We've probably all been told to not judge a book by it's cover, but what about the title? I do enjoy a good twist, or a pun and so on in a title (and they are popular for mystery books) so really, how could I resist Once Upon a Tome? And with the subtitle of The Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller! The author, Oliver Darkshire, is just that, for an old, old store in London, Sotheran's. Don't miss the title page, which is wordy, and lengthy and reminiscent of title pages from the past. Oliver came to the job with no experience, and little formal education (he'd get more). The staff was (and is) quirky, as were the customers. More than just books graced the shelves, many with an odd history. Some books were poison. Nothing seems particularly well organized, keys (dozens and dozens) were unmarked ... all in all sort of a quiet, darkish (sunlight damages books), dampish place to work. And yet, Oliver found a home! This is a nicely written and humorous book, sort of a quiet yet sometimes exciting read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Reading Hermit With Dog