I work part-time in a public library and several weeks ago I was standing waiting to help a customer and out of the corner of my eye I saw this book's cover flash up on our website as a new book on offer in the library. I couldn't wait until the end of my shift to go and find the book.
As soon as I opened it I knew I was going to love it! It is a fantastic book - the best work of non fiction I've read for quite a while.
Think Lonely Planet meets a world full of books and you have this gem. I loved the book so much I went and bought my own copy. This book by Alex Johnson explores 45 Book Towns.
So what is a Book Town? Simply put by Johnson, it is a "small town, usually rural and scenic, full of bookshops and book-related industries".
These are small towns that I would love to visit one day. It even includes the town of Featherston in New Zealand - the country where I live.
Another place the book features is Wigtown in Scotland which boasts a range of bookstores, hosts books festivals and even has a bed and breakfast/second-hand bookstore where people can stay in exchange for running the store.
There is Bowral in Australia which was once home to a famous resident by the name of PL Travers who created the character of Mary Poppins.
As well as a write-up on each book town, there are photos and website addresses for more details.
A few of the other book towns highlighted in the book include Bredevoort in the Netherlands, Borby in Sweden, Bellprat in Spain, Gold Cities in California, Tvedestrand in Norway and Hay-on-Wye in Wales - the birthplace of book towns.
Now that I have this beautiful travel guide of book towns, all I have to do is convince my husband to let me travel to visit all/some of them.
