Confessions of a Bookseller is the follow up to Shaun Bythell’s The Diary of a Bookseller. It is a diarised account of the ups and downs of his life running a bookshop in Wigtown in Scotland. It is fascinating and humorous at the same time. Shaun is hilariously blunt in his descriptions of those around him – but seems to have gained quite a following because of it. There are some fantastic characters around him – some we’re revisiting (the wonderful Nicky) and some are new (the super Emanuela/Granny), not to mention the wide variety of customer personalities he encounters.

Shaun talks about the ins and outs of running a bookshop and the precarious financial position in a market that is trying to squeeze small booksellers out of business – something that makes you want to instantly find your closest independent bookshop and spend all your money there. For anyone who has ever fantasised about running a bookshop this will give you a sense of what it’s really like.

I loved the sense of community he talks about in Wigtown and for all Shaun presents himself as a bit of a grump, he’s the first one offering to help with any project or anything anybody needs, and seems to be permanently putting people up in his home. This endearing characteristic makes him a hugely likeable narrator. The community spirit demonstrated in the book can’t hurt the Wigtown tourism either – I’m certainly planning a visit now. I really enjoyed revisiting Shaun’s world and hope that he will be putting out another instalment down the line.

Thank you to Netgalley, Profile Books and Shaun Bythell for my arc of Confessions of a Bookseller in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Shaun Bythell is the owner of The Bookshop in Wigtown, Scotland. This is his second book and a collection of memoirs/diary entries based on the day to day running of the bookshop. It covers quickly customers, strange requests, the trials and tribulations of running a small bookshop including online selling from an amazon warehouse.

I really liked this, it was very entertaining and quirky, different to anything I've read before. Shaun is an interesting and self deprecating character and his anecdotes are amusing. Having my own small business I was really entertained by his notes about customers with crazy or unreasonable requests and also empathised with the struggle of working for yourself and the good days and bad days that come with it.
The only reason I didn't give this 5* is that I felt it was a bit lengthy for the type of book it was. There's only so much of someone else's diary entries you can read before it starts to feel like it's getting repetitive.

Shaun Bythell continues to recount his adventures as the proprietor of the Bookshop, in Wigtown, Scotland, in Confessions of a Bookseller. Earlier this year, I listened to the audiobook of The Diary of a Bookseller and loved it. I jumped at the chance to hear more weird tales of life in a secondhand bookstore when I saw this available on NetGalley. This new entry did not disappoint.

Covering 2015, Confessions of a Bookseller is just as chaotic as Bythell’s first memoir. The Bookshop sees multiple construction projects, surly staff, bizarre and belligerent customers, a wormy cat, bad house guests, and ongoing battles with online bookselling software. But The Bookshop, in spite of a crumbling chimney and customers who argue for deep discounts, seems to be on better footing in 2015 thanks to all of Shaun’s side hustles like working on the Wigtown Book Festival, interviews, meme-making, anti-Kindle merchandise, and the Random Book Club. Whenever Bythell mentions this club—in which subscribers pay to receive a random book each month—I’m tempted to sign up just to see what I would receive…But I have too much to read as it is.

As before, I was struck by the parade of customers who seemingly refuse to pay books what they’re worth when they’re at the Bookshop. This parade alternates with a bunch of people looking to sell books that they no longer have room for or that they inherited. These people always overvalue books rather than undervalue them, leaving Bythell caught in the middle. Once a book is purchased the first time, pricing becomes hugely subjective. We can say that a book is worth what the market will bear. Bythell mentions that a page from a Gutenberg Bible was once auctions for £74,000. It’s a crap shoot that Bythell can’t seem to win because taste in books changes over time, book condition raises or lowers prices, and there’s the ever present undercutting of Amazon. Small wonder that Bythell is tap-dancing as fast as he can.

I would recommend Confessions of a Bookseller (and The Diary of a Bookseller) to all my librarian friends. (A lot of the customers that turn up in the Bookshop sound like patrons who turn up in public libraries.) I would also recommend Bythell’s books to anyone who has ever wondered what it would be like to run a bookstore—not necessarily to disillusion them, but to give them a humorous reality check about life in the book trade.

