A Year of Reading

Each Year of Reading bundle begins with Linda, our head buyer, who reads hundreds of new books to find the few truly worth sharing. She focuses on debuts, unexpected subjects, and non-fiction written with genuine excitement. Her process is meticulous and refreshingly analogue—no trends or hype, just instinct and decades of bookselling experience. Once she’s buzzing with ideas, she brings them to our spirited, opinionated team who endorse, push back, or propose other remarkable titles...

This is why the Year of Reading feels unlike anything else. Every bundle reflects the spirit of Shakespeare and Company, mixing voices, nationalities, and genres—from novels and non-fiction, to poetry and graphic novels, to rediscovered classics.

We love to include books with a French twist, whether works translated from French or those in some way connected to France. In the past, we’ve featured Like a Sky Inside by Jakuta Alikavazovic, a luminous meditation on art and memory inspired by a night the author spent sleeping in the Louvre, published by the adventurous indie press Fern Books. Another standout was Emma Dreams of Stars by Emmanuelle Maisonneuve, a captivating graphic memoir—translated from French into English—by the first female Michelin Guide inspector.

Sometimes the books we long to include are elusive. One year, we were determined to feature W. Somerset Maugham’s Christmas Holiday in a winter bundle, only to find it unavailable. In a stroke of generosity, the publisher launched a special print run just for us, allowing our readers to enjoy this seasonal treasure.

We also delight in unearthing literary gems from the past. Gibbet Hill by Bram Stoker, a genuine lost classic, came to light by chance in a Dublin library only a few years ago. It’s a beautiful reissue by the Rotunda Foundation, whose proceeds support the Charlotte Stoker Fund for research into preventable hearing loss in infants. A brilliant book, returning from the shadows to benefit a great cause! It was a thrill to share it with our subscribers.

Each bundle is composed with care. We aim for variety—the final collection of twelve books is intended as an eclectic journey through literature, past and present, distinct enough to surprise the most confirmed bookworm... and pleasurable enough to charm every reader!