The Book Corner

I have always longed to own a book store. Maybe this stems from years of reading books about quaint bookstores in Edinburgh, or visiting iconic stores in London like Daunt Books, with its oak balconies and Edwardian windows. Actually, even large stores like Barnes & Noble while in the States I found myself, after dinner, dropping in with a takeaway coffee and winding down the aisles, finding my next holiday read.

I love books. Am I a literary genius? Absolutely not. Do I love to flick through coffee table books of all varieties? Yes, I do. So what am I bringing to Moody Merchant’s Book Corner?

Firstly, I couldn’t just run out and buy a never-ending book supply, as I need to be able to store them and build the corner up gently. So I wanted to start with a few of my favourites, then build upon this and bring in the big boys later on.

I am starting with the Hoxton Mini Press books. They are easy to carry around in your bag, they are up to date, and they cover corners of London you would never even know existed. They do mostly London, but also Berlin, Paris and a few other places. They are great if you are visiting or live in London, and I have found places I never even knew existed.

I then could not have a Book Corner without having my favourite place, Daylesford Living by Carole Bamford. I spend a lot of time at Daylesford and, truthfully, I do love it. It’s grown so much over the years and I am here for it. I can only dream of being as successful as she has been with her vision.

I also have a huge love affair with France, and that is one that will never end, only growing more and more as I get older. So we have A Year in French Style, with great images, entertaining thoughts, and it is just one of those books you can sit and pick through, taking out what you may want to use in your own life.

So we start small. My next books in will be Arthur Parkinson’s. I am trying to find the supplier right now, but he is very funny, from my part of the world originally, and is great at what he does. He especially has a passion for hens, and so his hen books are great books for anyone with hens. I don’t even have hens and I find myself tuning into his daily Instagram about them. My Mum had hens, so I guess maybe I got my interest from there.

So that is where we begin. Where we go is entirely up to you all. I, of course, would have more books than Waterstones if I had the opportunity, but until then, let’s see what catches my eye.