Discovery of the Week: Here Gallery and Bookshop

It’s the cherry on top of one of Bristol’s most spirited spots – where jolly, jeering street drinkers rock beneath crumbling walls sporting Banksy originals; afternoon gig-goers spill out onto pavements from cafes-cum-gig venues to puff on their rollies; the spitting hiss of vats and vats of boiling oil sizzles from rows of red-topped takeaways [...]

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Discovery of the Week: Bloom & Curll

Richard of The Mighty Miniature fame was last week kind enough to point me in the direction of his friend Jason. Jason runs Bloom & Curll. And look at it. Just look at it.  Want to go in? Me too. And Bloom & Curll is more than just new and second-hand books, plates of cake [...]

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Discovery of the Week: The Mighty Miniature

Found: brilliant little book stall pushing brilliant little books, from processions of spotless old Penguins to stacks of sparkling modern hardbacks. Saturdays on Bristol’s Wine Street and Sundays at the Tobacco Factory Market. Lost: £4.50 on this perfect 1962 Pelican first-edition of William Morris’s writing and designs. Oh, and a stinker of a hangover. Mighty indeed. [...]

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Discovery of the Week: Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights

Bath’s Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights – this week’s jackpot – sets The Bind’s detector beeping not only on account of its fantastic moniker; its 2008 Independent Bookshop of the Year accolade; its ‘bibliotherapy’ room, replete with battered, comfy armchairs and help-yourself coffee; the Tintin cartoon strip wallpaper sidling up to the staircase…  … [...]

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Discovery of the Week: Untitled Books

Just when it seemed that folks with an appetite for a good yarn were doomed to wonder the World Wide Web with nothing juicier than the amateur book reviews of romance novel aficionados to wrap our slobbery chops around, I am pointed in the direction of Untitled Books (thanks, TJ) – online bookshop, literary magazine [...]

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Bookshops in Blue Plaques Thriller

  One of Charing Cross’s past crime novel hubs finds itself embroiled in its very own mystery. Murder One, which saw its last spy thriller creep out of its doors back in January after 20 years of touting furtive thrills, and its Charing Cross companion Shipley, a specialist in art books that has also permanently [...]

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The book goes into battle

My addiction to the musty whiff of a well-loved book and the hiss of a turning page means that I detest – de-test – being sensually swindled by having to read more than about 250 words through a screen. If you’re anything like me, you’ll share my horror at this downright catastrophe:   50 pre-programmed [...]

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Discovery of the Week: Black Books stitched up

Dylan Moran, Bill Bailey, Tamsin Greig and stitching crafts in one YouTube video? I thought the day would never come. The incredible Black Books gets the amateur animation treatment, replete with cardboard box shop, drugs and grapes. Great stuff(ing.)

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The brilliant Topping & Company, Bath

Conservative types may claim that nothing particularly noteworthy has sprung up in Bath in the past 50 years. I beg to differ (see exhibit 1, above.) Topping & Company is the best thing to happen to the old roman city since hot water. The first time I set foot on one of its creaking floorboards [...]

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Discovery of the Week: Secret Headquarters

It being the first day of the week might make my lauding of LA’s Secret Headquarters seem a tad premature, but you’ll understand my near-feverish fervour to spill the Secret HQ beans as soon as you check this comic book culture haven out. Pushing “a sophisticated take on the traditional comic book store”, Secret Headquarters looks [...]

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