i bought every book i saw strangers buying at the bookstore

one thing about me....... i am NOSY!! so i bought every book i saw strangers buying at the bookstore, and i'll read them too! (with ‪@dakotawarren‬)
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links:
📚 second channel: / @jack_in_the_books
💬 join my close friends group chat: ig.me/j/AbYJiZjwhG6WakBT/
📖 I wrote a book! amzn.to/31meIaN
💻 contact: [e-mail] (just .co!)
social media:
📕 instagram: / jackbenedwards
📙 tiktok: / jackbenedwards
📒 twitter: / jackbenedwards
📗 spotify: open.spotify.com/user/jackben...
📘 goodreads: / 20013214.jack_edwards
FAQs:
😭 what happened to your intro? it got copyrighted ://///
🤠 how old are you? 24!
📆 when is your birthday? 18th october 1998 (libra)
🎓 where did you go to university? i studied english at durham!
🔎 where do you live? New York and London
💼 what is your job? research assistant in the publishing industry
🎥 what do you film with? lumix gh5 + canon g7x
👾 what do you use to edit? final cut pro
📫 how do I contact you? [e-mail] or social media!
Video Chapters
00:00 introduction
01:53 Foyles
02:11 Boulder by Eva Baltasar
02:38 Permafrost by Eva Baltasar
04:34 Hatchards
05:50 [ad] BetterHelp
07:06 The Road by Cormac McCarthy
08:54 Waterstones
09:30 The Lonely Skier by Hammond Innes
11:19 The London Review Bookshop
12:36 Butter by Asako Yuzuki
14:35 Daunt Books
15:29 About Uncle by Rebecca Gisler
17:14 Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami
18:36 BookBar
19:40 Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K. Reilly
sub count:
📊 1,360,278

[@justsomebody1171]

Fun fact: The library where I volunteer at has a rule that the shelf with returns isn't allowed to be empty because people like to browse it and look at what others have read.

[@meremeth]

My library has a 'recently returned' shelf, and I do love to browse it hehe

[@Hallmark44]

Why I always go to the discount rack of bookstores, tbh. Get to see what everyone else is reading for half the price.

[@silverrraven5349]

i love that idea, my library doesn't have that. you return the books through a chute into the back room where they are promptly reshelved in their usual place

[@JuriAmari]

That’s really smart. I wish my local library would do this

[@sarahkinsey5434]

@@silverrraven5349 My library has the chutes too but the books and stuff sit behind the desk for a bit, I assume when it gets full enough

[@themisfitcloud1771]

What a beautiful way to see through someone's eyes, reading the words they've read and perhaps be connected to one more stranger in this world.

[@user-bn1tj8dt5q]

jack back at it again with the slightly creepy booktube video ideas

[@jack_edwards]

it's a fine line between curious and weird

[@Ammara-lx6is]

@@jack_edwardshe’s on coke again!!!

[@evie2411]

​@@jack_edwards I'm new around here and have a genuine question: do you get consent from the people working at these book stores to record them and post here? Because I'd be pretty creeped out if I found out a KZbinr influencer was secretly recording me from the counter, even if my face was blurred.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Dakota & Jack out on a bookstore crawl? The limit of chaos does not exist.

[@animeeddie2104]

Describing The Road as a 'road trip' book is WILD.

[@jack_edwards]

in my defence i haven't read it 😭😭😭😭

[@CaptainThugRdx]

​@@jack_edwardslmaoooo

[@dr.flaherty9372]

@@jack_edwardsit’s certainly a road trip book…

[@tmtb80]

While The Road is quite a trip. Sutree is the shit. Highly recommend. Many sentences are so beautiful they'll catch your breath.

