Dublin, Edinburgh, and London Trip Book Haul

I wasn't going to buy books on my trip to Dublin, Edinburgh, and London. I had a 35 liter backpack to hold two weeks of clothes, journals, and toiletries and, as such, had to carry everything I acquired on my back. But I should've known myself better than that. Just having a Kindle was never going to cut it, and with so many fantastic bookstores on the trip, I was going to lose willpower at least a few times. I will say, I went to far more bookstores than the number of books I purchased, and most of these were bought at the very end of the trip when I returned to an indie I absolutely adored and wanted to support. It turns out, I could fit far more books in my bag than I thought, and it helped that I bought a tote bag from Books Upstairs early in the trip (that mostly proved integral for my writing trips in London so I had something to carry my laptop in). One of the biggest things I learned from my book shopping is that I'm a huge believer in the paperback first or early approach. I never understood that argument before because US paperbacks are so flimsy, but I am now all in on portable, cheaper paperbacks right away. I found them to be so much sturdier and better made in Europe, which made them feel more worth purchasing. So here's the all-in haul, organized by where I bought each book. 

Dublin - Books Upstairs

I discovered Books Upstairs on my first day in Dublin, and it immediately stole my heart. It's an incredibly well curated bookstore, one that makes it impossible to avoid buying as many books as you can hold. I bought books from there on three separate occasions, and I was only in Ireland four days. I plan to give it its own post, but that's why I got so many books here. 

Normal People by Sally Rooney

I bought Normal People the first time I went through the shop when I was going to get one Rooney book as a souvenir and call it a day. It's the book of hers that means the most to me, and I decided having the alternative cover would be fun. I think I like it better than the US edition, which was the only book I brought with me from home. It ultimately sent me on a quest to collect them all, but what can I say, I tried. 

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

In my defense, I didn't actually buy this one. I just carried it home and put it on my shelf. My friend was sufficiently intrigued by my incessant Sally Rooney babbling and from watching the Normal People show to want to pick up one of her books. I figured she'd like Conversations best, so she said she'd buy it and read it on the trip and then give it to me when she was done with it. At that point, I was halfway to having a completed UK edition Rooney collection.

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

This was a purchase on the last day of the trip when I'd come back to Dublin for the day and was ready to complete my Rooney collection. I feel like the blue Intermezzo cover is so much better than the yellow US one. Infinitely better. And, also, Books Upstairs was the only place I'd seen it abundantly in paperback, and I love the consistency of having them all in the same format. Even though I'm on the fence about Intermezzo, I couldn't pass up the chance to complete the collection.

Let's Dance by Lucy Sweeney Byrne

This is a short story collection that I grabbed on my first trip to the bookstore since it was featured all over the story. They'd recently had an event with the author, so it was on major display. Given that I was toying with trying to put together a portfolio of short stories, I figured that getting some inspiration and brushing up on form was a good course of action.

Monsters by Claire Dederer 

This was an impulse purchase because the paperback was small and the cover was better than the US edition. I've been meaning to read Monsters for a while, and since it's a book that falls into one of my research areas (fandom/internet culture/etc), I justified that I'd want to highlight and be able to reference it. This'll be a good one for Nonfiction November. 

The Alternatives by Caolilinn Hughes

The Alternatives, on the other hand, is a massive book. I resisted it originally, but I'd wanted to read it before I went to Ireland, and it felt right to buy it in Dublin. Aside from Monsters, I kept my purchases to the Irish Authors shelf of the fiction section. I love the cover, and I got entirely sucked in by the first page, so I figured it was worth lugging home.

The Mess We're In by Annie Mcmanus

I picked this one up for pure fun. I first saw it in Edinburgh and then considered it for the rest of the trip before buying it in Dublin. I love a book with a musical tie-in, and lost, sad girls will always be a draw to books for me.

Edinburgh - Blackwell's

Service by Sarah Gilmartin

The urgency of the writing on the first page immediately hooked me in. This is a book is about a high-end Dublin restaurant that becomes consumed by scandal. The first chapter opens with Hannah's narration as she's a college student waitressing in the restaurant. I'd never seen anything about the book, but the cover piqued my interest, and the first page made it irresistible. I've now finished this one, and it's a truly top tier read.

London - Waterstones Piccadilly 

I also visited this Waterstones at least three times because the cafe was top-tier, but I exercised restraint and only took home BWWAY

Beautiful World Where Are You by Sally Rooney

We all know why I bought this one by now. 

More on Reading, Writing, and Me:

You Are Here review

October Reading Wrap Up 2024

Which Sally Rooney Book Should You Read?

Colored Television review