I went on a Bookshop Crawl in London!! (and indulged, obviously)

Does 5 books count as a haul? I think so. I wanted to restock my sadly depleted bookshelves, and thought a BookTube challenge was the right way to do it!
Thank you loads to HelloFresh for sponsoring this video! Follow this link for 60% off your first box, and 25% off your next 8 boxes! bit.ly/-60DL (#ad)
The original challenge video appears to have gone walkies, but here's the blog I got the questions from! danisbookshelf.com/2018/11/21...
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Intro 00:00
The Count 01:44
The Challenge 03:01
The Hunt 06:13
The Haul 10:18

[@DanLayton]

Have you read any of The Chosen Five (as no one is calling them)?? Or what’s your fave on your shelves than answer any of the prompts? I simply MUST know…

[@Tessothemorning]

My absolute favourite book of all time has a clock on the cover - Replay by Ken Grimwood. It's beautiful, inspirational, life-affirming, wonderful, glorious. Read it. It's amazing.

[@Dr.Tectonic]

Best book with a clock on the cover: The House With A Clock In Its Walls, by John Bellairs. It's gothic horror - for kids! With illustrations by Edward Gorey! A great book, even for adults, and for anyone who loved HP, I think it hits a lot of the same emotional notes, but maybe even better.

[@LottieBruce99]

A book based on another fictional story. Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel. Right, I don’t know how much this counts, but this book is set 20 years after a global flu pandemic has wiped out 99% of the human population. One of the characters has this comic book, Station Eleven, and she is part of a travelling performing arts troop that goes around performing Shakespeare to keep his works alive in this post apocalyptic world, and as she travels, she is trying to find more issues of Station Eleven, although throughout the story, you will learn the origins of Station Eleven and why she cannot find any more, but throughout the story you get snippets from the comic, and honestly, I have never wished a comic existed in real life more because I was desperate to read it once I read the snippets. Honestly I highly recommend this book (despite the fact I first read it during the first Covid lockdown, a book about a global flu pandemic wiping out 99% of the human population was a bit of an interesting read during that time) Another one i love is Eliza and her monsters, by Francesca Zappia. Eliza is really shy and has very few friends but secretly she is the author of one of the most popular web comics on the Internet, and then a boy transfers to her school, and he just so happens to be the biggest and most popular fan fiction writer for her web comic. Only her best friends, and her family know she writes these comics, but her parents don’t realise truly how big her following is, and they accidentally out her as the creator of the comics, and as a socially anxious introvert, this isn’t good for Eliza. Again the way they talk about this web comic makes me wish it actually existed in real life. My final, one kind of in this category is Daisy Jones and the six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. That book is basically an interview with a band from the 70s who suddenly split up, and finally they are telling the story of the rise and fall of the band (I mean it’s a story about this fictional band’s story so kind fits the prompt). They talk about the music of the band in this book, and when I first read the book, it physically paid me that none of this music actually existed in real life for me to listen to. BUT it has since been made into a TV show on Amazon Prime, and quite frankly it lives up to the book and I was not disappointed once I finally got to hear these songs. Thinking about it Station Eleven has also been made into a TV show, but I believe it is on HBO and being in the UK I can’t watch it which is actually heartbreaking because it is one of my favourite books and I am desperate to see this adaptation.

[@scenemime]

I've read a couple of chapters of The End of Mr Y and really enjoyed the writing style!!

[@isobelledger]

Is this the birth of a Daniel J Layton BookTube series..? I surely hope so 🤞🏻 I'm voting for the rest of the challenge 🎉 Also, I've found that the Skulduggery books are fine to read as an adult. They grow with their audience like Harry Potter did but even the first one had me giggling when I read it, and I wasn't a kid then! I met Derek Landy in York on a book tour he did. Such a genuinley lovely man as well as a great writer ^_^

[@lebagal]

The “clock” on The Northern lights by Phillip Pullman is actually an alethiometer it is not a clock but a truth telling device! Great video and would love a boo review vid! Xx

[@trakiul5556]

so glad someone else was also pedantic enough to point this out 😅 Dan you should read HDM!

[@thehedgehogwholived]

Thank you! I couldn't remember the name of it but I knew it wasn't a clock.

[@nataliepeaston1618]

Pleeeeeease do the rest of this challenge! I'd love to see what other books come up.

[@baseline_queen]

I am 26 years old and the Skulduggery Pleasant series is one of my favourites because although they're technically childrens books they're just so well written. I've met Derek Landy at a book signing and he was an absolute delight, highly recommend them!