[@theambitiouslawstudent4828]

I was just thinking that exactly! The amount of in depth analysis I had to do on that book for English lit coursework forever makes me remember every minute detail of this book and well jack is in for a journey with this book 😂

[@JamesLawner]

“Reading Books from Strangers” sounds like a Sally Rooney novel 😂

[@jjk4754]

as much as i love reading books i know i’ll love, sometimes reading a book that you’re not sure on is a great experience, and even reading a book you are disliking is interesting too, it can really help me understand my taste in books even more

[@tmtb80]

Oh my gosh, now I just want to recommend so many books to you.

[@jjk4754]

@@tmtb80 you can never have too many recommendations

[@iishayx]

I would absolutely love if you would consider starting a podcast where you just pick a book and share your thoughts and reflect about it. Something about the way you speak is so calming and I would be so motivated to finish a book just to engage with a new podcast episode. All the best!

[@jack_edwards]

a podcast........... may be coming

[@iishayx]

​@@jack_edwardsYayyy, that would be exciting!! Thank you and all the best always!!!

[@cherifa0mebellil88]

@@jack_edwards can't waiiiiiiit I love listening to you talk abt books reviewing them and sharing your HONEST opinion ... and a podcast is just a dream come true 🍀

[@dakotawarren]

my role in this video is simply to jest

[@eword97]

The clip of you and Dakota smelling books together brought me so much joy

[@PokhrajRoy.]

List of Books 2:20 ‘Boulder’ by Eva Baltasar 2:39 ‘Permafrost’ by Eva Baltasar 7:07 ‘The Road’ by Cormac McCarthy 9:29 ‘The Lonely Skiier’ by Hammond Innes 12:38 ‘Butter’ by Asako Yuzuki 15:32 ‘About Uncle’ by Rebecca Gisler 17:16 ‘Novelist as a Vocation’ by Haruki Murakami 19:41 ‘Greta & Valdin’ by Rebecca K Reilly

[@kaygreig656]

Plus Permafrost by Eve Baltasar about 3 mins ish

[@laraconde]

Eva*

[@PokhrajRoy.]

@@laracondeEdited

[@birdyinabox]

🙏

[@margaritacantero7768]

“I don’t judge you for your decisions so don’t judge me for mine. Buying books and reading books are two separate hobbies. Thank you very much.” Gonna write that down.

[@sambennett9769]

10:24 “lead up to a crescendo” nails on a chalkboard to a musician lol, the crescendo is the buildup itself

[@ghostlykelp]

Basically said ‘lead up to a lead up’ LOL

[@juf9055]

i thought crescendo was like the climax?

[@ghostlykelp]

@@juf9055 a crescendo in musical terms means ‘start building up’ or ‘get louder’, it’s not the word for the climax itself. I’m not sure if it has another meaning outside of music, it may do

[@samanthahackett8162]

"Buying books and reading books are two different hobbies" LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK! I've been saying this my whole life

[@fw3614]

Once I read a few paragraphs of a book a woman was reading next to me on the T in Boston. When she got off I saw the distinctive cover but not the title or author. So I combed through a bookstore until I found it - Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins. That is how I discovered one of my favortite authors of my twenties.

[@Groundedsquirrel]

What a book and author to discover without knowing anything about Tom Robbins! Thanks for this, I haven’t read him in ages.

[@hebulanebula]

I have this book 📚 ❤ and I’ve done the same thing...except I never found the book... with this reminder , now, all I remember is that it was a thin green covered book. 😅

[@Groundedsquirrel]

@@hebulanebula maybe if you write a bit here about what you read someone will recognize it!

[@hebulanebula]

@@Groundedsquirrel I did look up green covers on Goodreads , and there are 621 books, but none of them look like hers. The problem is, I no longer remember any of the words . I wish I had just asked her . 🤷🏻‍♀️📚😁

[@me1123581321]

Dakota's dress is PHENOMENAL!! ❤❤ Also, I absolutely love these "read what other people are reading" episodes. I'm so nosey, but how else are we meant to get a sense of our surroundings??

