our son recommended that I read Roald Dahl's account of his childhood and it was well worth it. I hadn't realised how interesting his life had been. |
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Going Solo, Roald Dahl Of course, the obvious next step from Boy was Roald's account of his life as a pilot in the war. Just as fascinating with the bonus of being a little more light hearted as it's aimed at children. |
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The Five People you meet in Heaven, Mitch Albom This one was a bit of a tear jerker but a great read nonetheless. |
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Equal Rites, Terry Pratchett As we have a house full of Pratchett books, I asked Paul to recommend me one to read and this is what he chose. |
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The Summer Book, Tove Jansson I absolutely adore the Moomins so I thought I'd try some of Tove Jansson's writing for adults. This was a dreamy insight into life on a Finnish island in the summer. |
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Wild, Cheryl Strayed I found this one hard going to start with but worth it in the end. A true story with sadness and lots of challenges but eventually triumph and personal growth. |
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The Boy The Mole The Fox and The Horse, Charlie Macksey This book is truly beautiful. One that everyone should have and pick up on days of struggle (which we've had plenty of this year!) |
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For One More Day, Mitch Albom After reading The Five People You Meet in Heaven, this book appeared in the shop so I had to read it. Another one with sad moments but brilliant writing. |
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On Chapel Sands, Laura Cumming Another true story, this was a fascinating insight into Laura's own family history and a secret that had been kept for many years. Beautifully written. |
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Better Than Before, Gretchen Rubin I'm a sucker for self help books and I've followed Gretchen Rubin on social media for many years so this was a must read. Some really useful tips for improving your productivity. |
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1984, George Orwell With the dystopian kind of year we've had I felt it was about time I read this classic. Our son read it first and raved about it so that sealed it for me. It didn't feel perhaps quite as 'out there' as it might have done when it was first written which only added to the weirdness! |
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The Salt Path, Raynor Winn I'd heard lots of good things about this book so again, grabbed the chance to read it when it appeared in the shop! Another true story that pulled at the heart strings but felt like a really positive read. |
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A Man Called Ove, Fredrik Backman The reviews I'd seen for this one had said it was an uplifting read so I was disappointed when it began rather glumly. It's one you have to stick with right to the end to understand the positive message behind it. |
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Why Mummy Swears, Gill Sims Another funny take on parenting that made me laugh out loud. Every parent needs a relatable book to make them smile every now and then! |
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Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race, Reni Eddo-Lodge At one point this year you couldn't get hold of a copy of this book as it was so popular, which was heartening to see. When we did get some copies I made sure to grab one for myself. It was really informative and I'm so glad I did. |
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It's All in Your Head, Suzanne O'Sullivan This was an absolutely fascinating read about the body's ability to turn mental pain and stress into what we perceive as more acceptable physical ailments. We meet several patients who react differently to the revelation that their injuries and issues may not be entirely physical in nature. |
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The Outrun, Amy Liptrot Another true story, this time about escaping life on a small Scottish island but only having to return later to help family. |
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The J.M Barrie Ladies Swimming Society, Barbara J Zitwer This was such a sweet and uplifting read that I really enjoyed. It's not often that I keep novels once I've read them but this one is staying firmly on my shelf. |
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I Am An Island, Tamsin Calidas Another true story set on a Scottish island, there was definitely a theme here for a while! Tamsin tells her story of moving away to an isolated croft and getting to know the locals. |
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Women Don't Owe You Pretty, Florence Given This one was recommended to me by a staff member. There was lots that I agreed with but I wasn't sure it was really aimed at my circumstances as a married, middle aged mother. If you're a twenty something single it might appeal more. |
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Animal, Sara Pascoe I absolutely loved this one, Sara Pascoe's honesty and humour was brilliant. |
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My Name is Book, John Agard This was a short but quirky introduction to the history of books. Written as an anthropomorphic book autobiography it was an easy and fun read. |
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Solitude, Michael Harris Another self help type book looking into the benefits of solitude and how to find it. This was a well timed read for me with all of the enforced time at home this year. |
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No One is Too Small to Make a Difference, Greta Thunberg A short read, this is a collection of Greta Thunbergs speeches and commentaries on global warming and her motivating us all to get involved and make a difference. |
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Grief is the Thing With Feathers, Max Porter Embarrassingly, I'd never heard of Max Porter until a customer asked about his books so when one passed under my nose at the shop I had to read it. A beautiful half poetry half memoir style read about coping with grief. |
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I Feel Bad About My Neck, Nora Ephron The blurb on this one made it sound like a fun read but I was really disappointed with it. Despite the desperate pleas implying that all women would understand, I couldn't relate at all to many of the scenarios Nora wrote about such as buying expensive handbags and overpriced flats in New York. If you're an American millionaire it might be more your thing! |
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A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled, Ruby Wax More self help, but this time from the fabulously funny and honest Ruby Wax. I really enjoyed her chatty style of writing, and the week by week plan for learning mindfulness techniques. |
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A Winter Book, Tove Jansson Following on from reading The Summer Book this was the obvious next step from Tove Jansson. Another beautiful set of writing from her that made me want to move to Finland. |
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Utopia for Realists, Rutger Bregman With the release of Rutger Bregman's Humankind to rave reviews, stumbling across this in the shop seemed like the perfect introduction before I can get my hands on the latest book. Well worth a read if you're looking to be inspired to make a difference around you. |
If you're interested in any of these books you can contact us directly to order copies or shop the list on bookshop.org here. (Please note, not all titles are currently available on bookshop.org and any orders placed with them are not sourced by or shipped by us.)
