When I visit a bookshop, I tend to go to the same sections first, every time. It varies from shop to shop, of course. In my own shop, I'm usually there to work, so I'd leave my belongings out back first. That in mind, we'll leave my own shop off the list.
Let's take Chapters, though. It's a big bookshop in Dublin, with a huge range, and I always find myself tucked away in the corner of the Business section first (unless it's been a while, in which case I have a look at the tables at the front for some good deals I'll only end up ignoring anyway.) I don't know why, but I always browse the Business section, even when I know I won't be buying anything.
From there, I move on to have a look at the books on writing, then to the Children's section, for the YA books. Following that, I end up looking at Classics and Science Fiction. Every time, even when I'm just trying to pass the time.
A similar path is taken in Eason on O'Connell Street. Business, Writing, then over to the Personal Development section, and back upstairs to the Teen section. But that's about it. Unless I'm getting stationary, I tend not to buy anything in the shop at all - not unless I've never seen it anywhere else before!
With Hodges Figgis, the journey is a little bit different - right to the top, and work my way down from the Writing section. I go through all the usual places, while I'm doing that, but I always seem to want to start at the uppermost level. It's a habit, and I don't intend on breaking it. It is, after all, where I found Screenplay by Syd Field.
The big three out of the way, there's really only one other bookshop I like to visit whenever I'm near it - The Gutter Bookshop, on Cow's Lane. It's small, but it's one of the nicest shops in the city. Plus, the owner, Bob, shares some of my interest in books - he's the only other person I know who reads Andrew Kaufman's books, and it was thanks to his interest in Kaufman's books that I was able to get my hands on Born Weird last summer. So thanks, Bob!
When I visit The Gutter Bookshop, I literally do a lap of the entire shop. Their range isn't huge, but they stock lots of titles you wouldn't find anywhere else - because no one else seems to realise they'll sell! Thanks to the size of the shop, people who go in looking for something to read usually end up with something that most Irish bookshops don't sell. Bob makes use of an American supplier that many find too inconvenient. The end result is that he gets to stock niche books for his very popular Indie bookshop.
What about you? What's your first stop in a bookshop?
Showing posts with label the gutter bookshop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the gutter bookshop. Show all posts
Monday, July 21, 2014
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Poetry Night, Party Night, Writing Night
It's been a few days since I'm been to this blog... Bad Paul! Anyway, I have three days to tell you about, so I better try make this brief...
Thursday - Poetry Night at the Gutter Bookshop. In case you don't already know, the Gutter Bookshop is a lovely Indie bookshop on Cow's Lane in Temple Bar in Dublin. Not huge, but the right size. Bob, Anne and Sinead are all lovely there, and the Poetry Night was no exception for this loveliness (they didn't even mind that I took up more space than I should have, due to Doctor Who figurines and a Blue Ukulele...).
The night was designed to be a forum for expression of poetry in whatever verbal way the poet chose. There was some wonderful poetry written and read for the night, including some slam poetry from an American girl, and the recitation of Kevin and the Black Birds by another guy, Irish (I saw him recite that same poem in October 2008!) Sophie even got up to recite, and Bob was very kind to her when she was nervous. Go Bob!
Overall, a brilliant night, and I'm delighted to see that they've slotted another one in for next month too! Yahoo! I'll see you there, I hope!
Party Night - that was last night, as Niamh's. It was choir party. We got there at eight-ish, and I got to bed at two. It was a night of singing and talking and laughing, and the odd three-time discovery that I'm a twin (that's three times someone - one person - said, "Oh my God you have a twin!" I got the picture...)
It was fun to meet new people there too. Shane, Niamh's drummer/bongo player, brough two of his friends, and Sorcha brought her boyfriend, who incidenally looks like Matt Smith, the Eleventh Doctor, only with a less weird head... This revelation resulted in much quoting from Doctor Who. Only Sorcha and I got the references!
Writing Night - welcome aboard! This is my big writing night of the week. I have forty minutes to go until Heroes, and I plan on exploiting every last second of it for writing. I've already written a blog post for the Literary Den blog that's around eight hundred words, and a few Doctor Haik-Who! I'll have a video about those on YouTube soon. Yay!
