Our book choice for July 2012 is The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop (a Memoir, a History) by Lewis Buzbee. This is a gorgeous ode to the beauties of bibliomania, with fascinating, warmly-written essays and personal and historical anecdotes on books and bookselling.
The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop is a memoir and history of the book trade by Lewis Buzbee. In it, Buzbee shares his passion for books and bookstores, from his early childhood love of reading to his years working in the book business. He also provides a fascinating history of the bookseller’s trade, from the ancient libraries of Alexandria to the modern-day superstores.
The book is divided into two parts. The first part is a memoir of Buzbee’s own experiences with books and bookstores. He tells stories of his childhood, when he would order books through The Weekly Reader and spend hours browsing in the local library. He also recounts his time working in bookstores, both as a clerk and as a sales representative.
The second part of the book is a history of the book trade. Buzbee begins by discussing the ancient libraries of Alexandria and Pergamon. He then traces the development of the book trade through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. He also discusses the invention of the printing press and the rise of the modern bookstore.
Throughout the book, Buzbee interweaves his personal stories with historical anecdotes. He also provides insights into the future of the book trade. He acknowledges that the rise of online bookselling and e-books has posed a challenge to traditional bookstores. However, he argues that there will always be a place for independent bookstores that offer a unique shopping experience.
The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop is a celebration of the book and the bookstore. It is written for anyone who loves books, or who is interested in the history of the book trade.
Discussion Questions
- A show of hands:
- Did you buy the book online?
- Those who bought it in a store, was it a local book shop?
- Would you reconsider how you purchased this book now that you’ve read it?
- Did you enjoy learning more about the history of books and book shops?
- What did you think about Buzbee? Is he a historian? Author? A hero of bookstores?
- Complete this phrase (from p 37):
- I was _____ years old when I happened on a novel called _____ and within six months I had read every other book by the author _____ .
- Working in a book shop is great! Has anyone done it?
- Buzbee cites the statistics that the best-selling book in the US in 2004 is Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code, selling 4.3m copies, but the regular viewing figures for popular television shows is much larger (> 14m viewers). Do we live in a literary culture today?
- Buzbee raises the historical role of book shops in censoring different books. Should we ever ban books? What responsibility does the book shop bear in that decision?
- What is the future of the book and the book shop?
- What is your dream book shop?
- Has the book inspired you to read any of the books mentioned or visit more book shops?
- Lucky Dip Spot Questions (answered individually over the course of the discussion):
- What’s your favourite section of a book shop?
- What book are you considering purchasing next?
- What’s in your stack of unread books right now?
- If you were a bookseller which historical period would you sell books in?
- Where is your favourite place to read?
- Which book have you read most often?
- What’s the most expensive book you’ve bought?
- Which is your favourite book shop?
Individual Ratings
DKB Rating 
