Reading Spa in Bath

Now this is a find for my bibliotherapy research - a bookshop in Bath that offers the Reading Spa experience: Mr B's Emporium of Reading Delights.  It's nailed it.  Unlike other so-called bibliotherapy services, this one delivers without pompous or patronising claims.  Mr B's has been open since 2006, and won best Independent Bookseller of the Year twice.  You can read about its rise to success on the website, which also tells you about the individual team members and the Reading Spa experiences.  Would you buy one of these for a friend?  Yes!  Listen: "As the recipient of a Mr B’s Reading Spa voucher you are invited to visit our gorgeous shop in Bath for a one-on-one book chat in our sumptuous Bibliotherapy Room with one of the Mr B’s team over a mug of tea or coffee and a delicious slice of cake. Your bibliotherapist will then gather and introduce you to a tower of books specially selected to suit your reading tastes. Each Reading Spa voucher includes an amount to spend on books, so that you can pick your favourite recommendations and take them away with you."

 You can spend £55 or £100 on a voucher, which includes £40 or £75 respectively to spend on books.  I'd call that a bargain, with tea and cake thrown in AND a goodie bag AND one-to-one advice on what to read next. 

It's hard not to get over-excited about this find (WHY did I not know about this place before?!) because as someone who has worked in bookshops, who is convinced there is a future for bookshops (the real sort, with people, and shelves and actual books) the website for Mr B's makes me want to cheer.  And make a pilgrimage right now to Bath.  So, if even the website can make me feel so happy, imagine what bibliotherapeutic power must lie in the shop itself.....