Like any serious reader I love spending a lot of time wandering around bookshops. The great people over at Books Are My Bag created Independent Bookshop Week to celebrate all of our cherished local bookshops in the UK and Ireland. I love the idea of raising awareness and bringing communities together around these passionate booksellers.

Will over at the VintageBooks YouTube channel created a video answering ten questions for IBW2016. I responded to his challenge to answer these questions and made my own video which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STHmzKF708U

One of my favourite independent bookstores to visit is Gay’s the Word which is located near Russell Square in London’s Bloomsbury. It recently featured in the film ‘Pride’ based on the true story depicting lesbian and gay activists who raised money for the British miners’ strike in 1984.

Below are the ten questions I answered and I’d love to know your answers to these as well. Please continue the challenge giving your answers by commenting below or on my Youtube video. I hope to see lots of people talking about and visiting their favourite independent bookshops!

1. What book(s) are currently in your bag?
2. What’s the last great book you read?
3. What book have you gifted the most?
4. What’s your favourite independent bookshop?
5. What’s been your favourite book recommended by a bookseller (or fellow Booktuber)?
6. What’s your favourite bookshop memory?
7. What do bookshops mean to you? What do you love about them?
8. What are the books that made you? Which books have most affected or influenced you?
9. What book do you recommend readers gift for Father’s Day?
10. What book is currently at the top of your TBR pile?