July Newsletter

"One benefit of summer was that each day we had more light to read by."

— Jeannette Walls, The Glass Castle

July Book Club

On Saturday, July 26th, thirteen of us gathered outside in Antikhallarna's patio (to escape the greenhouse-esque climate inside) for a lively discussion about the "No Kings" historical fiction novels we read this month. As always, the conversation was engaging, and we’ve shared our recommendations here for your convenience. From CJ Samson to Rafael Sabatini, there's something for everyone in this month's list! And if you're more a listener than a reader, make sure to check out this month's Libro.fm playlist by clicking the link below!

Find the Playlist

August Book Club

It's almost August, which for a large subset of the population means that it's back to school following summer vacation! For us book clubbers, it means that we're getting back in touch with our inner children by re-reading a childhood favorite! I myself started with The Complete Winnie-the-the Pooh (which turns 100 next year!) and surprised myself with how much I enjoyed it! I'll leave you here with an excerpt that I found particularly relatable:

"When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?"

"What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?"

"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting to-day?" said Piglet.

Pooh nodded thoughtfully.

"It's the same thing," he said.

2025 Book Bracket - July Edition

For the most part, my July reads were surprisingly heavy for this time of year, with the obvious exceptions of those that bookended the month - a cozy crime to keep my interest in the Croatian sun and a reread of a childhood favorite (see above). I DNF-ed Notes on Infinity which said more about me than the book (because I couldn't handle the audio format). For those keeping track, I have now checked off 50 of the 52 prompts for The English Bookshop's reading challenge!

Goodreads

Storygraph

Fable

Semi-Annual Update

Alright, we've hit the middle of the year so the accountant in me says that it's time to crunch some numbers! During the first six months of the year, I've averaged 147 transactions a month, 34 a week, or 7 a day. I've added 1,743 books to the website and sold approximately the same (1,764 to be exact if I estimate using an average book price). As a used bookshop, I do not order in the traditional way, and even if I did, it would be hard to supply the demand so exactly!

Emotionally, the first half of the year has been more of a rollercoaster. I absolutely love my job, but there are days or even weeks that pass by with next to no sales when I can't help but second-guess all my life choices and wonder if this is all too good to be true. But inevitably, the slow periods pass and business picks up and while I'm not yet paying myself a consistent salary, I have hope that we will continue to grow and this hobby of mine will eventually turn into a full-time job.

Exhibit A: On Tuesday of this week, I had my HIGHEST sales day since OPENING DAY! Not to mention the 562 books that walked through the door (a portion of which are pictured here) - the single highest influx since I sourced my initial stock. Days like this remind me that the need for this shop exists and I will continue supporting this demand along as long as possible.

The numbers so far are promising for the first two years of a business, but not sustainable in the long-term. So continue to spread the word and help us make it through another year! And as a thank you for your continued support, please enjoy this newsletter exclusive - an embarrassing picture of me getting my hair stuck in a vacuum thereby necessitating my summer cut.

Novel Accessories

As you might know if you listen to me ramble at the counter at any given time, Bookishly has not been able to process orders in the EU since the beginning of the year due to new regulations. As such, I have not been able to restock our "design totes" as needed. When researching other bookish accessory vendors, however, I found Novel Bookstore which has the most adorable bookish wallets and passport holders!

A selection of their products is currently available in-store for 290kr/each. At the time of this e-mail, I have eight wallets and only ONE passport holder. Depending on demand, I may reorder, but make sure to get here fast if you heart is set on one in particular because stock is not guaranteed! I myself have bought one of each and can highly recommend both the function and quality!