It's the sun wot won it

You can't beat it, in more ways than one

A NIGHT OF CHESS AND DRINKS AT BACKSTORY: A chess coach will be on hand at Backstory this coming Friday night, circulating the tables as you challenge a friend — or another Backstory regular — to a game, celebrating the paperback publication of Sally Rooney’s chess-heavy new novel, Intermezzo. Book your spot now.

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WHEN I OPENED THE BOOKSHOP, I vowed to be a small-business owner rather than a small business-owner. You know the type, often seen on the local news grumbling about the petty nuisances of trading: taxes, local authorities, the weather.

Well, I’m still too much of a wishy-washy liberal to moan about taxes, even when the local news crew came knocking. But don’t get me started on TfL. And as for the weather… When’s it going to rain?!

I’m not asking for a full-on thunderstorm — they aren’t great for trading either. But, you know, a little light drizzle wouldn’t go amiss. This is Britain, not Barbados. I’d settle for a depressing wodge of grey. Come on, now, that can’t be too much to ask.

The problem with all this glorious weather we’ve been having is, well, you. Yes, you. Don’t think I haven’t seen you on the common, listening to music or merrily munching through a picnic when you should have been reading a book. Zipping about on your Lime bike from Aperol to Aperol when you should have been queuing up to admire Savannah’s gorgeous window tempting you to snap up the paperback of the book of the moment, Evenings and Weekends. (It’s set in a London heatwave, so pairs very well with a cheeky rosé and the Factor 50.)

I’m told our neighbours at Chadwicks Butchers have devised an excellent wheeze for predicting footfall: The Waitrose Car Park Test. It’s obviously extremely scientific and complicated but, to grossly oversimplify for you, if there are spaces in that tiny lot, it’s going to be a quiet day. The more spaces, the worse it is.

Well these last few weeks, not only have you been able to sunbathe on the common, you’ve actually been able to park at Waitrose. Disaster.

As a late Easter leaned its deckchair straight into the early May bank holiday, Balham was deserted. Then the sun decided to keep on shining. And shining.

Still, it’s not as bad as all that. First, some truly bleak summer weather is surely just around the corner: it wasn’t for nothing that I chose to open my bookshop in the world capital of grey.

And second, while the sun is shining, we’ve decided that if you can’t beat ‘em, you may as well put your sunnies on.

While rustling in your coolbag for another supermarket cocktail, you might have noticed Darby on a picnic blanket, engrossed in a fantasy novel, or Denise on the park bench, rereading her 44th Curtis Sittenfeld. While it’s been such lovely weather (ok, I admit it, it is lovely), we’ve extended our lunch breaks by half an hour each day to spend a bit more time with our favourite people in the world… fictional characters.

All this exertion has been for a good cause: our summer reading guide, packed with dozens of books we’ve read and think are perfect for your suitcase this summer. Keep an eye on this newsletter the week after next for the full lowdown.

In the meantime, enjoy the sunshine — if you must.

Want more Backstory?

• Come to one of our events

• Request a book to pick up in the shop (we can usually get a book for the next day)

• Order a book from our website

Happy reading,

Tom