By the end of 2023, data from The Booksellers Association shows that there were 1,063 independent bookstores in the UK and Ireland, down from 1072 in 2022, though still significantly up from the lowest point on record of 867 in 2016. They come in all shapes and sizes. They are wonderful places, and our booksellers are treasures, gems of our local communities.

During Independent Bookshop Week (which in 2024 will take place on Saturday 15th - Saturday 22nd June), on Bookshop Day (Saturday 12th October, and in fact every day we celebrate and support all Independent Bookshops. Including us! We’re proud to be an independently owned online bookstore with social purpose.

Choose bookshops for diverse and informed recommendations from fellow book lovers. With LoveReading and LoveReading4Kids there’s the added bonus of supporting schools close to your heart and those in need across the UK.

However, it's not easy being a bookseller. The number of independent bookshops in the UK and Ireland climbed to a 10-year high in 2022, as the book trade defied the odds in an otherwise brutal year for high street retailers. In spite of the positives, some estimates show that by 2025 Amazon could take over more than 70% of the US print book market. In the UK, Amazon controls at least 50% of the market, selling over 106 million copies each year.

Today and every day we celebrate the time dedicated to finding and sharing a steady stream of recommended books from established and upcoming authors. We’re celebrating recommendations for bookworms from fellow book lovers, not algorithms set up to drive sales. Celebrating helping all authors to shine and helping you to find the next book or gift perfect for you and your loved ones.

We’re celebrating recognising the true value of books. Supporting bookshops over mega-retailers supports not only the booksellers but the wider publishing industry, meaning a bright future filled with endless new bookish treasures to discover.

So whichever book you buy next, show how much you truly love books and choose bookshops. To celebrate bookshops today and every day of the year, we have collected here a selection of our favourite reads featuring brilliant bookshops and our beloved booksellers.

In Zora Books Her Happy Ever After by Taj McCoy you will find a compassionate romance about an independent bookshop owner who finds herself in a love triangle with an author and his mysterious best friend.

Jenny Colgan does this brilliantly and we have loved several of her Kirrinfief series focused on bookshops.

The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsen Henn brilliantly highlights the joy of books and friendships; this truly lovely novel is a hug in book form.

We adore Louise Fein's latest novel The London Bookshop Affair which is an emotionally and historically fascinating novel that tells an intimate story within the huge scope of war.

In The Bookseller of Inverness by SG MacLean a historical thriller perfectly blends action with heart and mind ensuring an absolutely stunning read. Six years after the Battle of Culloden, left with wounds both seen and hidden, Iain works as a bookseller in Inverness. 

And last but not least, a brand new book which hits the bookstands in June and has been awarded a Star Book by LoveReading is The Bookshop Woman by Nanako Hanada. Self-discovery and the transformative power of books and book recommendations are at the heart of this rich, funny, moving memoir that exudes all the style of a finely-crafted novel.

Which one's your favourite?

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