"Bookstore Seasons" Author: [UK] Sean Bassel Publisher: Beijing Daily Press Producer: Ideal Country

The hilarious complaints and confessions of a popular and sharp-tongued British shop owner, the hot sequel to the 2019 book market dark horse "Bookshop Diary".

"I wish these books could talk and tell us what they have seen."

Just dive into a bookstore and everything will be fine.

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There are two kinds of people in this world: those who have worked in a bar, cafe, restaurant or shop, and those who have not.

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When Sean Bassel was 18 years old, he first saw a bookstore called "The Book Shop" in the Scottish town of Wigtown. He was walking past it with a friend and saw the window full of books. He said to his friend: "This store will definitely go bankrupt by the end of the year."

Thirteen years later, Sean quit his job at the TV station and bought the bookstore. After more than a decade of hard work, the "bookstore" has become the largest second-hand bookstore in Scotland, and Wigtown has become a well-known "book city". Sean travels back and forth to buy old books, dealing with the endless stream of weird customers, eccentric shop assistants and the business dilemma under the impact of e-commerce. In 2017, his "industry dissuasion book" "Bookstore Diary" was published. This record reflecting the survival status of the contemporary book industry has become the annual dark horse of the British book market with its comedic talent and sharp tongue.

In 2019, the sequel "Four Seasons of Bookstores" was published. In the new year, the town and the "bookstore" are also undergoing changes. His girlfriend Anna left, and the popular clerk and "queen" Nikki, who ignored the boss, resigned at the end of the year. Sean said it was like the end of a golden age. But the story continues. Sean still goes in and out of strangers' living rooms and studies, witnessing the comings and goings of books and people. The black cat "Captain" is still guarding his territory. Warehouses and sheds have been converted into event venues. The new Italian girl Emanuella has gradually integrated into the life of the town. More bookstores and literary communities have appeared around. "Those quirks that are not tolerated in more traditional places can be recognized in Wigtown."

As the seasons change and time passes, the "bookshop" is becoming more firmly rooted in the Scottish countryside. "I'm afraid that change is not far away," Sean said. "Nevertheless, taste, atmosphere and human interaction will still be the exclusive preserve of physical bookshops... Maybe bookshops will also usher in a small revival, enough to keep some of us afloat for a while longer."

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Recommended reviews:

★ Baxel's sharp tongue and keen insight into absurd phenomena remind me of what comedian Ricky Gervais would say if he ran a bookstore. - The Wall Street Journal

★ Bassel is a skilled and sophisticated writer... He creates an enchanting world filled with colorful characters. The Scottish landscape - ducks flying over salt marshes, fishing along winding rivers - is wonderful... A lovely and thought-provoking book. - Minneapolis Star Tribune

★Bessel's perverse charm can be seen from the slogan he wrote on the blackboard of the bookstore: "Avoid social interaction: always carry a book." - The Washington Post

★This is the most irascible and interesting bookseller memoir I have ever read. --Dwight Garner (famous critic), The New York Times

★…a collection of amusingly bad-tempered stories that book lovers will enjoy, but who will probably also cringe at times… - Publishers Weekly

★Bessel's work is full of biting humor... He is a man on a mission, and the bookstore he sees through his eyes will convince readers that this is a mission worth taking on." - Chicago Tribune

★A Wigtown, Scotland bookseller tells of his one-year experience selling used books in a small town... Angry, funny, and occasionally sad, this book is a fascinating account of life in a bookshop, from the front line of the disappearing physical retail industry. A magnanimous, sober, and fraternal work." - Kirkus Reviews

★Bessel's humorous descriptions of his penny-pinching customers, the joys and sorrows of his daily life, and the unique Scottish customs all create a strong sense of place that is enough to capture the wandering mind and make me settle down by his fire. - Portland Herald

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