I was intrigued by the concept of getting a behind-the-scenes look into a bookseller's life - the backstory to owning a bookstore, encountering the myriad of customers a bookseller would come across, and of course the “confessions” of a bookseller, which sounded interesting and fun! But, sadly it was literally a day-by-day account of 365 days in the life of a bookseller - the customers who visited the shop, books they asked for, what they bought, down to the number of customers who visited, sales per day, number of online orders and the number of orders found - oh no! When we’re at the point where I’m reading that “The rain began at 10 a.m.” or “The bathroom was occupied until 10 a.m.” or “my mother dropped round at about 4 p.m. and talked without interruption for half an hour”... I rest my case. But I was wondering if the book would continue in this vein, so I read on, then began scanning the pages to see if this would continue…and it did for the full year - from January 1 all the way through December 31. And, what was all that Amazon bashing about? One of the author’s channels for orders is through Amazon, a very viable part of his business... There were a few interesting customers and insights into the history behind some books, but apart from that I was not wowed by the book nor the writing style - the book could have been so much better, sadly. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book. It’s unfortunate I cannot offer a more positive perspective.

The Confessions of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell is essentially a diary of Shaun’s experiences as a bookshop owner in a rural Scottish village. But it’s so much more than that. Shaun makes you feel as if you are living in Wigtown with him and his crazy employees, friends, family, and fellow villagers. There’s so many lovable characters, from Nicky, his J Witness, Morrison/bin scavenging employee, to Mole-Man, the long time customer Shaun has never shared a single world with, to his ex-wife, the love of the whole town, Anna, to Granny, the Italian intern that speaks almost no English but worms her way into everyone’s heart, to Shaun himself, the cantankerous introvert that sees the world in such a fanatic way. Shaun manages to bring his community to life through his confessions in this gem of a book. I did not want this to end. I loved every single character. I was no where ready to say goodbye at the end. I nearly bought a plane ticket to Scotland so I could visit Shaun and the wonderful cast of Wigtown villagers.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this ARC of Confessions of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell.

In which Shaun Bythell chronicles his daily comings and goings in his small used bookshop in Wigtown Scotland. Here we meet his quirky cast of characters, of employees that are always late and blast him on the internet to his resident bookstore cat. We also get a glimpse of funny and sweet interactions he has with customers in this eclectic world he's created for himself.

First off, I LOVED the visual of this cozy Scottish bookshop. I could smell the dusty pages and brewing coffee. I could hear the bell on the door as people walked in. I could feel the warmth of the closed in space in contrast to the cold Scottish winters. Having said that, as delightful as this book was, it was just a bit long for me. I can really only read someone's daily accounts for so long until I feel like I get it. But I don't want that to take away from how utterly charming this book was.

I know the Brits take great pleasure in reading these diaries of different personalities that are serialized in newspapers. And Bythell must have a following because this is not his first book.

But it's dull, very dull. Think about reading your on musings on a daily basis, it's about that exciting,

This is the second book of memoirs / diaries of Shaun Bythell's tales of running a bookshop.
This book is just as good as the first book and has an addictive and comforting quality.
Extremely well written and funny and you can almost see the characters that visit his bookshop.
Fascinating for any book lover and offers inspiration for new books to read from what Shaun writes about books he has read and sold.
I was sad to finish the book and hope there will be another follow up to this collection.
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to review this treasure of a book.

I didn't enjoy this as much as Shaun's first book, to be honest. The anecdotes weren't as funny but I can't tell if that's because Nicky features less or because Shaun himself isn't happy (I really get the impression that Shaun isn't happy, and it makes me sad).

Curious to see if the final version has an introduction, because my ARC didn't and I felt the lack. I'd not long finished the first book when I picked this up and had a hard time trying to sort out the timeline in my head between book one's ending, book one's epilogue, and the start of this sequel. Adding the year would have been a small thing, that probably most other people wouldn't have noticed or cared about, but I would have personally appreciated.

