Discovering a bookshop around the corner

There's something particularly magical about going out for a day trip to achieve one thing, then innocently discovering there's a bookshop around the corner.

Which is exactly what happened a couple of weeks ago, when we paid a first visit to a relative who had recently relocated to Wendover. Prior to the conversation about moving I had a vague idea the town might be somewhere in the middle of the country, maybe a little rural, but I was otherwise ignorant. I can now tell you it appears to be a friendly, pretty, small town in the Chilterns, somewhere near Aylesbury. 

If I've got that wrong, please understand it's because our visit was limited to exploring the new home, lunch out, and an unexpected stop in Real Magic Books. While it was lovely to visit a family member, clearly my main memory of the day is the bookshop. Yes, I do have a one-track mind.

We first saw the bookshop as we really did turn a corner. There it was in a small parade of shops on our left as we walked past, stomachs growling as we headed to lunch. Despite the large front window, I was unable to see much inside and I filed the memory as "if we have time, it would be nice to pop in on our way home".

During that walk to lunch I was still only toying with the idea of re-starting this blog, and knowing we'd be visiting again meant I really wasn't too serious about delaying us to buy books. I look back at that slightly younger me in horror: Why on earth would I have not gone into a bookshop?

Thankfully, curiosity got the better of me. We had a pleasant lunch and as we began our walk back I casually dropped in: "could we just pop in here for five minutes". Reader, we were longer than five minutes.

Within seconds of stepping inside I was absorbed in a table dedicated to Rough Trade Books. From his spot on the sofa, the bookseller told me the book in my hand related to an event taking place in the bookshop the following evening when two authors were coming along – one with their band. I briefly toyed with attempting to extend our visit from a couple of hours to a couple of days, before confessing to the bookseller we were only there for the afternoon. Next time I may have to make plans that coincide with a bookshop event, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Real Magic Books is a bright and airy space which somehow felt larger than its big window had implied from outside. Big fans were wafting air around, and test match cricket on the radio meant relaxed chatter seemed to bubble around the shop. Immediately in front of you from the door are two round tables of themed books – at this time one was for Rough Trade, the other for Pride. These lead you on to a huge rectangular table of recommendations that are thoughtfully chosen for their content while also looking beautiful to this browser.

On the right, a wall of books with their covers face-forward provides literal and metaphorical colour, capturing your attention as you dart around a range of fiction and non-fiction titles. On the left, I was drawn to an enjoyable selection of fiction and then non-fiction crammed into more regularly displayed bookcases. There's also a welcoming children's section tucked away to one side.

Sticking to my one book per bookshop rule, I'd been clinging onto that very first title I picked up, On the bus without a phone by Babak Ganjei, but the last bookcase I came to, the nature shelves on the end next to the till, made me break my resolve and somehow Living on Earth by Peter Godfrey-Smith also ended up coming home with me.

While making my purchase I chatted some more with the bookseller, who was "only" looking after the bookshop for his friend but still did an excellent job telling me about the place and making us all feel at home.

Real Magic Books is a very welcome unexpected discovery and doubles my reasons for now wanting to return to Wendover as often as possible. Its stock is intelligent and unusual, its space is bright and welcoming and – sadly not open on that random Wednesday afternoon in June – upstairs it's home to Real Magic Records, which I suspect will provide a third reason for me wanting to return.

Real Magic Books
2 Kings Head Parade, High Street, Wendover, Aylesbury, HP22 6DX