Anyway, this blog post is contributing to my "Wrote Today" Chart that I'm keeping for Lent. So far I'm written a minimum of six hundred words a day. With college work mounting up, this can only get better. See, I'm counting all writing towards it, because any writing is good writing. As for the Drama... well, that's going to eat some valuable time, but it'll be over soon too. *insert sad face here*
While I have you here about the Doctor Haik-Who - I'm emailed the BBC twice about it now, without response. I'll be going for number three next week, unless someone can get me a mailing address to get in touch with the lovely people there... I really want to know if I can publish my Doctor Haik-Who as a book! I might even contact them directly about it, to see if they'll do it! *tempted*
Here's one I wrote earlier, under the subject of Last Words
His very last words
Were reserved for the Doctor:
"You are not alone."
And with that, dear reader, I bid you adieu. I've got some fiction to write on Write Or Die, and a "Wrote Today" Chart to update, with half an hour to go, now. Toodle pip!
Thursday - Poetry Night at the Gutter Bookshop. In case you don't already know, the Gutter Bookshop is a lovely Indie bookshop on Cow's Lane in Temple Bar in Dublin. Not huge, but the right size. Bob, Anne and Sinead are all lovely there, and the Poetry Night was no exception for this loveliness (they didn't even mind that I took up more space than I should have, due to Doctor Who figurines and a Blue Ukulele...).
The night was designed to be a forum for expression of poetry in whatever verbal way the poet chose. There was some wonderful poetry written and read for the night, including some slam poetry from an American girl, and the recitation of Kevin and the Black Birds by another guy, Irish (I saw him recite that same poem in October 2008!) Sophie even got up to recite, and Bob was very kind to her when she was nervous. Go Bob!
Overall, a brilliant night, and I'm delighted to see that they've slotted another one in for next month too! Yahoo! I'll see you there, I hope!
Party Night - that was last night, as Niamh's. It was choir party. We got there at eight-ish, and I got to bed at two. It was a night of singing and talking and laughing, and the odd three-time discovery that I'm a twin (that's three times someone - one person - said, "Oh my God you have a twin!" I got the picture...)
It was fun to meet new people there too. Shane, Niamh's drummer/bongo player, brough two of his friends, and Sorcha brought her boyfriend, who incidenally looks like Matt Smith, the Eleventh Doctor, only with a less weird head... This revelation resulted in much quoting from Doctor Who. Only Sorcha and I got the references!
Writing Night - welcome aboard! This is my big writing night of the week. I have forty minutes to go until Heroes, and I plan on exploiting every last second of it for writing. I've already written a blog post for the Literary Den blog that's around eight hundred words, and a few Doctor Haik-Who! I'll have a video about those on YouTube soon. Yay!
Anyway, this blog post is contributing to my "Wrote Today" Chart that I'm keeping for Lent. So far I'm written a minimum of six hundred words a day. With college work mounting up, this can only get better. See, I'm counting all writing towards it, because any writing is good writing. As for the Drama... well, that's going to eat some valuable time, but it'll be over soon too. *insert sad face here*
While I have you here about the Doctor Haik-Who - I'm emailed the BBC twice about it now, without response. I'll be going for number three next week, unless someone can get me a mailing address to get in touch with the lovely people there... I really want to know if I can publish my Doctor Haik-Who as a book! I might even contact them directly about it, to see if they'll do it! *tempted*
Here's one I wrote earlier, under the subject of Last Words
His very last words
Were reserved for the Doctor:
"You are not alone."
And with that, dear reader, I bid you adieu. I've got some fiction to write on Write Or Die, and a "Wrote Today" Chart to update, with half an hour to go, now. Toodle pip!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Just in Case
I figured that tomorrow I might not be able to blog about everything that will happen. So, in short, the things I plan on doing, that better happen...
Number 1 - Tea/Coffee/Hot chocolate with Sophie. We're finally taking advantage of our time off and doing something during the day. Some quality time together, after her short day in college, is much needed. I imagine this will be fantastically fun.
