Situated in the heart of Bruntsfield, birthplace of Muriel Spark, the bookshop won Scottish Independent Bookshop of the Year at the British Book awards 2018 and has a thriving children’s section. “It’s our aim that no child should feel that books aren’t for them, so we’re big on helping reluctant readers find something to read. We don’t want that door to be shut to anyone,” says owner, Marie Moser. “I’m very proud of my team, including Kate and Cat, who are specialists in reluctant reading. It’s all about encouraging access.”
Top five sellers
• The Sealwoman’s Gift Sally Magnusson
•I Am, I Am, I Am Maggie O’Farrell
•The Pebbles on the Beach Clarence Ellis; foreword by Robert Macfarlane
•The Accidental Further Adventures of the Hundred-Year-Old Man Jonas Jonasson (translated by Rachel Willson-Broyles)
•The Gruffalo Julia Donaldson (illustrated by Axel Scheffler)
Five recommendations
•My Big Shouting Day Rebecca Patterson
“It’s about being in an angry mood and getting out of the wrong side of bed – we’ve all had days like that. It’s a great one to read aloud in children’s story-time. Parents love it too.”
• Insomniac City Bill Hayes
“It’s both a love letter to living in a city and a love letter to Oliver Sacks. It’s an amazing read and a magical book.”
•Animal: The Autobiography of a Female Body Sara Pascoe
“An intelligent, funny and beautifully researched book about what’s going on in our bodies.”
• The Hate U Give Angie Thomas
“Technically it’s in the YA category, but my adult book group are reading it at the moment. It challenges your presumptions in all the best ways and I think it could become a classic.”
• Notes From an Exhibition Patrick Gale
“A beautifully written, moving book about the life of an artist. It stayed with me days after I finished it. We’re massive Patrick Gale fans here.”
The Edinburgh Bookshop, 219 Bruntsfield Place, Edinburgh EH10; edinburghbookshop.com