[@elisecollins8467]

hard agree, I still reread it every few years - I've never found a funnier or more cleverly written series

[@Minififi94]

same here ! fell in love with this book series so hard that when they stopped translating it from my first language (french) I simply had to push myself to read in English for the first time. It's that good

[@fkenpmaes]

Here I am, thinking William Shatner is not the same initials as Daniel Layton...

[@alenaz2081]

As someone who used to devour books and now have struggled for a few years with reading (oh the parallels) this comes at a great time where I gently make my way back into it again. Hence, more book content is very welcome 😊 Also if I may, shoutout to "the witch's heart" for reigniting that joy within me and now several months later "the fifth season" for the first fantasy book in AGES, that I don't want to put down!

[@FroggSocks]

The Skulduggery Pleasant books are some of the wittiest books ever written imo, and are great for people with short attention spans who can't read (like me!)

[@meganhathaway3382]

Do you know what, I loved the Skulduggery Pleasant books when i was younger and I never finished the series, but you've inspired me to finish them. They are honestly so witty and smartly written, I think they totally qualify as a fun book for an adult to read.

[@una_10bananas]

That is the second skulduggery pleasant book but I think it works as a standalone! Read them as a kid but got back into them in 2020 stuck at my parents' place and they're hilarious would recommend

[@burritochris46]

Dan sitting down on a rainy day to read Skulduggery Pleasant and slowly getting more annoyed as he realises it's book 2.

[@creativerachel]

I am really really here for BookTube Dan. More content like this please (if you enjoy making it!)

[@nataliafoster1079]

Daniel J + booktube? Absolutely! I couldn't think of a better combination. I hope the second part of this series is to come!!

[@beansprout9261]

I grew up in a house that I’m pretty sure could legally be reclassified as a library. My dad has spent a lifetime curating his collection and my sister ended up writing a computer program so we could scan them in to keep track of them all. At last check we had 4.5 thousand books, and two rooms still to be counted. We didn’t get rid of any during our two house moves and I’m pretty sure the movers were cursing us for having to ship that many boxes 😂

[@isobelledger]

I counted mine and have over 1,000... I expect I'll be like your dad in the end. I'm excited 🎉

[@someonedifferent198]

I'm 38 and I adore a childrens/teenage book from time to time. They are delightful and I can read whatever I darn well please, thank you very much 🤩 Life is far to short care what others think off your reading chooses. And honestly far to many very good childers/teenage books have been written for me to decide "I'm to old to read THAT"

[@sorchaaislingoregan1000]

Skulduggery Pleasant is INCREDIBLE- fully fledged adult read all of them - however, that’s the second in the series

[@seashore961]

Oh I looooved Skullduggery Pleasant when I was younger! It’s fun and slightly creepy in the best way 😄 I think you’ll enjoy that one ☺️

[@redheadreading]

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley would have worked for the clock prompt! It's a fab read 😁 Definitely would love more bookish content from you if you fancied making it!

[@KhanStopMe]

Loved Skullduggery as a kid! That one is definitely not the first (I think it is the second) in the series but enjoy!! Love a book video! Make more!

[@malinacojocaru8338]

Also, nice bonus, the Jane Austen Book Club has ALSO been adapted into a film. A film which I quite enjoy and have watched close to half a dozen times😅. Wouldn't mind seeing a Dan Layton comparison of the adaptation.

[@AgentMaayan]

This is fun! My reading group has a "book bingo" every year with 24 new categories to try and read and it always makes me pick up new books I never would have otherwise. Been doing that since 2017 and it always gets me more excited to read.

[@isobelledger]

Your book club sounds like the place to be 😄

[@sprice2344]

Not read any of the new finds, but the Thursday murder club books are absolutely fantastic. A couple of years ago, when I started to get really into reading things other than comics, the two books that really lit my imagination on fire were the first laundry files book and the Thursday murder club. I love the characters, the relationships, the twists and turns, and the hearty Britishness of it all. Got about 100 pages to go on the third one now. It's the first time I've fallen in love with a book series and can get excited for the yearly releases. I think they're such wonderful books and I'm really happy they fell into my life! Another great video as always

[@sprice2344]

Also, earlier this year I read the 7 husband's of evenly Hugo, it's either being turned into a film or a TV show. Again, what an incredible read, such facinating characters!

[@marzbarcutie22]

I just want to say I’m so happy you’re still making KZbin videos. It reminds me of my younger years when this sort of KZbin was so prominent. I’m very grateful that you’re still around! (not in the alive sense, in the video-making sense… although now that makes me sound pretty evil… you know what, you know what I mean). Anyway, love the video!