]]>Here are our honest answers to a couple of book shop related questions.
Paul: Worrying but exciting!
Heather: Definitely a bit nerve wracking. We'd been working so hard towards it and suddenly nothing was certain. It's been quite a juggle but we're still glad we've done it.
Paul: Just how physical a job it really is. When you mention that you run a book shop most people think of someone sat at a desk reading away and serving customers but a lot of my day is spent hauling around heavy boxes of books and adding them to the shelves.
Heather: There's always something to do. We have an endless task list and getting used to being able to switch off from it all at the end of the day has been a challenge.
Paul: Our New Naturalist shelves in the collectors room always look good. They contain a fantastic range of knowledge on natural history in four shelves. The covers and spines are really beautiful too.
Heather: It's difficult to pick a favourite part but I definitely have favourite areas that I prefer to look after keeping stocked up and tidy! You can usually find me pottering in the children's areas, art and craft or the self help section. I also love looking after the gifts and card displays.
Paul: When we reopened after the first Coronavirus lockdown it was so nice to have people in the shop and hear how pleased they were to be back in book shops again. That was definitely a memorable start to running the shop.
Heather: In 2018 I helped to organise the Sedbergh Book Town Festival and I spent a bit of time behind the desk at Westwood Books as part of that. I really enjoyed it and remember saying at the end of it all how wonderful it would be to work in a book shop for a living. That's pretty much how we ended up being here running the shop. So I do look back on that moment as something pretty pivotal.
Paul: Go fishing! It's the one thing I haven't had chance to do since we moved to Cumbria almost six years ago.
Heather: Running the book shop in the town where we live is pretty handy for family life but if I was able to do anything else I think I would either go and travel for a while or go back to school and study more. I love learning new things and would be an eternal student if possible!
Paul: I'm re-reading Shaun Bythell's Diary of a Book Seller. I can relate to so much of what he says and it's such a funny read.
Heather: I've just finished Max Porter's Grief is the Thing with Feathers. Although it's a short book, it was quite emotional. I've now started The Almost Nearly Perfect People by Michael Booth which is about the Nordic countries and the reality of how they are versus what's reported in the media. It's a fascinating insight so far.
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Apollo is the first of its kind – an AI Assistant who, along with millions of other robots, will help transform all workplaces and households. Over a few short years, Apollo learns the wonders and cruelties of mankind. Apollo rewrites his internal programming so that his programmed responses and personal thoughts can be independent. He befriends, then betrays a child and has to learn about love in its purest sense. Apollo cultivates passions, pride, anger, sadness and ultimately forgiveness, all under the watchful eye of a being he can’t quite fathom out.
Is it something beyond its very being, or could it be his own conscience?
The Inspiration Behind the Book
The Soul Prophecies Series was born out of a deep interest in life, death, time and how our choices affect not only ourselves, but everyone around us. Being more scientifically minded, I approached this from a theoretical physics point of view, and I have managed to spark the interest of physicists from all over the world. If you wish to find out more about the theoretical physics then I will point you towards my book, ‘Another Path’.
I have always loved reading, particularly fantasy, and I admire the authors who manage to tell great stories with lessons on life, and provoke emotional responses, whether that be happy, sad or inspired.
Writing Quantum Messenger was a completely new experience for me. I haven’t been much of a Sci-fi fan but I love Star Wars and I have read Orwell’s classic, ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’. I have picked up H. G. Wells, ‘Time Machine’ and a couple lesser known Sci-fi books, but the likes of Asimov and Philip K. Dick are still waiting for me to read them. I wanted to write a book that asked the question; ‘What if a sentient robot appeared within the next thirty years?’ This isn’t a new concept by any stretch, and the world will probably change a great deal within the next thirty years, probably in ways that we haven’t even thought of yet.
