Scribbles in the Margins

50 Eternal Delights of Books SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKS ARE MY BAG READERS AWARDS!

Daniel Gray author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Published:18th May '17

£13.99

Available to order, but very limited on stock - if we have issues obtaining a copy, we will let you know.

Scribbles in the Margins cover

A collection of lyrical sweet-nothings whispered to afternoons lost in old bookshops, handwritten dedications in secondhand editions, reading to a child, and 47 other reminders of why we love books

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKS ARE MY BAG READERS AWARDS! We lead increasingly time-poor lifestyles, bombarded 24/7 by petrifying news bulletins, internet trolls and endless noises. Where has the joy and relaxation gone from our daily lives? Scribbles in the Margins offers a glorious antidote to that relentless modern-day information churn. It is here to remind you that books and bookshops can still sing to your heart. Warm, heartfelt and witty, here are fifty short essays of prose poetry dedicated to the simple joy to be found in reading and the rituals around it. These are not wallowing nostalgia; they are things that remain pleasurable and right, that warm our hearts and connect us to books, to reading and to other readers: smells of books, old or new; losing an afternoon organising bookshelves; libraries; watching a child learn to read; reading in bed; impromptu bookmarks; visiting someone’s home and inspecting the bookshelves; stains and other reminders of where and when you read a book. An attempt to fondly weigh up what makes a book so much more than paper and ink – and reading so much more than a hobby, a way of passing time or a learning process – these declarations of love demonstrate what books and reading mean to us as individuals, and the cherished part they play in our lives, from the vivid greens and purples of childhood books to the dusty comfort novels we turn to in times of adult flux. Scribbles in the Margins is a love-letter to books and bookshops, rejoicing in the many universal and sometimes odd little ways that reading and the rituals around reading make us happy.

An adorable collection of bite-sized chunks of joy…the perfect gift for any book lover. * Reader's Digest *
Gray has become the writer of stunning books whose substance belie their brevity…They are elegant in their purpose and devastating in their power. No-one who loves reading could put down Scribbles in the Margins. * The Herald Magazine *
A book that makes the spirit soar…a beautifully-crafted treasure. * The National *
Gray’s warm introspective eloquence invites and then indulges contented immersion in bibliographic nostalgia. * The New European *
A gorgeous thing. A series of lyrical loveletters to the wonders of reading. Wonderful, evocative essays. * BBC Radio Scotland *
A collection of mini-essays that cheer on the small pleasures of book reading…a lovely thing. * The Herald *

ISBN: 9781408883945

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 220g

160 pages