I haven't read "Diary of a Bookseller" so I didn't have any expectations of this book.
This is basically a diary about a chap running a reasonably successful second-hand bookshop in the Scottish "book town" of Wigtown.
As the book progressed, there were moments of humour & glimpses of something special (who couldn't love Captain the cat?), amongst the day to day repetitive tasks of the bookseller's job, but the bits that should have made this book special, the interactions between the employees, the quirks of the author & snippets about his life, were not there. Aspects of "granny", the young Italian woman who comes to help in the shop for a few months, are amusing but as for Shaun himself, I found him dull, annoying, arrogant & quite frankly the attitude he has to some of the customers - the people who enable his to make a living from his bookshop - are atrocious. I do sympathise with the struggles he faces with competition from Amazon & the like, but how can he expect people to be sympathetic to the struggles of a small bookshop when he has employees who turn up when they feel like it, write scathing comments on social media and treat the whole thing as a joke, and he himself seems to find customers an inconvenience ...

On a positive, the book has made me want to investigate Galloway more, but I am not at all inclined to visit "The Bookshop" and encounter a man who seems really quite arrogant & unpleasant. I might do so one day, just to see if he as odious as he seems!


Disclosure: I received this book free via NetGalley, but all opinions are my own
(I did read it on a Kindle - I guess Shaun Bythell would also crucify me for that!)

Confession of a Bookseller is the second book from Shaun Bythell about his book shop in Wigtown (you can read my review of the first here The Diary of a Book Seller – Shaun Bythell)  I wish I'd re-read my review of the first on before picking this one up, somehow I remembered the last to be funny and a good passing of time but it seems I was wrong!

It wasn't a terrible book, I think I just have the same complaints again. He is so rude about the customers but it felt he had somewhat softened towards the end of the book. 

A customer asks the sum of some books, while it might seem simple to Shaun for people like me with dyslexia/dyspraxia it isn't. While I am aware Shaun dislikes spending money however kindness is literally free.

Seems to boil down to a guy with a book shop that thinking everything should go his way (including money) but doesn't want to put the effort in the industry requires. He thinks he is in the book trade and that's it, he's not. He's in customer service but lacks any regard for it. I'm not going to say he doesn't know what it is because I am sure he does, he just disregards it as an annoying part.

If it's your sense of humour is being dismissive of people and rude then definitely pick it up, if not perhaps give it a miss. I think I'd read another one from him as I am now hooked on seeing what the people of Wigtown and the bookshop achieves. 

I'd love to know more about what happened to Nikki and Anna, they both just drop out and I get the feeling we won't hear from them again.

Absolutely loved this!! I had no idea when I requested this it was a biography. That made me love it even more! I really liked the format of the book as a "diary or journal" entry. This was a charming, funny book about the hilarious customers and people Shaun has deal with throughout his day as a bookshop owner in Scotland. Bookworms will LOVE this book, but you certainly do not need to be a bookworm to enjoy it. Definitely recommend.

(Side Note: Just saw under the description this is being made into a tv show! Can't wait!)

I loved the author's first book The Diary Of A Bookseller and this was equally entertaining for a book lover :)
This book is the author's memoirs about running a second-hand bookshop in Wigtown. The writing styles of 2 books are very similar, so if you liked the first one, you'd like this one. Or vice versa.
His sense of humor is very enjoyable to read. The addition of another entertaining character was very fun as well. Emanuela, an Italian intern who has a poor eyesight.
I enjoyed . this book massively, and I'd recommend to any book lover.

Thanks a lot to NetGalley and publisher for this copy in . exchange for an honest review.

If you enjoyed ‘The Diary of a Bookseller’, then the second volume of Shaun Bythell’s account of running a large second-hand bookshop in Wigtown will definitely appeal as it is very much more of the same in terms of content and style. Bizarre customer queries and the trials and tribulations of book dealing provide the main focus of his diary entries from 2015 which are written with a pleasingly dry sense of humour. The arrival of Emanuela, the Italian intern nicknamed Granny due to her many ailments and poor eyesight, provides much entertainment during her three month stay over the summer. Highly recommended for all bibliophiles.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book, the topic, the setting, and the author! The first several diary style entries were endearing and painted a picture of Shaun Bythell's life inside and outside of his store. This is a man who I would love to meet and visit his shop! Unfortunately, the format of the book began to drag down the material and I found myself wishing for more continuity within the stories of customers and family members. The thought of reading each entry for the year was too much for me and this book was added to my DNF pile.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Profile Books for a free copy for an honest review.
I was excited to read this book as I love books about books and bookstores. I enjoyed the first part of the book and all the interesting characters and the books that were mentioned. Then I found it very redundant and started to feel bored. I think the author needed something more to be happening in order to make the book more exciting. I finished the book but it seemed more like a chore. I did not read the author's first book so I didn't know what to expect. All in all, I would have to say that this book is just not for me.