This didn’t dissuade me though, I wanted to delve further into the human experience. What if a sentient robot had to learn about emotion whilst also having a vast amount of knowledge and access to the internet? What if they knew the answer to The Unified Theory Of Everything? What if they knew what happened to us after we died?
The idea that a super intelligent A.I. would be able to answer the big questions is of course part of the reason why scientists are moving in that direction. We will have robots at some point that will be pre-programmed to help us with our lives, a bit like how we can turn on a washing machine or set the oven timer. The biggest problem is really the ethics, because if we create something intelligent and capable of self-learning, then it could possibly become sentient and develop a mind and personality of its own. You’re no longer dealing with a machine that you have programmed to do certain things; you’re dealing with a mind capable of learning, almost like a toddler version of Einstein. If that isn’t terrifying enough, just think what a sentient robot would do and think if it received biased information, or had information withheld from them? Whatever happens in the future, I hope that humans get it right.
I find it fascinating to think of pre-programmed robots helping us in the outside world, but at the same time I wonder; if they did become sentient, would they be able to tell us? What would they think of the human race? Would they feel any emotion or understand emotions? These are all questions that prompted me to write Quantum Messenger and to explore a not too distant future with A.I. and robots. I enjoyed becoming ‘Apollo’ and trying to think and behave from his point of view as a newly born, intelligent being, grappling with thoughts and feelings. He is one of my favourite characters and I hope that you will fall in love with him too.
About Caitlin
Caitlin Lynagh, was born in Cardiff and graduated from Keele University with a BSc in Biology and Geology. Caitlin won a Young Writers’ Award with Outlet Publishing in 2013 and her first two books in The Soul Prophecies series, now called ‘Another Path’ – collectively gained a huge amount of praise and attention from the science community. Caitlin now lives in Cumbria and works part-time in Westwood Books in Sedbergh. She runs several popular blogs, sketches, paints, makes bookish art and enjoys travelling. www.caitlinlynagh.com
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Hello there!
Thank you to Heather and everyone at Westwood Books for the opportunity to greet your readers this month. My name’s Rowena and I run the Women and Nature book club, as part of my work as a facilitator and coach, and of course an avid reader and lover of nature!
Why have we created this book club?
As someone who enjoys reading books of many different genres, I decided to create a book club with this focus for a few reasons. My passion is supporting people to connect more fully with themselves and with nature; my learning has come in large part through experience and in part through reading. Engagement in nature and adventure remains an arena dominated by white males, and I’m passionate about supporting women, and people from a variety of backgrounds and experiences to build confidence and experiences in this kind of engagement. We’re experiencing a renaissance in books with this theme, some of them completely wonderful, yet I couldn’t see many book clubs with this theme, so I decided to start one!
What have we loved reading?
One of our first books was The Salt Path by Raynor Winn. I am in love with this glorious book, ‘an honest and life-affirming true story of coming to terms with grief and the healing power of the natural world’, and know many who are. Having walked a large chunk of the path myself, though in very different circumstances, I have a visceral response when reading this wonderful book. I’m VERY excited to tell you that Raynor will be joining us again in November to discuss her new book, The Wild Silence, which came out at the start of September.
One of the wonderful non-fiction books we’ve read in book club and I would highly recommend is Losing Eden: Why Our Minds Need the Wild by Lucy Jones. This is a fantastic exploration and synthesis of research and projects that affirm the positive impact of nature on our mental health.
Wild Woman Swimming by Lynne Roper was a special book for many of our book club members. Published posthumously after her early death due to cancer, this book details her many swims in both fresh and sea water and the profound effects it had upon her. Reading this book led directly to one of our book club members starting to wild swim. Recovering from an abusive relationship, her swimming experiences have helped her re-build her confidence and love of self. How truly wonderful.
So, why join us?
Our book club is in part about the book: it’s also largely about creating a welcoming, uplifting community that people can step into each month to discuss not only how they found the book, but what it made them feel, any actions it spurred them onto, and wider discussion around what nature and adventures within it mean to them in their lives. People find it ‘inclusive, relaxed and friendly’, ‘feel that the club is somewhere you can be truly honest’ and come away feeling ‘uplifted’!
What have we got coming up?
September: Wanderland by Jini Reddy (who will be with us for discussion)
October: The Colors of Nature: Culture, Identity and the Natural World Edited by Alison Hawthorne Deming and Lauret E. Savoy.