[@Tessothemorning]

I moved 76 boxes of books when I emigrated from the UK to Aus. That was a sobering inventory to read, let me tell you. Loved spending more time with you Dan. Definitely more of this quest, please.

[@leenanorms]

hahah glad you made it to SKOOB!

[@krose6451]

The number I had in my head was 100 so 109 works. When you love reading your desire can outweigh your appitete, just like with eating. You may want the whole cake but that doesn't actually mean your gonna be able to eat it all. You may want to read all the books but sadly that doesnt generally happen.

[@sophiealdridge5250]

The nose piercing really suits you. Very chic. Also too many of my books are cookbooks and tarot books.

[@theodoesthings]

you've inspired me to count all of my books and compare it to the amount of them that i've actually read, i'm ashamed to admit i've read 11 out of the 70 books i have with me at uni. to be fair to me i usually bring books home with me if i've read them unless i think i'll want to reread them, but still i really need to step my game up crikey

[@angry.bookworm]

This was so fun to watch, please do more! Also good to find new bookshops to explore when I go to London!

[@HurstHillPerformers]

Loved this video and loved hearing the blurbs of each one. But I would love to see more inside of the bookshops you visited xx

[@fishbananas]

Dan: finally finds a book on his shelf with a 'clock' The book: got adapted into a movie called "The Golden Compass" Think the clock prompt might need revisiting if Dan returns to this challenge. There's a Sherlock Holmes anthology with a clock on the cover, though I can't remember the publisher.

[@RubytheRockstar]

Daniel!! This is my favourite video of yours. Give me that sweet booktube content! Would love to see more vids of this ilk!❤️📚

[@georgianapopescu1333]

Do the rest of the challenge, this was so fun to watch! Also, please, please, please read His Dark Materials. And watch the series (it has Lin Miranda&James McAvoy&Andrew Scott, what more do you need :D)

[@ebenezerscrooge2824]

I highly recommend the Wembly vintage fairs for a really cheap bookshelf. Got a beautiful one for £30

[@LMS16493]

Gotta love a book haul! When I first moved into my flat, I bought sooo many books! I mean it's not top priority household essentials 🤷🏼‍♀️ but it gave me the beginning of my home library fantasy 😅 Do want to check out some second hand bookshops when I'm next in London

[@DanLayton]

The home library is exactly what I’m after!!

[@TheDanishGuyReviews]

You will love Skullduggery Pleasant, I guarentee it. I'll go through this video a couple of times to write the places down for my next London trip. (Last time I went, I bought 28 books.) I'm looking for Discworld, Mates,Dates, any Doctor Who novel and anything by Diana Wynne Jones. The fact that I've never found a Mates, Dates book in any of my searches is absolutely potty to me. The series takes place IN LONDON. I wish there were more Doctor Who novels around, too. I've only found 2 of my 6 in physical stores.

[@scribblerat9083]

I'd love to see the rest of the challenge!

[@grapemac]

Lovely video Dan! Looking forward to the continuation of your quest!

[@seashore961]

This was so lovely to watch, please do another video like this! 👏👏👏

[@icklenellierose]

I’m so sorry Dan but that’s not a clock on Northern Lights. So yeah you didn’t need to tell us you didn’t read it ;P (this was a fun video ^-^)

[@claremarie2652]

I love this, do all the prompts! ❤️❤️❤️

[@ottakringcalling]

Please do a part 2! And if I might recommend a book shop, there is a really nice one in St Pancras station, right across from where the Eurostar trains leave. I actually don't remember if it was a chain store, but it helped me starve off boredom while I was waiting for my train and it looks lovely inside.

[@DanLayton]

Sounds like Hatchards! It’s a sister shop to the oldest bookshop in London (which is on Piccadilly.) They’re run by Waterstones, I’m a big fan!

[@ottakringcalling]

Interesting 😍 Now my copy of Oliver Twist I bought there brings me even more joy!

[@aleatoirefrancais]

I would LOVE it if you did the rest of this challenge! I'd also love to hear your thoughts on all these books once you read some of them!

[@KatzePiano]

Definitely give us some reviews/the next part of the prompts! I went to my bookshelves to double check for clock books and found two (The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley and Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett). I shan't point out that the HDM cover is an alethiometer, as others have already done so. :D

[@emilynolf]

yes! definitely complete the list in another video!!

