Books Books Books

Lausanne is certainly one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Europe with almost one person in two hailing for other shores. To celebrate it’s 50th anniversary the Bureau Lausannois pour les immigrés has published Lausanne, une ville, un monde, featuring 50 interviews with non-Swiss residents. From restauranteurs to travellers, from teachers to dancers – by the way of a certain English bookshop – the book highlights their dramas and successes in our lakeside town. Each interview is about a page long a features a portrait of the subject. Reading like a kind of tourist brochure to a town many of us are familiar with, it reveals a side of Lausanne that few of us have considered before. What is striking is the myriad ways these immigrants have found a place in the city. The Romanian bus driver/publisher, the Eastern-European broadcaster and journalist who writes, “We are mosaics composed of pieces with different provenances”, the LGBTIQ+ asylum seekers. It seems that the world really is on our doorstep. While the reality of daily life as an immigrant may not be as vibrant as the beautiful photos show, it’s a measure of Lausanne’s attitude towards immigrants that they have published this book…

Just Like Me by Louise Gooding is a collection of the true stories of 40 inspirational figures from around the world, all of whom are physically or neurologically diverse.  It features the people you might immediately think of, such as Greta Thunberg and Stephen Hawking and many others, such as Usain Bolt and Simone Biles, who might surprise you. Louise lives in Zurich and is a neurodivergent author, with neurodivergent children and family members. She wanted to offer a way to allow parents to inform themselves and their children about physical and neurological diversity and demonstrate that the world is full of people who are a little different in one way or another. Each biography is beautifully illustrated and contains a description of what makes that person ‘different; not less’. I caught up with Louise and she told told me all about the fascinating adventuue she has been on, both as an author and a neurodivergent parent. The book is available to Books Books Books. It costs CHF 19.50 (+CHF 5 postage). Please contact us to reserve your copy.

Well booklovers, I’ve done it again, and keep ordering more books that just look too interesting! Here are some of the top books on my TBR list that aren’t science fiction or fantasy! It’s a mix of older and new titles that I’ve come across various different places. So, in no particular order, here are some of the books I’ve recently ordered in:   Uncanny Valley by Anna Wiener   Non-Fiction/Memoir:  A customer ordered a copy of this book, which has just come out in paperback, and it reminded me that I had read about it when it first came out, and it sounded very interesting. It’s one woman’s story of her experience working in the San Francisco start-up scene, and the sexism and disillusionment that came along with it.   At twenty-five years old, Anna Wiener was beginning to tire of her assistant job in New York publishing. There was no room to grow, and the voyeuristic thrill of answering someone else’s phone had worn thin. Within a year she had moved to Silicon Valley to take up a job at a data analytics startup in San Francisco. Leaving her business casual skirts and shirts in the wardrobe, she…

Genres: Science Fiction and Fantasy   Hey booklovers, while the bookshop is closed for browsing, that hasn’t stopped me from ordering in new and exciting books for our stock (and more than a little bit for me, as our sci-fi/fantasy section is basically my glorified TBR list)! These new books are a mix of new releases, and newly-recommended-to-me titles.   Fantasy   The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood  I’m apparently very excited about this book, as I managed to preorder a paperback copy whenever I first heard about it, and then also ordered a copy last week in anticipation of its publication next week! Guess this one is moving to the top of by TBR list…  Does she owe her life to those planning her death . . . Csorwe was raised by a death cult steeped in old magic. And on her fourteenth birthday, she’ll be sacrificed to their god. But as she waits for the end, she’s offered a chance to escape her fate. A sorcerer wants her as his assistant, sword-hand and assassin. As this involves her not dying that day, she accepts. Csorwe spends years living on a knife-edge, helping her master hunt an artefact which…

Continuing on from last week’s post about the top science fiction picks from last year that I haven’t managed to read yet, here’s my list of top fantasy books that I haven’t gotten to! There are two YA fantasy titles at the end that also look like excellent general fantasy books. In no particular order:   The Obsidian Tower by Melissa Caruso One woman will either save an entire continent or completely destroy it in a captivating epic fantasy bursting with intrigue and ambition, questioned loyalties, and broken magic.  ‘Guard the tower, ward the stone. Find your answers writ in bone.Keep your trust through wits or war–nothing must unseal the door.’ Deep within Gloamingard Castle lies a black tower. Sealed by magic, it guards a dangerous secret that has been contained for thousands of years. As Warden, Ryxander knows the warning passed down through generations: nothing must unreal the Door. But one impetuous decision will leave her with blood on her hands–and unleash a threat that could doom the world to fall to darkness. Book One of The Gate of Secrets CHF 14     Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Morenoo-Garcia The Jazz Age is in full swing,…

Well, once again we come to the start of a new year, and there are many books that I discovered last year, but didn’t find the time to read! This list is some of the top books that I haven’t found time to read yet. They’re not necessarily all books that were published last year, but they’re books that I stumbled across and ordered for the bookshop in the past year, and am excited about reading! While the bookshop will be closed to the general public from next week, we are still open for orders, and are happy to send books to you by post, or you can come to the bookshop to collect orders that have been made in advance (Click and Collect – for further information, click here).   Without further ado, in no particular order, here are some of my top unread sci-fi picks of 2020:   Planetfall by Emma Newman Renata Ghali believed in Lee Suh-Mi’s vision of a world far beyond Earth, calling to humanity. A planet promising to reveal the truth about our place in the cosmos, untainted by overpopulation, pollution, and war. Ren believed in that vision enough to give up everything to…

On Monday, May 11th at 10am, we are reopening! We will be open from Monday-Saturday, 10am-6pm.   Le lundi 11 mai à 10h, nous rouvrons! Nous serons ouverts du lundi au samedi de 10h à 18h.

The bookshop is now open, from 10am-6pm, Monday through Saturday, however you can still order books for delivery through us.  24-Hour Book Service Two of our local suppliers can deliver books to the bookshop in 24 hours if you order before midday. Otherwise, we can normally order books and receive them in about a week. If you have books to order, then please contact us with the titles and we will reply with a quote. The fastest way to get a response is to use the contact form. However, we also reply to WhatsApp messages and telephone calls. Deliveries We offer free deliveries on orders throughout Switzerland of CHF 40 or more. Orders of less than CHF 40 will be charged at cost price, unless: your book(s) weigh less than 250g each (in which case they will be sent as a letter and there will be no charge) Your order is slightly less than CHF 40 (for example, if your order if CHF 37, then the delivery fee will be calculated as CHF 3, even if the book(s) weigh more than 250g each) Online Catalogue We do not have an online catalogue of the books we have in stock. However,…

… and a sale! <<< You may have heard rumours about a new space for second-hand books in the bookshop, and I’m happy to announce that as of today it is open!   As part of our great reorganising, we have two bookcases full of select second-hand books that are on sale 3 for CHF 5.  >>>     In honour of our new space, we’re also extending the 3 for CHF 5 sale to all smaller A-format second-hand books, as well as 3 for CHF 5 on all second-hand Children’s and YA/Teen Fiction! Come check out our new space and score some deals! The sale will run for a minimum of two weeks.

We will be back open as usual from 9am Monday.