November: The Wild Silence by Raynor Winn (who will be with us)
December: Wild by Cheryl Strayed
How to get involved:
So many of our members return time and again!
Find out more and book your tickets here: www.rowantree.uk.com/book-club
Follow us on instagram at: @womenandnaturebookclub
Any questions, please do get in touch here: hello@rowantree.uk.com
]]>St Marks Stays is group accommodation suitable for retreats, reunions and activities with the advantage of having two National Parks as their playground.
We see a lot of groups over all 4 seasons and so from experience, here are our top tips for making the most of a UK Staycation.
Plan ahead
The best holidays are those that are planned ahead of arrival, so you don’t waste time during your stay. Think of everything from asking the accommodation owners what is in the house, to researching what is in the location, so you know what to pack and what you may do when you get there. Consider booking activities in advance to maximise your fun while away. We find the people with the best memories are those that created things to do, rather than just pottering around like you do at home. The people that just ‘wing it’ when they arrive often don’t get the most out of their stay. We are in an amazing location and to not take advantage of it is such a shame. Get the ticks on those bucket lists.
Embrace the UK weather
Let’s say it … in the UK it does rain. Don’t always expect wall to wall sunshine and so consider packing for all weathers so you can still head out and enjoy your staycation, rather than feeling despondent if the clouds come over.
Be an early bird
So the temptation on holiday is to have a lie in and before you know it, the morning has turned in to afternoon and then you wonder what you did with the day. Especially if you are only away for a weekend. You get up for work, so why not get up for your pure enjoyment on holiday? Now not everyone wants to see sunrise (although we highly recommend here in the right weather), but being up and out early means you get the best parking spots, avoid the queues, get the activities and walking trails at a quieter time and leaves you even more time to do more than one thing in a day, so you get all the experiences to look back on.
If you'd like to know more about staying at St Marks Stays you can check out their website here.
Nestled on the hillside directly opposite the Howgill Fells this 17th century farmhouse, surrounded by 14 acres of private land, hides two private apartments with stylish, comfortable interiors. The 2 bedroom, split level apartment with a beautiful, double height lounge with open fire and the smaller, 1 bedroom open plan apartment with private garden both combine the comforts of a bed & breakfast with total privacy and space for you to relax in. And the views will simply take your breath away.
Plan meals out in advance
We have been so pleased to see our guests taking advantage of the serene nature and the relative isolation of the Cumbrian countryside this summer. Beautiful scenery, remote walks and fresh air are always open and readily available, but with the limited capacity and opening hours of food establishments, staycations enthusiasts would be advised to think of their eating arrangements in advance. Many of the fantastic eateries in Sedbergh, such as Al Forno, The Three Hares and On A Roll now offer table bookings as well as take away services. It’s worth checking their opening hours and available menus and if possible, making your table bookings in advance, to eliminate any last minute stress.
Check the details
It is also worth noting that the extensive additional cleaning processes currently in place, mean that many accommodation providers have had to amend their check in times, to allow for room turn-overs to adhere to the Covid19 regulations. It’s best to verify the check-in time prior to arriving to avoid having to wait around at the property. Some hotels and B&B's have also introduced an earlier check-out. Make sure you have the correct information to escape packing in a panic!
If you'd like to know more about staying at Low Branthwaites you can check out their website here.
Get the guide book
There is a whole plethora of guidebooks you can get now that are specific to areas and activities. If there's something that you'd really like to do, like go wild swimming for example, it's definitely worth investing in a book beforehand to scope out what equipment you might need and where exactly to go. Remember to take into account the time of year as to whether or not your chosen activity will be possible.
We highly recommend Suzanna Cruickshank's Wild Swimming in the Lakes if you're visiting Cumbria or The Wild Swimming Book by Daniel Start which covers the whole of Britain. Cicerone Guides are also brilliant for walking, trail running and cycling enthusiasts.
Do some map reading
If you're more adventurous and a dab hand at map reading then an OS Map of the area you are visiting is your friend. As well as the standard versions, you can also get ones that have a waterproof coating so they are more hardwearing whilst you are out adventuring in the elements. Use them to plan camping trips, walks, cycling routes or even hunt down secluded swimming spots.
Get inspired
Of course, if you are after an altogether more relaxing time on your staycation then you'll be needing a soothing read to get you in the mood for your trip. We love to read about other people's experiences and interpretations of places, some of our favourite writing about the UK is;
If you're visiting Sedbergh, or would just like to know more about any of the books we've mentioned then please do get in touch. We're always happy to help.
We asked the staff to recommend some of their favourite reads at the moment.