In the beautiful city of Bath, there is this gemstone of a bookstore that celebrates everything about books and literature. Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights encapsulates everything good about the world of books, and their Reading Spa Experience is the absolute best present imaginable for a bibliophile. I was gifted this experience for my birthday, and I wish I could go back and have a Reading Spa every week!
WHAT IS MR B’S?
Once you enter Mr B’s Emporium, you are immediately in a bookish person’s dreamland. There are books stuffed everywhere, and the staff are smiley and friendly. In this cute little shop tucked away on the cobbled roads of Bath, you can really feel the literary heritage of the city.
The whole vibe of Mr B’s is that bookselling is a personalised experience. When you walk in, you can ask for recommendations, you can have a chat. All around the store, there are little cards recommending certain books, or you could peruse the shelf with all the staff’s top reads. The process of choosing and buying the books is an experience in itself, and I love this!
WHAT IS THE READING SPA?
In the Reading Spa, you sit down for a lovely conversation in a little nook upstairs in the store. You chat with one of the specialist staff about all the books you like, don’t like, want to try, and don’t want to try, all while being treated to a slice of cake (I had the brownie and it was beyond ridiculously decadent… and so good!) and a cup of tea or coffee. Then, your staff member pops off for a few minutes, before returning with a staggering tower of books. They then talk through each of the books with you, discussing the plot, the best parts of the book and explaining why they chose it. Then… you have the insurmountable task of narrowing that book pile down (this is by far the hardest bit!) Don’t worry though, because whatever you don’t choose, they will email you in a list so you can pick them up some other time.
As part of the experience, you get £55 worth of books, a mug, a cloth bag, and a £5 gift card for when you are next buying books from Mr B’s (maybe from the list of books you had to leave behind!)
Amy Coles did my Reading Spa, and this was the perfect selection for me because we had very similar tastes in books, and she was absolutely lovely! Mr B’s cleverly chooses your staff member to match you up to whoever will best stimulate conversation and choose books to match your interest. Also, as a side note, you can have this experience no matter your age or book taste.
DO I RECOMMEND?
Yes! I 100% recommend anyone that likes reading or has a family member or friend that does, to treat yourself or them to this experience! It is a fantastic opportunity to explore what books you like, it challenges you to expand your reading, and let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want to sit with some cake and tea and talk about books for a couple of hours? Sounds like a perfect day out to me!
Rosie x
THE ROSIE WORD. 