Praise for the points card

I've never been on for things like club cards and nectar points so when Waterstones launched a points card i signed up with a great deal of scepticism. But as I look back over the year I have to concede it has worked.

Fundamentally from a Waterstones point of view I have bought more books. The card has not necessarily been the incentive, with the occasional promotions with double points etc, but it has encouraged me to buy a book when I can put some points towards it and reduce the cost/guilt of the purchase.

But there has been another consequence of having the card and that is with most chain bookshops disappearing off the high street it has in noticeable and probably unconscious ways, made me closer to the Waterstones brand. The ability to get a magazine for free is also a bonus that works.

Throughout the year I have used my points, regularly tendered the card unprompted at a purchase and it's always in the wallet. That means it has been for me at least a success.

Books are for life not just for Christmas

Went into Waterstones in Greenwich this lunchtime just to get some ideas for presents and it was packed to the rafters. The crowds slowly shuffled past tables with the 3 for 2 offers and dodging elbows was a real challenge but plenty of book buying was being done.

Great to see so many people out book shopping and hopefully those that receive the books as gifts will be back themselves in the new year to add to their book collection.

occasional series: bookshop of the week

I have driven past Daunt Books but not had the chance to get inside. But that was finally remedied today and what a visual experience. A galleried showroom takes the breath away. But what really inspires is the way books are sorted by country. next time I go away on holiday this is going to be a first destination. Funds are sadly lacking right now but there was inspiration on every shelf. The Swiss section alone had me learning and drooling.

A Local bookshops could save holiday packing

If there is one major lesson from holidaying in the UK, I've been to France or Switzerland for the past four years, it is that you don't need to take as many books with you as you might have thought.

I packed about 8 or 9 books to last up to ten days on holiday but on the first night after pitching the tent wandered into Swanage, near where I was staying, to discover an Oxfam bookshop. Come Monday morning and you can imagine I was straight in there buying three books which I read over the next few days.

These three could of course have saved on some pre-holiday packing and it made me think that next time I put the tent in the car I will also check locations of new and second hand bookshops near the holiday destination. It might well save some packing.

bookshop of the week - Baggins, Rochester

This is one on an occasional series but Baggins bookshop in Rochester claims to be the largest second hand bookshop in Britain and it has a good reason to. Stacks and stacks of second hand books cover three floors - a bit of heaven!

bookshop of the week

Not sure if I have done this one already but it is worth a repeat. Will be here next weekend for the World Literature Weekend which is also incredibly interesting, and a good excuse to buy books.

The shop is a book lovers dream with well stocked shelves and helpful staff providing an oasis in Bloomsbury. If you ever go to The British Museum for a day out then its only a quick walk away and well worth a visit.

bookshops you find yourself visiting - amazon.co.uk

This is a difficult one because everytime I buy a book from Amazon I feel as if I'm taking food out of the mouth of an independent bookseller and that is not a good feeling.

The problem is that when it comes to buying new releases in hard back it is very difficult ignoring Amazon because it does offer prices that are 50% or even more. So it was with a couple of clicks that this afternoon I found myself ordering The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet, the new book from David Mitchell. At £8 something it is half the price of the £18.99 cover price.

It might well have saved me money but that feeling of guilt remains and sadly I'm not sure what to do about it. If I could afford to turn my nose up at the Amazon offer I would but I can't. The positive I guess is that I only buy one or two hard backs a year sticking to the paperback format nearly all the time because of the weight of books commuting.

bookshops you find yourself visiting - airport bookshop

If you find yourself at the airport before going away without your chosen reading material already packed then you might struggle. Although there are plenty of WH Smith branches offering a selection of sorts there is nowhere near the depth you need to make a decent choice. Plus the deals on offer tend to push the reader towards a supermarket type selection of best sellers that only make economic sense if you buy more than one or two.

But before this post slips into pure moaning let it be said that one advantage are the special airport paperback versions of hardbacks yet to appear in that format. These exclusive editions remind me a bit of the paperback readers club which used to specialise something similar. But if there is something you are after and were worried it might weigh a lot in hardback format then the airport bookshop might just turn up trumps.

bookshops worth a visit - Parliamentary Bookshop

With the election in mind thought it worth mentioning one of the specialist bookshops that exist in London to serve a particular readership.

Those interested in politics can flick through the biographies and texts pondering the use of power and look up from the shelves and take in the view of the Houses of Parliament at the Parliamentary Bookshop.