After enjoying the first novel, Diary of a Bookseller, I was excited to read more diary installments from Shaun Bythell's life as a second hand book seller in Wigtown. I wasn't disappointed. This is full of the charm of the original book, with Bythell's usual introspective views on life, love and buying and selling books to various oddball customers.

Although misanthropic, Bythell still manages to come across as genuinely witty and down to earth. His interactions with staff members are a particular highlight, as he affectionately records what Nicky has brought in from the Morrison's dumpsters on a Friday and the amount of food that Granny can pack away. It's also the people of Wigtown, from Fiona next door to the grumpy postmaster, that seem to make Shaun more grounded and relatable to the reader. There are a few rather poignant moments scattered throughout the documented year that managed to elicit emotion from Shaun that may otherwise have been lost among the more lighthearted chapters and offhand comments if it weren't for his neighbors. I also really enjoyed the interactions with customers and sellers, and found it fascinating to read about the types of people who have large book collections to sell on various, often rather niche, topics.

I also enjoyed the starting chapters for each month, which include an extract from an parody novel about booksellers, followed by Shaun's own interpretation on the subject matter and various insights into the trade itself. The paragraphs on book binding and book plates I found particularly interesting. Bythell''s writing style is also always fun, and the chapters are quick and easy to read, flowing well. This made it easy to put down and pick up, and I finished it quickly.

As the previous novel, this is a fun and insightful look into life as a second hand bookseller that will interest anyone with a love of books.

As I've read Diary of a Bookseller, I couldn't resist this Confessions of a Bookseller. Confessions of a Bookseller is just as laugh out loud as the first, especially if one has experience with secondhand bookstores and quirky customers. As the setting is in Wigtown, Scotland, it's even more charming.

Absolutely charming and delightful book comprised of diary entries by the owner of the second largest bookshop in Scotland. I wasn’t aware there was an earlier book by the same author, but it’s now on my to-read list. Great cast of true characters - I particularly enjoyed Granny and Mole-Man, and hope that someday I’ll be able to make my way to Wigtown and patronize The Bookshop!

I received a free review copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.

As slight as this might appear, as lacking in narrative as it may be, this is still a wonderful book for those who love books and have a trivial bent. Our author, a shopseller in Scotland's Book Town, Wigtown, tells us of each and every till reckoning, and his success at finding things people have bought from him online, and the daily lot of a trader – people coming in asking for things that are right in their face, people contacting him online with requests for impossible to identify volumes, and generally people trying to fleece him of his meagre profit margin. I can see why people quibble at this being repetitive, but the approach to the drudgery is what makes our host so warmly appreciated.

And on that note, the proceedings have a very soapy aspect as well, for those that way inclined. In amongst all the data of profit and loss we get the gnomic comment "--- stayed the night" (or words to that effect), and with his partner – no, girlfriend, no, border authorities-pleasing wife – out of the picture, there is a lot that kind of forces itself in between the lines when reading. Which brings me on to my next point – as much as this is a warm-hearted portrayal of a community, an insular resort town where all are friends to all and where people can double-park outside the Co-op for days and be treated like a roundabout and not a bloody nuisance – this is also one aspect of a plug. The bookshop has a large online presence (partly due to a prescient web address), has a large social following, and a very slow trade in anti-amazon mugs, and this also is one prong of the publicity trident. Many people go online, and see our author or his lackadaisical staff in the flesh, and fail to accept they're the same people they imagined when reading these pages. That might be a fault of the book, but I don't think it's a major one – the balance of the book being a moral guide to the humble book dealer, as well as a dressed-up PR stunt, still works, and the lesson that "hey, booksellers are human too" is still to the fore here. Humbly charming, and quirkily droll, this is well worth a look. Even if the author thinks Terry Pratchett was sci-fi.