[@classthoreau3541]

On Chesil Beach SPOILERS (but not about the plot): Had a friend recommend it to me who loves the book, but I stopped reading it about a quarter of the way through. It's a novel (so far as I can tell) that features a lot of flashback and expository thought, and I just wasn't in the mood for it at the time. I wanted something plot heavy that kept framing devices and/or flashback at a minimum. It was early pandemic days, and I just didn't want to read dozens of pages of inner monologue about past events followed by a brief reminder that this all took place as someone glanced at a plate of unfinished ham before launching into another dozen pages of the same. It's not my bag at the best of times much less when I'm sitting around with unfinished ham and nothing to do but dwell on inconsequential personal history. Although I've learned it's important to let myself stop reading if I'm not enjoying something, I might pick it back up and see what I think 3 years later.

[@swanhaven92]

The first one is very good and the movie is also worth watching! I would love to see the rest of the challenge

[@elle1107]

This was so fun! Adding several of these to my Goodreads "Want to Read" list.

[@rokstargirl123]

This made me remember I have a giant stack of books I need to read before I buy new ones 😅

[@MaideninMaille]

What a great idea! I've been wanting to get back into reading but I never know what to pick up, but now I think it might be fun to take a prompt/criteria list like that to my local library and use that to pick books!

[@megdent8695]

Pls do the second vid this was great!!

[@locksley_9145]

Daniel, your videos bring me joy. That is all. Enjoy.

[@millemole]

Would love to see the completed list! I’m also rediscovering reading this year

[@georginachard8604]

I'd love to see the challenge completed, the clock book shall not defeat you!!!

[@Pencliff]

I need to read more. Your ratio of owned to read definitely beats mine and then I add on all the kindle ebooks that I don't even remember I own.

[@MrRorosuri]

Yes to a second video ❤

[@TheNecroFrog]

As a result big reader who’s struggled to do just that for the last few years I’m glad I’m not the only person with such a big backlog!

[@samsherwood8332]

Love booktube and love your videos so this was a really pleasant time!

[@emanouelakr]

Most of the books i bought from London smell like mold 🤣 I no longer live there but I can still tell a part my London books from the rest :D

[@alfie6098]

Thanks a lot DAN. I now have to watch this video religiously as a grounding comfort. You are Jack Howard's Favourite Films 😑

[@CristinaAllegra]

I read some of the Skulduggery Pleasant books as a kid (I just stopped when I had to wait for over a year for the next one translated to my native languages and as a kid that was just too long). And receently I have started rereading the whole series from scratch at the same time as my brother and then we call to comment them, cause the nostalgia. But also, they're still a lot of fun

[@meganhafwriter]

more more moreeee book videos!! (pretty please) Such a comfort video already~

[@MilleeZeemees]

So happy you picked up a book by Karen Joy Fowler! Her character studies and observational writing are some of the best I’ve come across. Highly recommend her book “We are all Completely Beside Ourselves”. I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s really not the story you think it’s going to be, in the best way possible

[@somethingsomewhere13]

Oooh I picked that up in an Oxfam bookshop a while back and read it last month, absolutely loved it.

[@MilleeZeemees]

@@somethingsomewhere13 Glad you enjoyed it too! Don't think I've read anything quite like it before, it's definitely one of those books that sticks with you

[@scribblerat9083]

Blessed video concept, thank you 🎉

[@LottieBruce99]

Dan you are currently hitting a good portion of my interests in this week alone. Musicals, books, add in marvel superheroes and well have the whole shebang. But as a fellow book lover I feel I need to share this piece of … tech ? (Is an app tech, idk, I can’t think of a better word right now) with other book lovers. I have an app called Book Buddy (Book Buddy:My Library Manager) and I LOVE it, I think all booklovers need to have it. It basically is a digital copy of your library. The amount of times I have stood in Waterstones trying to rack my brains, trying to remember whether I own this book or not is obscene. This app has made it so much easier because I can just look up whether I own it already or not. You scan the barcodes of your books into the app, and it saves them and the most basic details (title, author, format, date of publication etc) but there is so much more you can do within the app. The most basic thing is marking books as read, being read, or unfinished. But you can also add star ratings, you can add notes, you can apply custom tags to books to help further sort your collection (I will neither confirm, nor deny whether I have a tag dedicated to books related to musicals specifically). There are so many different fields you can apply to a book’s profile depending on what your preferences are. The standard fields are basic information about the book (title, author, format, date of publication etc) but then you can choose whether to add ones that have specific interest to you (illustrator, original publication year, physical location, purchase price, purchase location, condition etc). If you switch a books status to being read, and later change it to finished, it will also note the dates on which you started and finished the book, and how many days it took to read it. And also there is a Loaned out section where you can note which books you have lent to which person. And you can also file books as personal or professional, depending on whether that’s relevant to you. There is a wish list section too but I haven’t really used that yet as I usually just take pictures of books I plan to buy later and keep them on my phone. Honestly, I will forever sing the praises of this app, I absolutely love it. I always make sure to note whenever I start reading a book and whenever I finish it, and so if I sort my library by date finished, I have a nice history of the books I have read recently which really helps me track what books I have read in a year.

