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Enjoyed the book your of the study very interesting. Autumn will be upon us soon, your right. Did you mention Aycliffe co Durham? If it's ok to ask. If so I know the area. Read Rosie with cider in 70s at school, dad was not happy at this. May read it again to see a new perspective.

That was beautiful! I do enjoy a good bookshelf tour.

Hi Paul. Thank you. The Bookworm by Lucy Mangan is a favourite of mine too. She used to go to my school so when she talks about the school library it brings back memories of my reading and the lovely librarian who helped me find things I would like and would be able to read. I found reading difficult and she found abridged versions of Treasure Island, Oliver Twist, Kidnapped, The Count Of Minte Cristo, and Swiss Family Robinson for me. She also got me hooked on the Hardy Boys. We didn't have many copies of those in the school library but I went off and borrowed more from the local library. For the life of me I can't remember her name but she was lovely!!

I'm reading Sandman at the moment!

Oh, I LOVE this tour! You own such an eclectic book collection, it’s wonderful. I have quite a large collection and wonder when I’m gone what will happen to them. I received your book ‘Puss and Books’ today and I was quite impressed with your illustrations and writing style. EVERY person who loves cats should have this book on their coffee table! The cover of the book is gorgeous too. Thanks again for such a cool tour of your study…..take care❤

I'm in the middle of rearranging my shelves as I listen to this video. I also got the name of those books about the monsters and the rats. They seem fun.

I think other peoples book shelves are fascinating ; that was smashing . A nearly new sale in my little fishing village 3 for a pound books netted me a second copy of Jonathan Strange and Mr Morrell ; The Midnight Library ( Matt Haig) looked interesting ; and Carl Jung collection well illustrated by Claire Dunne . It also produced a dictionary in French with lots of tiny line drawings and photographs beautiful Art Nouveau cover and spine (50p) I took German and Latin not French, but the little illustrations are amazing . I am afraid it is an addiction haha. P.S. Spotted a Borges.

Skaro was just great🙂

I have to say, your videos are exceptionally nice.

Thanks for the kind words on the Mulgrave Journal, Paul! More stuff planned... Andrew x

Hi Paul. I've been 're watching The X Files too. I started back in November when I realized they were on Disney+. I'm coming to the end of my journey now I'm on the last series I've really enjoyed watching them again. It sounds like you had a good day! I think the George And Mildred fanzine idea is a really good one. I loved all those shows growing up. I wish we had production like it now. They seemed to have slipped away. Such a shame!

Great episode.

Ah, a Kindred Soul! I have a journal where I list all the books I have read since 2001. Like you, it just lists the books and authors, nothing more. I remember it all. But I cherish that little book and wish I had started long before that!! I have reading seasons, too! Quiet Season (Winter), Spring, Summer, late Summer, Autumn, Halloween, Birthday Month (November, get to read anything!!), Christmas! I love hearing about your seasons and what you gravitate to each one, your various trends! Funny how we do that, and how one book or subject leads to another! I want to share booklists with you now! lol

I just love your book room /library where you film these videos. Received ‘The Hour Between’ and ‘Wild Mind’ today , so that was exciting and I ordered ‘Strange Boy’….thanks for another wonderful video! ❤

You had a lovely memorable day ; you are exuding happiness . The Mennyms sound intriguing . The story of your letters to Sylvia is fantastic . One of the last gifts my recently deceased husband gave to me was a rag doll ( not one for dolls ever) it looks like me with a kilt but minus my glasses. I used to say Little Mary will stay and look after you today ; he just used to laugh but understood this particular brand of dark humour. He knew I never believed in malevolence of the spirit world or anything; that only benevolence is possible. Anyways . Glad you had an obviously beautiful day.

Your courage and dignity moved me deeply.

I live in Australia and in indigenous culture here in most regions there are 6 seasons, so this makes sense to me. I wish I had kept more of a track of my reading over the years. I only started actually tracking/logging my books about 5 years ago.

I absolutely agree with you. Halloween and Christmas are distinct reading seasons.

Very good interview with Paul on The Power Of Three podcast. Doctor Who related. Very enjoyable 👍😁

I need to journal my reading. I love that idea. To be able to look back and enjoy the memories. Lovely. I've been sharing the books I read to social media. More for my own memories. Nobody else cares 😂 So, I think it's a great idea to keep a record in a journal!

I loved the Free Fall Warriors and End of the Line!

Glad it's still holding your attention! Cale was such a knob.

