The Violet Bookshop

The Violet Bookshop An independent bookshop in Upton upon Severn, Worcestershire. Featuring a selection of fiction and non-fiction for adults and children.
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03/06/2026

Apologies - closing early today to go and sleep off a migraine.

Back tomorrow at the usual 10am!

📚🤓What Sian read in May 🤓📚As I'm asked very frequently what I've read recently, and to hold myself a bit accountable to ...
02/06/2026

📚🤓What Sian read in May 🤓📚

As I'm asked very frequently what I've read recently, and to hold myself a bit accountable to my monthly reading goals, I've started this! A quick lowdown at the start of the month on the books I read over the preceding month, including some thoughts and my rating. Copies of whatever I've read will be available to browse on the table, whether they're new releases, backlist or classics!

An excellent start in May:
- Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton
- The Silence in Between by Josie Ferguson
- Butter by Asako Yuzuki
- Three Days in June by Anne Tyler
- Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

It's lovely and cool in the shop today! There's always fresh water for the dogs and I'm also very happy to fill up water...
26/05/2026

It's lovely and cool in the shop today! There's always fresh water for the dogs and I'm also very happy to fill up water bottles! Pop in to pick up a book for some chilled garden reading, an activity book for half term entertainment, or simply to have a sit down in the cool 😎

Our Myth & Folklore list, inspired by some of the brilliant folksy titles stocked during Upton Folk Festival, is feature...
24/05/2026

Our Myth & Folklore list, inspired by some of the brilliant folksy titles stocked during Upton Folk Festival, is featured on the home page of Bookshop.org UK for the bank holiday weekend!

Bookshop.org is the place to go if you'd like to order books for home delivery whilst supporting an independent bookshop of your choice. Fabulous!

https://uk.bookshop.org/

More fabulous signed copies in stock! This time it's MC Grammar and Michael Rosen's brilliant new collaboration Ridiculo...
23/05/2026

More fabulous signed copies in stock! This time it's MC Grammar and Michael Rosen's brilliant new collaboration Ridiculous Raps & Rhymes, signed by them both. And the wonderful Kate Wells / Poels has also popped in to sign all current stock of hers!

✨📚 It's publication day for these two highly anticipated new releases! 📚✨Matt Haig's The Midnight Train returns to the w...
21/05/2026

✨📚 It's publication day for these two highly anticipated new releases! 📚✨

Matt Haig's The Midnight Train returns to the world of The Midnight Library and is a beautiful, grown up fairytale that will leave you feeling nurtured and uplifted. I'm lucky enough to have 4 signed indie exclusive copies so get in quickly if you'd like one!

R.F. Kuang's Katabasis is "a big, bold fantasy romp" which mashes together Greek mythology, magical realism and romance. You'll love it if you enjoyed Kuang's previous bestsellers Yellow face and Babel, or if you're a fan of T.J. Klune or Susannah Clarke! These indie editions have an absolutely gorgeous sprayed edge and metallic cover.

Just in time for a fabulous sunny bank holiday weekend!

Haven't done one of these for a while! 💅📚Books that match my nails📚💅
20/05/2026

Haven't done one of these for a while!

💅📚Books that match my nails📚💅

Right then, bookworms! After getting my fill of requests for me to "price-match" Amazon and seeing the same request boun...
19/05/2026

Right then, bookworms! After getting my fill of requests for me to "price-match" Amazon and seeing the same request bouncing in and out of seemingly every single independent bookshop on the planet I've decided to treat you to one of my fun and informative rants.

No, I cannot and will not price-match Amazon. Here's why.

Amazon MAKE A LOSS on their books. They DELIBERATELY make a loss on them in order to undercut the competition and retain market domination. If I were to price-match them I would not be here; my profit margins are already tiny and I simply wouldn't be able to pay everything it costs to rent and run a shop space. I'm not here to dictate how people spend their money, especially in this economy, so if you want to use Amazon please carry on - just don't ask your little local indie bookshop to cosplay as Amazon.

Jeff Bezos is on record as having absolutely zero interest in books and reading. He simply doesn't care about them as anything other than a money-making commodity. (Frankly, he doesn't appear to care about anything or anyone other than as a money-making commodity.) Every person running or working in an independent bookshop cares about books, obsessively, enthusiastically. You can buy your book from a soulless, peak-capitalist husk, or from someone who's going to put your purchase in a bag along with a complimentary bookmark whilst thinking fondly about how much you're going to enjoy reading it.

If we want to have lovely high streets with independent shops that understand their local community as well as their product, we have to use those shops. It really is as simple as that. When you buy a book off Amazon, nobody is personally overjoyed by that (not least the minimum-wage employee who's packing your order and hasn't been allowed to even use the loo for the last 7hrs). Buy a book - or a birthday gift, a knitting pattern, a bag of compost, a craft beer, a lightbulb, lunch - from your independent high street and the owner (who probably also served you) will breathe a little sigh of relief and feel some joy that someone has chosen to shop with them. That shop owner will probably spend their money in the local community too, which is much better than the tenner you spent on a book sitting in an off-shore account and making a billionaire a slightly bigger billionaire.

This isn't a rant designed to shame anyone who buys things on Amazon. But it is to highlight that we can't wax lyrical about interesting, aesthetically-pleasing independent small-town high streets unless we are out there actually buying some things from them. Yes, things often cost a bit more - sometimes a lot more - for various different reasons, and cost is a major dealbreaker for a lot of people at the moment (frankly, I am one of those people). But please - take some time to have a think and at least understand why high street indies can't, and shouldn't have to, price match Amazon. We are absolutely worth that.

If you'd like to support us but aren't local, or would like to order for home delivery, you can do so via Bookshop.org! ...
15/05/2026

If you'd like to support us but aren't local, or would like to order for home delivery, you can do so via Bookshop.org!

Follow the link below, where you can see our favourite books and recommendations for inspiration, and then order absolutely anything you like for home delivery. And of course make sure you have The Violet Bookshop selected as your bookshop to support!

https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/thevioletbookshop

Address

Old Street
Upton Upon Severn
WR80ET

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm

Website

https://www.thevioletbookshop.co.uk/

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