Number 2 - The Blue Ukulele. I intend on buying it. If you follow my tweets, you know I've been talking about this for a while. See, I'd always been sort of interested in the Uke as an instrument (I'm even using Ukulele player language!), and a customer came into my shop a couple of weekends ago and was buying a book on how to play the Ukulele. It kind of set off my need to learn an instrument, so I figure something like this won't seem as challenging as a keyboard, because I can't immediately see at least 56 white keys on it. Four strings = less daunting. And the blue one I saw online is only €20! If Waltons have it in stock, I'll have a Ukulele!
Number 3 - Poetry Night at The Gutter Bookshop! Sophie and I, as you know, put together the Poetry Against Cancer book. I emailed Bob at the Gutter Bookshop about it, and I'll be talking to him in person tomorrow about it too if it's at all possible. While I'm there, I'll also be able to listen to some awesome poetry, possibly read some if I'm feeling up for it, and generally have a good time. Yay Poetry Night!
Number 4 - Choir. This happens every Thursday, so there shouldn't be much of a shock here. I'll have The Blue Ukulele with me, if I can get it, because I'll be going straight there from town, with Sophie. It's going to be awesome! I can imagine some hyperactivity over the tiny instrument (it's not the size that counts, it's how badly I'll be able to play it =P). That should be fun!
Those were all in chronological order. As for the next thing I plan on doing, writing... that'll actually happen earlier in the day. In the morning, actually. I need to keep writing, every day, and fill in the "Wrote Today" Chart as I go along, because it's finally Lent! I'll also have to do some reading of The Jump, Skulduggery Pleasant, and make a start on my coursework journal for college, which will involve some watching of movies, and some transcribing of notes I made during the watching of Beau Travail, the adaptation of Billy Budd. Busy morning... I better wake up at 8 to do this, as I have to have dinner at 2 and be ready to get into town not long afterwards.
In other news, Rachel is putting thought into the cover for Poetry Against Cancer. I can't wait to see it! I know already that it's going to be awesome. It's Rachel, it has to be. Also, Ms Dunne and I are emailing again. I make her laugh, it seems. My confusion over things like an MS Readathon and the mention of a stun gun certainly were funny, I'll admit. Especially the stun gun... It's proverbial, I might add. Teachers aren't allowed to carry weapons.
While my fingers are in type mode, I might try make a start at one of the spin-offs for The Jump. Or if I get an idea for a poem, write one. Actually, I better get some poems ready for the Poetry Night first. Oh it's going to be so exciting! I'll write a blog about that tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have the courage to read!
Number 1 - Tea/Coffee/Hot chocolate with Sophie. We're finally taking advantage of our time off and doing something during the day. Some quality time together, after her short day in college, is much needed. I imagine this will be fantastically fun.
Number 2 - The Blue Ukulele. I intend on buying it. If you follow my tweets, you know I've been talking about this for a while. See, I'd always been sort of interested in the Uke as an instrument (I'm even using Ukulele player language!), and a customer came into my shop a couple of weekends ago and was buying a book on how to play the Ukulele. It kind of set off my need to learn an instrument, so I figure something like this won't seem as challenging as a keyboard, because I can't immediately see at least 56 white keys on it. Four strings = less daunting. And the blue one I saw online is only €20! If Waltons have it in stock, I'll have a Ukulele!
Number 3 - Poetry Night at The Gutter Bookshop! Sophie and I, as you know, put together the Poetry Against Cancer book. I emailed Bob at the Gutter Bookshop about it, and I'll be talking to him in person tomorrow about it too if it's at all possible. While I'm there, I'll also be able to listen to some awesome poetry, possibly read some if I'm feeling up for it, and generally have a good time. Yay Poetry Night!
Number 4 - Choir. This happens every Thursday, so there shouldn't be much of a shock here. I'll have The Blue Ukulele with me, if I can get it, because I'll be going straight there from town, with Sophie. It's going to be awesome! I can imagine some hyperactivity over the tiny instrument (it's not the size that counts, it's how badly I'll be able to play it =P). That should be fun!
Those were all in chronological order. As for the next thing I plan on doing, writing... that'll actually happen earlier in the day. In the morning, actually. I need to keep writing, every day, and fill in the "Wrote Today" Chart as I go along, because it's finally Lent! I'll also have to do some reading of The Jump, Skulduggery Pleasant, and make a start on my coursework journal for college, which will involve some watching of movies, and some transcribing of notes I made during the watching of Beau Travail, the adaptation of Billy Budd. Busy morning... I better wake up at 8 to do this, as I have to have dinner at 2 and be ready to get into town not long afterwards.
