Category: Blog

Job done

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Last year we had builders in to do various jobs and for longer than I was entirely happy about our dining room looked like this:

The builders' ready room

At new year, with the builders finally gone and the room freshly plastered, we were ready to start redecorating. We picked out colours,

And it begins

braved putting up wallpaper,

Progress

(Tim worked speedy fast for me)

Fast work

and started constructing my library.

Shelves up

In fact, a few months back we were mostly done and I blogged about my almost-finished library here. However, there were a few bits and pieces still to do. Between my sister’s wedding, my lupus flares and us generally wanting to have a life outside of DIY, it’s taken us a while, but today I can finally declare the library finished! And isn’t it beautiful?

Set

Detail

Local bookshops: Foyles

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Foyles Bristol

As bookshop chains go, Foyles retains the respect of booklovers by being a darn good bookshop. The Foyles in Bristol’s Quakers Friars was the first in the chain outside of London but I’m sure it won’t be the last.

I first came across Foyles when I was a magazine intern in London and I discovered this incredible series of talks run by Foyles. They have an author event almost every night. The only other bookshop I’ve known to equal it is Topping & Co in Bath.

The new Bristol Foyles store feels spacious and yet full of books. There is a fair selection of related paraphernalia – notebooks, diaries, games, postcards – but these are so well chosen, not to mention well designed, that I’ll forgive them using up floorspace that could have gone to books.

Pretty things from Foyles

This is not the place to go to get the latest celebrity autobiography or 3 for 2 chicklit. The “top ten” and “staff picks” bookcases showcase mostly literary fiction, including a few titles I’d never heard of. There is a surprisingly large cookery section, including a display of the new Penguin Great Food series. In fact, there was a certain emphasis on this current trend for beautiful books, which I am all in favour of. I picked up a few pretty tidbits for forthcoming birthdays in addition to some books for me.

I’d still like to see more independent bookshops out there but I do think Foyles is a welcome addition to Bristol.

Foyles, 6 Quakers Friars, Cabot Circus, Bristol, BS1 3BU

The winners: UK & EU Summer Hop

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Random.org has done its thing and the winners of my UK & EU Summer Hop giveaway are…

Rupture by Simon Lelic goes to The Girl.

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters goes to LizC.

Congrats to you both. I’ll drop you an e-mail to sort posting. Shout if you don’t get the e-mail by the end of the week.

Thanks again to Donna and Jessica of Book Passion for Life and Jodie of Books for Company for organising this blog hop. And thank you to everyone who entered. Sorry you couldn’t all win!

The UK & EU Summer Hop starts now!

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** This competition is now closed. Winners are announced here. **

It’s giveaway time again! As part of the UK & EU Summer Hop, organised by Donna and Jessica of Book Passion for Life and Jodie of Books for Company, I am giving away these two books:

Giveaway goodies

So, if you fancy winning a copy of Rupture by Simon Lelic (which I reviewed here) or The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (which I reviewed here) then all you have to do is leave a comment saying which book you’d prefer, if you have a preference.

This competition is open to UK and EU residents only and it’s open until midnight on 8 August, so that’s a whole week to check out all the other great giveaways taking place in this blog hop (listed below)! I will randomly select two winners next week.

Comfort reading

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Crumpets and milk

One of my strongest sensory memories is the smell/taste of buttered crumpets, which takes me back to being very young (primary school) and sitting at the breakfast bar in the kitchen eating a snack while listening to an audiobook on cassette. My favourite audiobook was The Secret Garden and, even now, certain words (“wuthering” and “daffydowndilly” come to mind) can only be said in the voices I remember from that tape, with their Yorkshire lilt.

The Secret Garden

I don’t own a cassette player anymore, but I do still have that cassette because I couldn’t bear to throw it away. Thankfully I have the actual book too, for times when I really need comfort in my reading. (Like now – can you tell I’m feeling a bit lupusy? Yes, it’s a word.)

Local bookshops: Bloom & Curll

Bloom & Curll

Bloom & Curll is so close to being the perfect bookshop for me that I feel I should apologise for not being a regular customer. It has a quirky, arty feel and look but is still most definitely all about the books.

They are piled everywhere, almost higgledy piggledy yet meticulously organised. Old and new sit side by side, with some classic Penguin editions serving as both booklover lures and eyecatching art. Section labels epitomise the style of the shop – they are either handmade paper cutouts in classily chosen colour and pattern combinations, or bright childlike magnetic letters. The book selection leans towards the literary end of fiction, with some specialised areas for philosophical, theological and sociological works. The shop is small enough not to overwhelm me with choice, while still stocking more books that I want than I can afford.

I love the location of Bloom & Curll, nestled among the indie stylings of Colston Street, Christmas Steps and nearby Upper Maudlin Street, but I worry that that also works against it – on my every visit I have been the only customer. However, the shop window promises chess classes and apparently this Thursday they’re hosting a book launch, which looks worth checking out. Hopefully such events will keep attracting new customers through their doors.

Bloom & Curll, 74 Colston Street, Bristol