Beautiful Bookshops: The West Kirby Bookshop

The West Kirby Bookshop is a small but perfectly formed little bookstore in, you guessed it, West Kirby in the Wirral.

I came across this little gem on Bookshop.org, a platform that helps you find and order books from independent bookstores. It didn’t disappoint.

• Vibe: Cosy, modern and cool

• Coffee shop: No

• Child friendly: Yes

• Dedicated romance section: No

• Order online: Yes (via Bookshop.org)

• Address: 6 Grange Road, West Kirby, Wirral CH48 4HA

Although it’s compact, The West Kirby Bookshop packs a punch, covering an array of subjects including history, art & design, poetry, YA, crime thriller, and adult fiction to name but a few. It even has a dedicated children’s library towards the back. But sadly, no dedicated romance section.

The two people behind the counter were brilliant. In between them, they had read a lot of the books in stock and could give me personal recommendations on most of the titles. They were also super helpful ordering in a book I wanted but they didn’t stock.

I popped in late Saturday, not expecting to see it super busy, but how wrong was I! It was so packed, it was at times hard to move around and I couldn't get the pictures and footage for the video on my socials until the following weekend, when I went back to collect my order. They even had the obligatory husband, sitting wherever he found space, patiently waiting for his book girlie.

It's great to see indie bookshops doing so well, bearing in mind online retailers are almost killing them in price wars, and everyone has been forecasting the end of paper books since e-books became a thing. It highlights that bookstores are not just a shop, they are also a community hub for local bookworms.

And on that note... As well as books, The West Kirby Bookshop also organises an array of bookish events and has a thriving social calendar, including author visits. Well worth a look.

And of course… I went in for "just for a browse" and walked away with two books and one on order. I can see my partner and daughter rolling their eyes at me.