Celebrating Bookshop Day!

It’s bookshop day! But, you say, surely every day is bookshop day?

Why yes, every day is bookshop day! But once a year, even if it’s a dreary autumnal Edinburgh day, we celebrate our physical bookshops and the unique joy they bring us.

At Lighthouse, our biggest goal is to foster and support the community of gorgeous folks around us - because you are the people who keep us going, you fight the good fight and make our world that bit better day by day. Our activists, friends, Lighthouse family, and fellow bookish folk make it possible for lighthouse to exist, and for us to amplify the voices of those we think need to be heard.

We have a few of those voices attached to this post - these are books and writers that we booksellers are excited to read. some are local writers who pop in to the shop or who we follow on social media, and others are just plain fun.

If you fancy popping in, we’d be overjoyed to see you - a reminder also that we have some great book clubs and the flippin RADICAL BOOK FAIR coming up (11-14th November, save the date!)

Also, a quick shout out to pals in the Alliance of Radical Booksellers - from Five Leaves to Shelflife - who inspire us every day, and fellow Edinburgh booksellers like the wizards at Typewronger who make make it great city for us book nerds. And a reminder to go and find the brilliant bookshop day posters around the city featuring the art of the truly wonderful Dapo Adeola!

Andrew can't wait to read Leviathan Falls by James S.A. Corey: 'It's the last in my favourite sci-fi series. Don't fuck it up lads!'

Christina can't waif to read Deep Wheel Orcadia by Harry Josephine Giles: 'I love Giles’ previous work and I’m excited to read something long-form from her, and to dive into Orcadian sci fi. I’m still fairly new to reading sci fi and I’ve only read short pieces in Scots language so I’m looking forward to exploring both forms together in this verse novel.'

Christina also can't wait to dive into Complaint! by Sarah Ahmed: 'I’m really interested to read more about the structures of power in universities, and especially to learn from Ahmed’s analysis how to hold those structures to account, and build something new.'

Jess can't wait to read Freedom by Maggie Nelson: 'A new book by Nelson is a huge event and promises to shift my thinking in some new direction, as her others have. When I need precision paired with immense intellectual generosity and human vulnerability, I go to her. Why I haven't read this yet is beyond me! Oh, yeah, deadlines.'

Peach can't wait for At least This I Know by Andres Ordorica: 'Ordorica is a local poet, who I’ve admired for some time, so a debut full poetry collection is something I can’t wait for. I’m excited to dive in to poems about belonging, pain, and finding (or even creating) joy in amongst that. We need more poetry as activism, and Ordorica’s collection, in its fullness, it’s exploration of race and queerness and identities, is gonna be just that.'

Noor can't wait to read Consumed by Aja Barber: 'I have been looking for a way to understand the way that fast fashion, and capitalism and colonialism all connect, and how to think about sustainability and workers rights in a more practical, every day way.'

Mairi I just finished the new Ruth Ozeki which was so utterly transporting I have SUCH a book hangover. I reckon the new Sarah Hall might be just what I need to cure it though- Burncoat has rave reviews from Sarah Perry and Daisy Johnson - twisty feminist historical fiction, just the sort of thing for these darker nights!