You live a blessed life to have as much time on your hands to read and then notate what you’ve read and analyze the ebbs and flows through the seasons of your life. I’m so jealous.

At the moment I've got quite a large pile of books at home but I got a bit stuck trying to get through a large book, so I've had to shift back to some shorter ones over the summer a nice easy new series Doctor Who book seems to have been the answer for the moment I just wish I read faster. I will try and have a look for Half Magic that sounds nice, thank you.

My reading calendar of the mind always starts in September I love an academic year calendar. My reading is mostly fiction but every November I do nanowrimo and read only nonfiction or poetry during that intense month. Holidays are always reading holidays - any holiday qualifies - Saint Asaph’s Day , groundhog day, Patti Smith’s birthday, Giraffe Appreciation Day …

I have reading interruptus , I slither off when somebody quotes another author for instance ; then I get entangled there ; I might prefer the book that I have just slithered off too and so it is like a continuum often reading two books simultaneously . How did I end up reading Carlyle and his natural supernaturalism well that came from me exploring effigies (your fault) ; I even ended up in Africa at one point amongst tribal masks then thought do you know literary criticism if well done is worth it's weight in gold to suggest more books ad infinitum ; then I need a rest so I go to poetry ; most of it bite sized and from there to poets lives and maybe somebody they knew and it just cycles like that . This is my summary since Saturday . I am reading now a third Christopher Rush ( born in St Monans) and he has mentioned his influences so I no doubt will dip my toe before the end of the week in them . I have managed to locate three of your novels in Fife libraries ; one down two to go and will put in a request once your Alice is released . I even fitted in a 59 minute radio adaptation of The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner . I dont feel strange or disorientated by it . Shadow of The Wind ; I loved and bought more Zafon ; him and Borges are just beautiful liquid writers . From the Little Paris Bookshop ongoing ; I ended up at Kafka . The aim to all this is probably only to feed my dreamtime really , I like good quality dreams. I dont know many readers that I can talk to that get their highs from books .

Love this idea! Spring, Summer, Autumn, Halloween, Christmas, and Winter. I always smile when I think back at all the books I've read in the past.

Hi Paul. I'm doing a lot of dipping in and out of books at the moment. I'm reading The Doll by Daphne Du Maurier. Skin by Roald Dahl Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire by J K Rowling and Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk. As well as dipdoing in and out of my daughters Norton Anthologies for her uni course. I'm finding it a bit distracting though and might have to focus on one for the mean time. I have a few suggestions. Could you do another bookshelf tour, I love them! Another video about your favourite children's books and a video about Family sagas. I have bought your book The Runaway Girl. I tend to read quite a lot of Sagas. I fell in love with them because that's what my mum reads. My favourites are probably WW2 sagas. What are your favourites? I hope you have a lovely evening with Jeremy and Socks! 😊

Hi to Paul, meow to Socks. Today I found myself working right near St Paul's Cathedral so when I finished, I went to stand in there 'where John Donne preached' in silent tribute to Helene & her wonderful words. Now just starting to re read 'Q's Legacy' for the first time in many years. Don't you just love rediscovering old favourites?

One of my favourite 'real life experience books' is 'Life is So Good' by George Dawson and Richard Glaubman. It starts with a slap in the face as Dawson describes seeing a lynching then goes through his experience of the 20th century as a black man. It's not a doom and gloom book though. It's a very uplifting. In one part he talks about learning to read at 98 and helping younger people who were struggling. It's wonderful.

I completely agree Paul, it is such a wonderful book that I love returning to. I'm sorry to say (not really) as it may weaken your resolve not to buy another copy, but I have the Slightly Foxed edition and it is absolutely beautiful😊

You have the perfect combination of beautiful speaking and beautiful voice.

nice videos

‘My Name is Why’…….I can surly relate to the title, because I too was raised in several foster homes in the 50’s. Still experience some PTSD over horrific memories. I don’t think I could read this one! Your memory is amazing in how you remember details of probably thousands of books. You have such a gift…..I’m LOVING ‘The Novel Inside You’ it’s full of fabulous exercises, humor, and brilliant writing, half way through now and I’m inspired now to work on a few writing projects. I enjoy it being partly memoir and getting to know you. Have a great night……❤Oh, and I’m ordering ‘Strange Boy’ tomorrow and ‘Puss and Books’ also. I love the cover of ‘Strange Boy.’ Such a beautiful photo of you and your beloved Mum.❤

