Today is the day at the heart of this promotional exercise. It's the day when those of us supporting the idea are supposed to blog about the book we bought at a Books Are My Bag Bookshop Party. Alas, I'm unable to fulfil this one. Why?My local bookshop no longer sells books! The large floor area that was once given over to books by this shop that sells cards, magazines, stationery and a few ornaments, has been given over to the sale of toys. That may seem very sad, and, in many ways, it is. But this change occurred because WH Smiths came into town and opened a shop right next door to the local bookshop. Sensitive move, wasn't it? For the kids, of course it's a plus, since there isn't really another toy shop here.
So, I can't display the book I might otherwise have bought at a BAMB bookshop party, because there isn't one here. Instead, I give you a picture of some of the books produced by my writing group. I could have travelled 12 miles up the road to the next town, but I'm sensitive to the environment and avoid unnecessary journeys. I could've bought a book from WH Smiths, of course, but the promotion is aimed at independent bookshops and such a purchase would hardly be in the spirit of the thing.
Sad that the book shop has gone. The secondhand bookshop has also closed, due to lack of trade. This is a market town with a population of around 11,000, serving a very wide rural community. Seems a shame that we now have only WH Smiths as a source for our book buying. That, or the internet, of course.
On the plus side, one of the teachers at the local secondary school has started a club there, aimed at getting the kids to read for pleasure. A great move in the right direction.
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