In other news, Rachel is putting thought into the cover for Poetry Against Cancer. I can't wait to see it! I know already that it's going to be awesome. It's Rachel, it has to be. Also, Ms Dunne and I are emailing again. I make her laugh, it seems. My confusion over things like an MS Readathon and the mention of a stun gun certainly were funny, I'll admit. Especially the stun gun... It's proverbial, I might add. Teachers aren't allowed to carry weapons.
While my fingers are in type mode, I might try make a start at one of the spin-offs for The Jump. Or if I get an idea for a poem, write one. Actually, I better get some poems ready for the Poetry Night first. Oh it's going to be so exciting! I'll write a blog about that tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have the courage to read!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Shopping!
Well, for the first time in a long while I went to town to do some shopping all by my lonesome. I left a little after eleven... but that's boring. You're really just interested in what I bought, aren't you?
Okay, at River Island I bought a t-shirt that says "Je ne comprende pas" on it. I love it! I also bought some fingerless gloves. I know what you're thinking. Waste of money, right? No, I got them so most of my hands will be warm as I type. My bedroom gets quite cold, so it's neccessary to keep as warm as possible. Fingers on gloves would be difficult to type with... and impossible to use an iPod with!
I then went on a fruitless hunt for The College Student's Introduction to Theology, which I need for my religion tutorials in college. I call this a Gabbo fail, for setting us a book that isn't available.
Ended up, after a long walk in a different direction, at The Gutter Bookshop. The staff member there was really friendly! It's an indie shop, run by a former book buyer in the shop I work. Didn't get to talk to him, but one of his two staff was delightful to talk to. I recommend a visit there (it's on Cow's Lane, in Temple Bar). I bought the BBC Shorty Story Awards 2009 book, and a notebook to write my Doctor Haik-Who into.
I just realised... I skipped my Muji stop. Muji's a fancy little Japanese retailer. Sells some stationary, and furniture... odd mix, I know. I bought a small pencil case and a fold up ruler. I am that cool.
And as I was leaving, I bought a double chocolate cupcake from Johnnie Cupcakes. It was delicious! The right level of moisture, perfectly sweet, and not too heavy either! I wish I had another one!
Oh, and in case you liked the Doctor Haik-Who so much that you want more already, there's some on my latest post on the Literary Den blog. You can view it here: http://literaryden.wordpress.com/2010/01/30/doctor-haik-who-and-a-giveaway/
Now, I think it's time to get some dinner. Cinema later. Take care!
Okay, at River Island I bought a t-shirt that says "Je ne comprende pas" on it. I love it! I also bought some fingerless gloves. I know what you're thinking. Waste of money, right? No, I got them so most of my hands will be warm as I type. My bedroom gets quite cold, so it's neccessary to keep as warm as possible. Fingers on gloves would be difficult to type with... and impossible to use an iPod with!
I then went on a fruitless hunt for The College Student's Introduction to Theology, which I need for my religion tutorials in college. I call this a Gabbo fail, for setting us a book that isn't available.
Ended up, after a long walk in a different direction, at The Gutter Bookshop. The staff member there was really friendly! It's an indie shop, run by a former book buyer in the shop I work. Didn't get to talk to him, but one of his two staff was delightful to talk to. I recommend a visit there (it's on Cow's Lane, in Temple Bar). I bought the BBC Shorty Story Awards 2009 book, and a notebook to write my Doctor Haik-Who into.
I just realised... I skipped my Muji stop. Muji's a fancy little Japanese retailer. Sells some stationary, and furniture... odd mix, I know. I bought a small pencil case and a fold up ruler. I am that cool.
And as I was leaving, I bought a double chocolate cupcake from Johnnie Cupcakes. It was delicious! The right level of moisture, perfectly sweet, and not too heavy either! I wish I had another one!
Oh, and in case you liked the Doctor Haik-Who so much that you want more already, there's some on my latest post on the Literary Den blog. You can view it here: http://literaryden.wordpress.com/2010/01/30/doctor-haik-who-and-a-giveaway/
Now, I think it's time to get some dinner. Cinema later. Take care!
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