This video clicked itself. I'll regard it as a message. You have the perfect combination of beautiful speaking and beautiful voice 😊👌💕

Had to stop the video ; Patti Smith is a great poet . When the world gets to much I listen to Citizenship (Wave Album) and I feel better. In a way also what Lemn Sissay was writing about . You have got a lovely Helene Hanff collection there . As an aside I came across a man who had photographed Charing Cross Road and all the bookshops somewhere . Dipping into Carlyle also ; not as stuffy as my preconceptions had him in fact his Natural Supernaturalism is quite interesting . ( That resulted from effigy research) . Your fault haha. I am the owner of quite an extensive Occult library so 66b is interesting and my husband wrote a song called 667 Neighbour Of The Beast one of the many reasons we shacked up. A Question ? arises then regarding Man ; Myth and Magic are you steeped in it and what serious occult books do you have . Did you ever visit the famous Occult bookshop in London and what correspondences have you read in the originals of any of your literary heroes. (perhaps to strong a word) .

One of my favorite books! I didn’t realize there was a sequel though.

Awesome doll! My favourite Dr too 😊

Sounds like I had the same weather in the north east that you did

Another great video…..I think it’s interesting that Helene never married. I’m going to look for the audio book at my libraries in town….I really love painting at my easel as I’m listening to a great novel!❤thanks again Paul.

This was such a cosy chat, lovely thanks.

Saw the film splendid it was . Have not read the books ; but will . Just finished The Bride that Time Forgot ; I want a pair of those scissors . I love when books allude to other books and I can go diving . Now reading ; The Little Paris Bookshop ; so went to the online archive and found Kafka's investigations of a Dog . I also followed those dates you mention as the span of Beatrice's lifetime and uncovered a book on immortality which is really quite funky which directly relates to those dates ; as you say editorial . Books are very much my memories ; you remember the people who gave you them suggested them to you . To me it would be like chucking an old friend out ; cant do it ; not my problem once I die . My worry is that they wont be looked after properly . Hardbacks are my thing ; except for William Burroughs which for some reason I prefer in paperback . Kenneth Rexroth had a massive library and I need to find out the contents of it . Anyways Investigations of a Dog ; then bed. My mother was the first to quote the hubble bubble toil and trouble scene from Macbeth while stirring the porridge . I found it questionable that you wanted to send Effie to Scotland twice and I am curious now to find out the Island from which the effigy came for 666 Charing Cross Road . Somewhere in Scotland but where ; suppose I have to read it to find out . Need to find a copy first ; part of the fun .

Hi Paul, I re read this lovely pair of books about a week or so ago. It's such a beautiful, comforting read. I'm now trying to stop looking on Slightly Foxed for a 'fancy' edition! I have 2 plus another in Helene Hanff compendium. When planning my 1st trip to NY in 1997, I fully intended to look her up or call her when i got there (she was listed in the phone book) but, sadly she died just a couple of weeks before I went & I felt such sadness. Used 'Apple of my Eye' as my travel guide! Decent audiobook on Audible - maybe John Nettles as Frank?

I second the "breath of fresh air" comment about this channel. Thank you for sanity and unashamedly messy book collection and Bernard Socks

I bought Arthur Quiller-Crouch’s Oxford Book of English Verse because Rumpole recommends it and refers to it frequently.

I was introduced to Angela Carter and The Bloody Chamber by my friend Claire while at Uni in my first year at Aberystwyth in 1990. I read it in my lunch breaks during my work experience at the library at University of Exeter. I adore the film Company of Wolves and was amazed when I read Magic Toyshop.

Oh, People's Friend. My Gran used to read it too. I found an old copy of it in my bookcase the other day. The Tom Baker doll is beautiful. Your friend is a very talented lady.

I’ve been meaning to try Angela Carter for a while. Spend several lazy hours on The Bloody Chamber yesterday (I don’t do that enough), couldn’t put it down. It put me in mind of Women Who Run With The Wolves, but with a more accessible style - I never did quite finish WWRWTW!

THE DOLL IS SO DARLING 💕

WOW…..when I see your videos, I feel as though I’m witnessing a performance artist on many levels of creativity. I want to read almost every book you mention! i learned today that one of your favorite writers, Jeanette Winterson, was born on my birthday, August 27, but 10 years later. Her books sound fabulous and such interesting art on her covers! Can’t wait to read ‘24 Charing Cross Road’ now……love the old-fashioned romance novels.♥️