Book Shopping in Grasmere

Last weekend we had a trip up to Grasmere and, as well as a wander around and a late lunch in Mathilde's, we also enjoyed a visit to Sam Read's Bookshop. This is one of our favourite bookshops. They always have wonderful stock, with an excellent selection of recent publications. Their stock magically reflects my interests and Chris's interests! Which is no mean feat!
We weren't disappointed on this occasion. Our haul included The Warm South by Robert Holland, O Joy for Me! by Keir Davidson. Both of these look like fascinating reads. The Warm South is concerned with the cultural impact of the Mediterranean on writers such as Byron, Keats and Shelley and O Joy for Me! is about Samuel Taylor Coleridge and the origins of fellwalking in the late 18th century.

I was also very pleased with Jim Crumley's The Nature of Autumn and Nell Steven's Mrs Gaskell & Me. Chris chose William Miller's Gloucester Crescent, a memoir about growing up amongst some of the UK's brightest minds and glitterati of the 20th century. He also selected Marc Myer's Anatomy of a Song. 

Together, we chose a beautifully illustrated Wordsworth's Gardens and Flowers which explores the gardens of all the houses which were home to the Wordsworth family.

I was especially delighted as the bookseller was able to help me track down a book that I had seen, not bought, and forgotten the title! All I could remember was that it was a fictional account of Mary Wollstonecraft's life and I'd googled and googled and not managed to fund it. So, I was especially impressed! As well as finding the book, Sam Read's also ordered it and had it delivered to me a couple of days later. What fabulous service and a good reason for shopping in independent bookshops. Wendy Louise Bardsley's The Passions of Mary Wollstonecraft is on the top of my to read pile. I'm looking forward to finding out more about the life of this fascinating woman and the mother of Mary Shelley.

It's always so lovely to return home after a day out with a collection of interesting and beautiful books.