[@DamnItsJustSam]

Loved this video immensely ❤

[@LemonTeeth]

This is a pretty fun idea.

[@JDBXeno]

Such a fun concept! May have to steal idea

[@lorbaborb]

im addicted to the sale section in forbidden planet. its great for adventure time comics

[@davidshead1323]

Really love On Chesil Beach (the film)

[@underscorejojosaurus]

Mate, skulduggery is LIFE

[@jacquiheywood3142]

That was a great video. Loved it.

[@42by10]

I have not been in a good 'space' to read lately either. But this video makes me want to be excited to read again!

[@DragonPrincessAoife]

Dan... The His Dark Materials cover is not a clock...

[@TheLadyRochester]

I read The End of Mr. Y when I was 14 and it got me fuckkkkked up! It’s a wild ride, have fun

[@nicoladavies6585]

yes! i love skullduggery! i dont read many books but i have every one of them and love them all

[@alisonallen8658]

I could only read non-fiction from march 2020 till July 2021. The change due to being in hospital for 3 weeks read 8 books 3 non fiction and 5 fiction including the mirror and the light which must count as at least 2 books!

[@laurenclayton3603]

Living for booktube Dan!

[@abbiefowkes8596]

I'm going to London next weekend and now I want to go book shopping while I'm there even though my TBR is already way too big!! It would be interesting if you maybe could do the rest of the list in other places possibly. Also new books smell is amazing

[@LisEibh]

Enjoyed this one...even if I couldn't scan the QR code given that I watched this on my phone. Perhaps I'll rewatch on TV just to scan it later this week though 💅

[@maDDie-mb4nl]

Booktuber Dan I am here for it

[@naomiclaire4753]

I’m glad you said booktube and not booktok 😅 I read ONE book they recommended but forgot they are all really young and the book was so predictable and the twist was terrible! Then I rewatched your old video where hazel interrupts your book video and she was trashing on a book… the exact same one!!!!

[@EllaMitsch123]

Daniel....Dan, Dan the man, i am 21 years old and have only just revisited your channel after something like five ish years (i indeed was a weird teenager) and i gotta say your milennial is showing. your jokes are friggin weird. But also i find your channel nostalgic. so. i guess i'll stick around. ily

[@wheezyfridge]

Skullduggery pleasant is great! The first one is probably one of my top 2 most read books ever! I do a reread about every other year honestly

[@Alex-vj1tj]

I think reading 109 out of 255 is a pretty good ratio, all things considered! I'd love to see what you find for the rest of the prompts, and if you end up reading the William Shatner book PLEASE let us know how it is!!

[@littleoldpheebs7092]

I read Skulduggery Pleasant when I was 12, and I'm currently re-reading them at almost 25! Still holds true, just a fun lil series (Although Playing with Fire is book 2, would recommend starting with 1 for the context! 😅❤)

[@murrayb1969]

I was so close! I guessed you'd read 100 of them!! I'm curious if you don't already have most of the prompts on your shelves, but either way I would love to see more BookTube Dan

[@scribblerat9083]

You're never too old to read kids/YA books :)

[@xxxcrazyducksxxx]

That Jane Austen one seems like it’s made for you!!

[@CrasandBurn]

Please do complete the list , this was fab

[@LunarWanderer17]

I read The End of Mr Y back in high school for a reading challenge too!

[@v-mouse]

wait... I get my tea ready as well!

[@alsmirle]

i think you should do more booktube content!!

[@rcripps008]

Have you seen Book Riot’s ‘Read Harder’ challenges? I really enjoyed them for asking me to look outside my comfort zone, as you’ve described, and they have recommendation lists as well!

[@susannaobrien8372]

Would love to see a review of all (or some!) of these once you've read them 🌞

[@daisymay_23]

I've heard that the new series for the Stieg Larsson books (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo etc.) isn't as good so I think you've done yourself a favour there Absolutely adored this format and would love to see more of these types of videos

[@paula_m_]

derek landy is one of my favourite authors, he is just SO goddamn funny! so glad you picked up skulduggery pleasant

[@Kungfufreak]

Trying to get back into reading as well. I've been using audible a lot, dont suppose you've tried it? A video about books vs audiobooks would be pretty good. Thanks for book video, keep them coming😊

[@TheConstantSeeker]

I regret to inform you that the Northern Lights cover doesn’t feature a clock. It’s an aleitheometer.

[@berrybread7215]

I was looking respectfully