It was the perfect book for me to start off the year. My review is going to be terrible but read this book if you like books about books. As the title semi-suggests, it’s a diary of a very witty bookseller. I couldn’t help but imagine the bookshop in ‘Black Books’ with its main characters, excluding Manny, while I was reading this. (they got a mention, of course) I think, humans always provide good cracks but the mastery to tell their stories first comes from observational skills and Bythell did a fantastic job to convey his encounters sprinkling casual humour throughout his diary entries. I recommend this to people who are looking for a cosy, humorous read. You can also get insights into secondhand bookstores and learn what not to do - or do for the sake of providing entertainment - in one. Ostensibly, I hope to visit ‘The Book Shop’ someday.

I had to read a memoir for school and really wanted to choose something that interests me. I found this book and thought this would be up my alley. I really liked the format and the way it was written, the humour and brutal honesty really did it for me, but it did remind my why I normally don't read non-fiction. It's just harder for me to get through.