White Spines: Confessions of a Book Collector by Nicholas Royle

Summary:

A mix of memoir and narrative non-fiction. White Lines is about a Nicholas Royle s passion for Picador s fiction publishing from the 1970s to the end of the 1990s. It explores the bookshops and charity shops, the books themselves and the way a unique collection grew and became a literary obsession.

My Review:

We all love books, but do you collect books from a specific publisher? Nicholas Royle does just that, he does not just love books he is an avid collector of old books published by Picador. These are the books with the white spines. In his wonderful new book White Spines: Confessions of a Book Collector (Salt) the author takes us on a literary journey from second-hand bookshops on his travels. This reads like a love letter to books and writing and it really is.

There is nothing better than spending time in a bookshop and then discovering a second-hand bookshop, there are real gems to be found. Many times, I have purchased a book from a second-hand bookshop I have found notes from the previous owner, or the book has been inscribed and you just wonder who this person really was.

I just loved the way Nicholas Royle talks about his passion for books, his excitement at finding a new edition though sometimes the publisher may change the cover design that might not do justice to the book. He also shares with us the bookish conversations he has had about great books that have been read.

Nicholas takes us on a tour across the country of great bookshops he has discovered, and he also takes time to talk to some of the authors of the Picador white spine editions. At the back of the book, he gives us a list of his collection of these very desirable books he has collected over the years.

I just love books about books and White Spines really is a terrific read very much set out in a diary format and is so full of heart. Who knows one day someone will find a copy of White Spines in a charity bookshop and take it home and inspire them to discover the old Picador collections from the 1970’s to the 1990’s. My copy will be staying with me forever. It is a pure delight to read.

176 Pages.

My thanks to Helen Richardson for the review copy of White Spines: Confessions of a Book Collector by Nicholas Royle.

White Spines: Confessions of a Book Collector by Nicholas Royle is published by Salt and is now available through Waterstones, Amazon and through your local independent bookshop or through Bookshop.org that supports your local independent bookshop. UK Bookshop.org