The Haunted Bookshop

I’ve been wanting to post about this book for some time now, but it took a while to coax my cat into posing with it. And once I’d thought of the idea of photographing the two together, nothing less would do. And now that I see it, I realize that I don’t even have to write a review! The picture says it all.

Because The Haunted Bookshop is a kitty cat of a book. I mean, you start reading it, and by the time you’ve finished the first page you feel like it’s already curled up in your lap. By the end of the first chapter this book is purring, and maybe even kneading on your belly. It is that charming.

The Haunted Bookshop belongs to my favorite genre, Books About Books. Aren’t they just the best? There is something incredibly ego-gratifying in reading about other people sitting around talking about their favorite books. Just like rock ‘n roll songs about rock ‘n roll are the best. They make you feel included.

Anyway… once upon a time I thought I might like to be a librarian and I took a few classes. One of the best discussions I remember was about the function of libraries, and where do we draw the line between feeding people the trashy bestsellers that they want and educating the masses about the joys of Great Literature. This is the main theme of The Haunted Bookshop (and its predecessor, Parnassus on Wheels, also a kitty cat of a book). You can tell where the bookseller-protagonist falls on the spectrum. He firmly believes that “the bookseller is a public servant. He ought to be pensioned by the state. The honour of his profession should compel him to do all he can to spread the distribution of good stuff.”

Yeah, take that, Big Box Bookstores! And just for good measure, here’s a link to the store locator on indiebound.org, to help you find a Haunted Bookshop near you.