Sad news about Galloway & Porter

One of the reasons I still go to Cambridge has been to visit the excellent Galloway & Porter. But sadly the town has lost one of its attractions with Galloway & Porter falling into administration. The bookshop and its legendary warehouse sales were a reral highlight after the schlep up the M11. What a great shame that things have come to this.

Thanks so much to Amro for alerting me to the news and it's a shame that neither of us could get to the closing down sale which started last Saturday. Mind you through this recession there have been several opportunities to go to closing down sales and it feels like intruding in a clown suit at a funeral.

reading is forever not just when the books are cheap.

bookshops worth a visit - Harbour Books, Whitstable

Struggling to find an image of this bookshop and its website seems to be down which might be a a bad sign. But occasionally in the summer there is a chance to head to Whitstable for a day by the sea and some ice cream. One of the highlights is to pop into Harbour Books which has a decent selection of classic literature at discounted prices. It is hard to come out without having spent some money and without a couple of bulging carrier bags.

i am told that Oxford Street bookshop is also good and next time I am there it is on the agenda to pop along for a visit to browse the second-hand books.

bookshops worth a visit - Blackwells, London

In days gone by you could zig zag down from Tottenham Court Road to Leicester Square going from bookshop to bookshop. With Borders having closed the zig zagging is now slightly more spaced out with Foyles then Blackwells the places to start from.

Blackwells still has a feel of being a bookshop targeting academics but in terms of choice it is hard to beat it and hard to come out without having spent a fair bit of money.

bookshops worth a visit - The Bookshop on the Heath, Blackheath

This bookshop specialises in old books and has been a source of some real treasures as well as good old Penguin paperback at three for £5 or thereabouts. It also sells posters and is a wonderful place to browse and spend some time in Blackheath, South East London.

bookshops worth a visit - Sussex Stationers, Bexleyheath

I don't live that far from Bexleyheath and there is still a Sussex Stationers there. A lot of the branches, including the one near where I work closed down last year. Although it is not a great bookshop in terms of range it does have one attribute worth going in for and that is it discounts new books. So in terms of getting something topical to read it is a good option.

This pic, which I garnered from the web, is not my local branch but gives you an idea.

bookshops worth a visit - Camden Lock Books, London

Much to my embarrassment I have only visited this shop once but it left a mark because of its fantastic stock selection and ambiance. For those who enjoy shopping for books as much as reading them Camden Lock Books is everything a bookshop should be. I intend making another trip soon. Just need to get on the Northern line and get off at Old Street accidentally on my way to a meeting one day ;)

bookshops worth a visit - Foyles, London

At one stage I had a plan to buy a book from every bookshop in london and I still aim to visit a lot more of the ones I am yet to discover but it would be difficult not to wind up at some point at Foyles.

The bookshop has it's own history and when you go inside you feel as if you are stepping into a cathedral of reading for those who appreciate the printed word. In many respects it is just like any other large store once you get past the aura but for that feeling of being a special place to buy a book it is still worth making the effort to go and visit.

bookshops worth a visit - Blackwells, Cambridge

when I lived in Cambridge as a child the large bookshop full of clever students looking for inspiration was Heffers and although it is no longer Heffers after being turned into a Blackwells it still has the same vibe.

Cambridge has always been a city of bookshops, one less since Borders closed, because of the number of people on the look out for a good book and this picture brings back happy memories for me.

bookshops worth a visit - Mr B's, Bath

In my second part of recollections about great bookshops in bath have to mention Mr B's which has a fantastic selection, great vibe and a shop that you will not forget with its quirky design touches. I could have happily gone bankrupt in this shop.

bookshops worth a visit - Topping, Bath

one of the advantages of having family in Bath is that it provides a chance to go to a couple of great bookshops. Topping is the first selection and there will be another next week. What has to be said about this bookshop is that as well as having a great selection, it has all of Proust's Remembrance of Things Past as an example, it has a wonderful ambiance. It also hosts numerous writer events, none of which I am yet to get to but it is on the do list.

bookshops worth a visit - Book Time, Greenwich

Although on the look of it this sort of bookshop might scream out cheap and not worth going into it couldn’t be further from the truth. Inside there were five editions of McSweenys priced between £3 to £5 each and loads of other decent finds at a similar price.

The one slight problem is that payment has to be made in cash but if you go prepared you can find some great things. As you might have guessed this pic was taken just after Christmas the decorations should be down by now.

If you are in Greenwich then the bookshop is on the other side of the street to the Picturehouse cinema.