Books by and for independent women

Battle of the Bookshops: Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights in Bath

A little while ago I made a special trip to Bath to visit Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights, a bookshop that I had only heard about a few days previously. Slightly off the main thoroughfares of Bath, the shop is in a nice quiet street that is easily accessible.

And what a bookshop. Covering two shop-fronts, the shop has lovely feel, the furniture and décor beautifully balancing between a modern openness and airiness and a genteel traditionalism. The shop is not large, with the the three floors split into rooms that never seem overly small, always maintaining a sense of space, with the books never intruding into the atmosphere.

The books themselves are brilliantly positioned as the focal point of the shop, never overly fussy in presentation, further evoking a sense of peace and quiet, inviting you to browse and meander through the shelves and tables. Recommendations are well placed, handwritten notes enticing you to pick and buy and enjoy.

I have worked in and visited many bookshops over the years, all over the world, independents and chains alike, and I have never entered one with such a considered, careful and enthusiastic choice of titles. Everywhere I looked were books that almost magically edged towards my to-buy pile. Staff selections are well represented, and bookcases are devoted to recommendations rather than stock, my favourite containing the selections of visiting authors.

Ed, the bookseller I had seen so enthusiastically chatting with a customer downstairs when I had entered, popped upstairs to make sure I was okay. Within seconds he had recommended A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz with such passion that it joined the pile. After whittling the pile back within the limits of my ‘budget’ I popped downstairs and had another brief chat, only to have The Missing by Tim Gautreaux join the pile on his recommendation.

Mr B’s is a wonderful place to visit, and I well understood what Ed meant when he told me that customers would bring friends and family, introducing the shop as ‘their bookshop’. It has that feel, it has that gentle verve about it, not least from the more than knowledgeable zest and friendliness of the staff. It is clear that there is a community more than willing to tap into and participate in the atmosphere of the bookshop. The shop’s programme is active, with many a visiting author, book groups and other book related events.

Mr B’s innovates too. Their sublime little Reading Booth is a great idea; a small enclosed booth, supplemented by coffee and cake and 30 minutes to read in peace and quiet. Their Book Spas are wonderful presents; a voucher for books, a personal chat about likes and dislikes with Mr B, cake, coffee, Reading Booth time and an assortment of goodies in the “reading treats” doggy bag.

With such an excellent selection of books, fantastically knowledgeable and enthusiastic booksellers, a great atmosphere and recommendations that are near perfect, Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights has become very much my local bookshop, despite being in city different to the one I live in.

Mr B’s won the 2008 Independent Bookshop of the Year award and has been a resident of Bath for four years. It can be found at 14-15 John Street, Bath, BA1 2JL and is open Monday to Saturday, 9.30am – 6.30pm. For further details, see the website.

Want to get involved in the For Books’ Sake Battle of the Bookshops? Read this post to find out what we’re after, then have a nosey through the entries so far and let us know (either by email or in the comments) if there’s an amazing independent bookshop near you that we might have missed.

Guest post by Jose Kilbride