I’ve just come back from a lovely week in West Penwith, staying in Penzance and roaming a little around the coast and across to St Ives. As I read 8.5 books in 8 days (this included two 7 hour train journeys!) I had to replace them obviously, so there’s a book pile later, and I also wanted to draw people’s attention to a lovely bookshop and a super maker.
The Edge of the World Bookshop is a wonderful independent bookshop on the main shopping street of Penzance. You can find them online here, as well as on Facebook and Twitter. They do loads of author events and signings and have a brilliant stock that’s both deep and wide. I always buy a few books here when I’m in Penzance, and I’ve never been disappointed. I was really chuffed this time to manage to pop in during Bookshop Day – something I don’t usually do as it’s always the day we’re travelling down or back – and picked up a lovely book bargain.
I took a trip to St Ives mid-week and my best friend Emma had given me a mission to find Sharon McSwiney’s shop. Sharon used to share a workshop in the Jewellery Quarter with Emma’s and my mutual friend Esther (who is also now based in Cornwall, making jewellery and automata, website here). So I found the Drill Hall, just up the hill from the sea front, and there was the charming shop and Sharon’s very nice husband, who runs the shop while Sharon makes and teaches.
There are so many beautiful objects in the shop – I particularly loved the autumn leaves, and there is both jewellery and larger metalwork items. Even better, Sharon runs courses, and I bet my local friends would be interested in those. I picked up a couple of leaflets and promised to share them!
You can do full or half-day courses and all info is on Sharon’s lovely website.
I always love finding quirky and interesting shops and artists when I’m away, or returning to favourite places, and I think it’s only fair to share the loveliness – no one asked me to share these details and I’m getting nothing from this apart from the joy of sharing some lovely places and things. Do let me know if you pop to the websites or find something fun to do or buy, though!
And those books?
I always do a trawl of the charity shops when I’m somewhere different and was surprised to find only two books this time. Jo Brand’s “Born Lippy” is a book of advice that also acts as something of a memoir: it’s hilarious of course but with good advice, too. As I’d finished all the books I took with me, I read half of this on the train home. Bernadine Evaristo’s “Mr Loverman” is a novel telling the story of an elderly man, born in Antigua and living in the UK since the 60s, a husband, father and grandfather, who has secretly been in a relationship with his (male) best friend almost his whole life. I got these two from the charity shop opposite the Davy statue, the charity of which I’ve shamefully forgotten.
“On the Marsh” by Simon Barnes tells of buying and living in a slice of Norfolk including some marshland which he then rewilds, giving his son, who is living with Down’s syndrome, a place of quiet and calm in the meantime. Bought at The Works when I went in for some post-it tabs.
Then in Edge of the World I spent my book token from my friend Laura on “Homesick” by Catrina Davies – this is the book about the woman who lives in a shed on her parents’ land near St Ives after she realises she can’t afford to get on the property ladder. A very appropriate book to buy in West Penwith, and I had saved it to buy in the shop. Jonathan Gornall’s “How to Build a Boat”, which is about him learning to build a boat when his daughter is born, to sail in with her, was bought with a cheeky ‘book token’ from my friend Sian, and Isabella Tree’s “Rewilding” was in the bookshop’s Bookshop Day special offer – their favourite books for £5 each – which they are running all this week.
Have you read any of these? I know at least one person who’s just read “Homesick”. And if you have a small independent business that’s a favourite and you want to tell me about, pop a link in the comments!
Paul at Halfman, Halfbook
Oct 06, 2019 @ 12:04:24
Wilding is fantastic, it was one of my books of 2018. I have the Simon Barnes book, but not read it yet
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Liz Dexter
Oct 06, 2019 @ 13:07:06
Ah brilliant, I have heard great things about it so was glad to buy it there. I’ll look forward to hearing what you think of the Barnes book.
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elkiedee
Oct 06, 2019 @ 12:28:29
Mr Loverman is one of my favourite books over the last few years – very real characters and voices, sadness but warmth and humour too. And I can see different characters’ viewpoints and it just works. I hope her Booker shorlisting brings her previous work attention.
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Liz Dexter
Oct 06, 2019 @ 13:08:00
Ah, that’s really good to know. I can’t wait to read it. Have you read Girl, Woman, Other? I keep yearning for the content but being put off by what I hear of the style? I might wait till it inevitably appears in the local charity shops!
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Rebecca Foster
Oct 06, 2019 @ 13:17:57
I reviewed the Gornall (as well as the Davies) for the TLS! Enjoy your new purchases. I’ll be reading Evaristo’s latest soon.
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Liz Dexter
Oct 06, 2019 @ 13:22:37
Oh, brilliant! I look forward to hearing what you make of the new Evaristo.
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kaggsysbookishramblings
Oct 06, 2019 @ 19:11:25
What a lovely break and what wonderful bookfinds (and bookshops!) It would have been rude not to try to replace all those titles you finished! 😀
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Liz Dexter
Oct 07, 2019 @ 05:07:29
Indeed, indeed!
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heavenali
Oct 06, 2019 @ 20:22:36
I am so impressed with how much you read. Glad you had such a lovely relaxing break. It’s such a beautiful part of the country. I have Bernadine Evaristo’s latest novel Girl, Woman, Other but haven’t been able to get into it. I might give it away at the Bookcrossing uncon next weekend, too many books and all that.
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Liz Dexter
Oct 07, 2019 @ 05:08:03
Is the language impossible? I’d really like to read it so if you can spare it till you next see me ….? But no worries if you want to take it to Uncon of course!
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heavenali
Oct 07, 2019 @ 06:09:15
I can save it for you, it wasn’t the language. I just couldn’t get into it, not sure why. Too many books to try again.
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Liz Dexter
Oct 07, 2019 @ 06:46:47
Completely fair enough! If you could that would be great. No rush but hopefully I’ll see you soon after the Uncon.
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Sharon
Oct 06, 2019 @ 20:35:55
Thank you for the lovely mention! Hope to see you next time you visit St Ives 😊
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Liz Dexter
Oct 07, 2019 @ 04:58:39
I’m glad you saw the post and thank you for popping by to say so. I love your pieces and will certainly try to pop back another time!
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Hayley at RatherTooFondofBooks
Oct 06, 2019 @ 20:58:39
It sounds like you had a lovely break away in West Penwith. I love the sound of the book shop and how nice you managed to be there for Bookshop Day. The books you got sound great – I’m especially interested in the Jo Brand. Happy reading!
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Liz Dexter
Oct 07, 2019 @ 05:08:52
Thank you – the bookshop is really special. I am nearly done with the Jo Brand and it is vg. Pop me your address in an email or on the contact form and I’ll send it to you, if you’d like – I like it but I’m not needing to keep it.
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Thomas
Oct 10, 2019 @ 01:11:31
Omg I love visiting independent bookstores and buying books! So glad you shared this post, it brought me back to when I visited an amazing bookstore in San Diego this past weekend where I felt so safe and full of joy. Love how even if the actual books we read may differ, we still share common values and interests. 🙂
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Liz Dexter
Oct 10, 2019 @ 08:04:04
Ooh, lovely – what did you buy? Will there be a blog post about your trip / the bookshop? I particularly liked this one and while my books bought there were very nature and UK-orientated, the Evaristo in particular stretches further afield. You can’t go wrong with another person who likes poking around in bookshops, can you? I MIGHT have more incomings to post about later today after a trip to help a friend find wishlist books in the local charity shops (oops).
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Book review – Bernadine Evaristo – “Girl, Woman, Other” #amreading | Adventures in reading, running and working from home
Oct 30, 2019 @ 22:12:51