Bookshopping despite a full TBR
It was a Friday evening and I was feeling disheartened.
I wasn’t enjoying the book I was reading and, while I was prepared to slog through all 600 pages, I wasn’t loving it. But if I left it, it would be 3 DNFs in a row. But it was no good, my reading mojo was in decline.
Despite my TBR pile looming large I decided I had only one option. I needed to go book shopping.
I wanted that thrill of discovery, the smell of books and the wonder of a new book shop. So I went to Leeds, not far but far enough that I had never ventured deeper than the Royal Armouries.
Holdfast Books
So, with a plan to hit as many as possible I started my journey at Holdfast Books, the second floating bookshop I have visited but definitely the superior in my opinion. I instantly fell for the place as I passed comfy chairs on the deck and countless leafy plants as I descended below deck.
The welcome was warm and I soon found several books I had been seeing pop up on my socials. I ended up with a modest pile of 5 books but I could have bought more and might have done if it hadn’t been the first port of call.
The books there were all new and modern, all the latest trends and the best examples of those trends, some were hard to find imports too. I almost asked if I could move in but I didn’t want to seem weird when one of the books I bought was The Eyes are the Best Part.
Black Door Books
Onwards into the city I found Black Door Books in the Corn Exchange which had a great selection of books on art, music and current affairs. I snaffled up a copy of Feeding the Monster by Anna Bogutskaya. This shop was a very different vibe from Hold Fast. It was very modern and no doubt appealing to Leeds’ student population. It fits in well with the vintage shops that populate a good chunk of the Corn Exchange.
Global Tribe
After getting briefly distracted by a board game shop I wandered into Global Tribe which sells books on wellbeing, yoga, eastern philosophy and witchcraft. I picked up a book on Celtic Tree Magic by Danu Forest and a second hand book about yoga because a girl can love horror and be chill at the same time.
Waterstones
To round things off I went to Waterstones because I think I might need to visit every single one in the UK, like that woman who had a scone at every National Trust property. Lucky me, they had Sweetpea in stock which I was after having a read of so I bought that and dived straight in. But a review of that might have to wait for another time.
Conclusion, Leeds has lots of nice book shops (I didn’t get round them all) but lacking in second hand bookshops which means while I had lots of good buys, it was a little pricey.
Charlotte Wood is a feminist and writer of the macabre and sinister. She reads horror, fantasy, classic literature and historical fiction (with a preference for history from a woman’s perspective).
Charlotte’s debut novel Heather available for preorder now!
A compelling, frightening and heart-breaking tale of desperation, Heather is a ghost story spanning 100 years that will keep you guessing till the end.