We are so excited to be working with Chris and Emma from The Book Brewery again for our February retreat! We cannot wait to bring their passion for books and thoughtful recommendations to the retreat and help everyone discover their next favourite read.
Tell us a little about The Book Brewery and yourselves.
The Book Brewery began on our first date, as cheesy as that sounds, as a shared idea that eventually came to fruition. We always knew that we wanted a combination of books, coffee, and wine to create a space that is used as well as a shop.
We also want to offer something that is different and can be personal, from the books and the drinks that we offer. We stock a range of German beers and wine as that is where Emma is from. That is also why we have a dedicated translated section; there are so many good books that are translated, and we feel like that is something that we want to highlight more.
We also try and offer recommendations that listen to the reader, even if it means recommending books we don’t have in stock too, or if it means saying to a customer that they might not enjoy a book that they were going to buy.
Can you tell us more about the process behind your curated reads? For example, how do you use the questionnaire at the retreat to tailor your reading recommendations to individuals?
The questionnaire that is filled out helps not only give us an idea of books and authors you have loved before; it gives us an idea of the person by also looking at the TV/movies you watch and hobbies you might have. We try and keep the books that we choose fairly new releases to minimise the risk that you’ll have already come across it or have read it.
Most importantly, it also gives you an opportunity for you to put what you definitely do not want to read, which is perhaps the most important part of the questionnaire for us to take into account.
If you put three books into a bag for a weekend in the Lake District in February, what would you choose and why?
Chris: The Lord of the Rings trilogy (in one book, slightly cheating, I know), something to really get lost in, and it’s a mark of shame as a bookseller that I haven’t read them yet. I always like to try and read a book set locally when I’m on holiday, so I would also pack Body Breaker by MW Craven+. And lastly, I never usually give myself time to get stuck into nonfiction, so I’d pack Sno by Sverker Sorlin, a book on snow about its hope and history, hopefully reading while looking out at a snowy landscape.
Emma: I’d take the Bingo Hall Detectives by Jonathan Whitelaw; it’s the first book in a cosy crime series set in the Lakes. I’ve read some of his other books and really like his writing style. I like to have the option of different genres depending on what mood I’m in, so I’d probably go for a historical fiction book like The House of Cursed Daughters by CJ Cooke, which focuses on. And lastly, I’d take Ice, Flower, Herbarium. It’s a newly translated book from Latvian, which is a Nordic Noir book featuring snow covered landscapes, crime and secrets.
What do you think makes reading such a personal experience?
Each book can affect people completely differently, because of their associations, personal experiences, characters that might go through something that you might have experienced yourself and can relate to, and also the interpretation of each character’s feelings and motives. Every book is completely unique to each reader. Similar to music and songs, once the writers finish a book, it’s like it becomes the property of the readers.
What would you recommend to someone who wants to slow down and get lost in a really good book? Is there a particular novel, collection or author you’d suggest they discover?
Chris: Robert Seethaler, short novels usually featuring overlooked individuals who Seethaler gives equal weight to while they navigate deep personal issues spanning decades.
Emma: I’d suggest Valerie Perrin. I read her contemporary literary novel Fresh Water for Flowers in the summer and absolutely loved the language and philosophical writing style in terms of how to stay hopeful, live and be happier. In terms of a book or writer with more world building that you can get lost in, I’d say The Bear and the Nightingale trilogy by Katherine Arden, which is set in an alternative and magical version of medieval Russia. Again, it has lovely writing and adorable characters.
Is there a book you return to, or one that has stayed with you long after you finished reading it? What has made such a lasting impression?
Chris: Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, a stunning sweeping saga of 20th century Korea and Japan. It’s beautifully written and deeply human.
Emma: Offenses by Constance Debre, which is a contemporary novella that explores inequality and social problems in France by looking at the motives and struggles of one teenage murderer and the path that led him there.
What are you reading at the moment?
Chris: I’m trying to squeeze in the Booker Prize shortlist before 9th November and our Booker night, starting with The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout, which is stunning so far.
Emma: I am just about to start Earthlings by Sayaka Murata. After reading Convenience Store Woman with our local book club last month, I was keen to try her other writing.
