My favourites this week
Click on the link to buy a book directly from me.
Hit ‘em in the oligarchs: Butler to the World: How Britain Became the Servant of Tycoons, Tax Dodgers, Kleptocrats and Criminals by Oliver Bullough
This made me giggle: A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka
My book club loved: When All is Said by Anne Griffin
Hi, I’m Tom and I’m a perfectionist. I suspect, being bookish sorts, most of you are, too. I was always a little bit obsessed with getting everything just so. But these last few years, it got out of hand. In fact, between you, me and my therapist, it’s one of the reasons I quit my job.
Journalism is both great and terrible for perfectionists. Leaving aside the constraints of a deadline, you never have to share your article until you’re totally happy with it, but you never have to share your article until you’re totally happy with it. And every time someone said something nice about my last article, I felt the next one had to be just as good. I’ve spent longer fussing over an intro than some people spend decorating their houses. So while I loved reporting (going places and meeting people is great) and having written, writing itself was always agony.
Now, I hear you say, it would be much cheaper and quicker to fix my approach in a job I love than to start a whole new career. And you’re right. But I fancied a change anyway, so why not.
In more ways than one, then, I’m trying something new. Not just opening a bookshop, but also learning to embrace good enough. That’s why I launched my website - backstory.london - yesterday, after precisely three days’ work.
It’s not perfect. There are only a handful of books. It’s not the prettiest. It’s a bit clunky. And I don’t even have a logo yet. But it is good enough. And that’s my new standard, not just because I think that’s a sensible attitude for starting a business, but also because I think not always striving for perfection might make me happier. Who knows?
One of the things I am already selling is Tom’s Book Subscription. A book I absolutely love delivered to your door, once a month. You can choose from fiction or non-fiction or a mix of both, six months or 12. I’d love it if you would consider joining the club.
In the coming weeks and months, I’ll add all kinds of bells and whistles. You’ll very soon be able to order any of about 500,000 books to your door within a few days. Once Backstory is a physical as well as a virtual space, you’ll be able to sign up for membership of our library and buy tickets for our exciting programme of events. But for now, it’s up there. As a certain someone said, ‘move fast and break things’.
For those of you who bought things through my page on Bookshop.org - thank you. The trouble is, I couldn’t thank you. Understandably, Bookshop.org doesn’t share customer details with individual bookshops until they have a physical shop. (And it keeps quite a lot of revenue, too.) I still think it’s a great idea, and better than, ahem, the major alternative. But it’s not right for Backstory. I want to know whether it’s just my mum buying all the books or whether some of you lot are, too. And I want to thank you. Personally.
My friend Jonny. I hand-delivered his first order from my website this morning
So, in this new spirit of adventure and tinkering, please can you test the website? Ideally by buying something!! (Yes, we now ship anywhere in the world, too.) If there’s a book you’d like that isn’t listed, please email me or reply to this email. I can usually get it to you by this time next week, and hopefully a lot faster. My fulfilment team is standing by:
More next week. In the meantime, please, please message me with all comments, suggestions and teething issues on the website or anything else.
Tom
The critics love
Click on the link to buy a book directly from me.
Cross the channel in your armchair: France: An Adventure History by Graham Robb - signed copies
When your lovely friend turns out to be an amazing writer: Islands of Abandonment: Life in the Post-Human Landscape by Cal Flyn, Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year
How the Sacklers got rich(er) while America got hooked on OxyContin: Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe
Really enjoying this (as another Tom who dreams of doing something similar). There's a fledgling bookshop near me that's just gone from online-only to a shelf along the wall of a local cafe, which feels like a fun step. More bookshops please! Am now going to check out the website :)
Yes I am definitely a perfectionist, which has probably held me back from doing a lot of things, or even finishing a lot of things throughout my life. Although I think in some ways it has also what has helped me become successful in certain areas, as it is one of the reasons why clients keep coming back to me for treatments. Anyway, I am so glad you have taken the leap, you'll never know unless you try and I am now more open to trying or attempting new things. As I get older I'm not as bothered about it all being perfect!! Good luck with it all :-)