This follow-up is a ''love letter to bookshops all around the world'' and takes us on a journey around the globe describing various styles of shops, whipped up with contributions from bloggers and authors describing their idea of the perfect bookstore.
Anyone with abibliophobia (fear of running out of things to read) will enjoy this book. It is heartening to learn that sales of e-books are beginning to plateau, new independent book stores are sprouting up and it is ''an exciting time for bookshops'', which are fighting hard and have to become more inventive in their business.
It is a bit sad to find not much mention of Australia and New Zealand in the world roundup (half of it deals with the UK) but I found that Auckland has a Cook The Books shop credited with the largest selection of cookery books in the country, plus a demonstration kitchen.
The largest and smallest bookshops in the world are listed, as well as floating ones, a donkey-back library in Colombia, ones in tree houses, barns, former factories and even underground. The photos are interesting.
Weird literary facts add spice. We learn Charles Dickens was interested in the paranormal and an early member of the Ghost Club. And did you know for the last 13 years of his life Casanova was a librarian?
- Geoff Adams is a former ODT editor.