[@jerseyjhayne1707]

mr. jack edwards, you have ignited the bookworm in me. i have stopped reading for a while because well, digital times, i’ve preferred watching stuff instead of reading but i discovered your channel a few years ago which has made me come back reading. falling in love with something i have fallen out of love of is one of the best things in life. thank you for making me experience that

[@mayleennrecaj7777]

Can’t believe I am so obsessed with your videos that the algorithm decided to feed my addiction

[@terri3401]

Jack buying The Road, Cut to an ad where in the background we see a DIFFERENT copy of The Road.. then later on saying “The Road by Cormac I would have bought for myself” … Sir it looks like you already did 🤣

[@ravensramen]

thats exactly what i was thinking 💀

[@matilderrr]

he has too many books at this point if hes forgetting he has them 😭😭

[@xepherauden7647]

I knew I saw it in a past video!! Thought I was going crazy

[@dovemakes]

@@matilderrr to be fair, I have significantly fewer books than Jack and I've accidentally bought a couple doubles myself lol

[@ursaminor2052]

i think he filmed the ad in a bookstore

[@Taetaele]

I really want to see a new series where you review old classics from each country, as an Italian I would be really curious about your idea on the masterpieces of authors like Svevo, Pirandello, Verga, Primo Levi and Umberto Eco that we study at school!

[@buecherwuermin]

I had to read Primo Levi in school for my italian finals in Switzerland. His work is so good! I had to reread it in English/German though because i felt like I didn't get the nuance bc my Italian is not that good.

[@lazedaisies]

i wish you would also included your reviews of these books in the video cos your reviews is what always sold me for the book, and not the blurbs. i trust you that much 😂 but i’m definitely adding butter to my tbr cos i love japanese lit too!

[@sn0wflake]

As a bookseller, I just find Jack so endearing in this video. Making sure to buy a book at each store (even at the start), being super nice to the cashiers, asking interesting questions, and even fixing the displays 🤧 thank you, Jack

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Jack: “I’m not going to the counter and not buy anything.” Me, on a book ban: “Hehehehehe…”

[@maryseptihet]

12:00 - milk snake by toby buckley!! it’s a debut poetry collection from ireland and I highly recommend it !!

[@jack_edwards]

thanks for the rec!!

[@dorianhayes4162]

Today is Independent Bookstore day, and I’m getting ready to go out to 28 stories this weekend-this is the perfect accompaniment!

[@sarahalsaeedi2600]

I absolutely love your book videos and brilliant bookish ideas! Your London tour took me on a virtual journey to some of the best places in the city, and I felt like I was right there with you. Thank you for sharing your amazing content! 🤩

[@PokhrajRoy.]

“Sounds like a dream blunt rotation..” THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A FAMILY FRIENDLY CHANNEL 😂

[@matthiasgotsch8264]

jack, you give me so so much calm. You seem like the perfect guy to read in silence with and talking about the books we read afterwards. :)

[@bookthoughtswitheilish]

I love how all the bookseller's seemed really friendly/helpful everytime you asked what the previous person bought ☺

[@jasmin2186]

I tend to struggle with connecting to the characters in Japanese literary fiction often and yet those novels always have such amazing concepts! (she contemplated while adding butter to her tbr optimistically)

[@bertalorenzi4329]

so happy to see as a catalan that writing in your own language can get you this recognition from all around the world thank you!! and i also recommend you irene solà (when i sing mountains dance, my personal favorite)

[@shareuhlin]

"one thing I'll never mind is my own goddamn business," LMAO relatable

[@PokhrajRoy.]

4:18 OUR GIRL GETS RECOGNISED

[@evamatlach1986]

„Hit the road Jack“ 😅 As an Austrian who wasn‘t in London until now this bookstores are all so amazing! I have to go to London immediately! 💚

[@snedadoku5038]

literally all i needed right now, i was scrolling your old vids and then *notification*

[@meapenalealea8724]

What an absolutely fantastic video Jack - cannot wait to see what you think of the books (I loved the one you made about the train on the same theme these are great videos !)

[@emilyglonek7417]

13:56 I got genuine chills listening to the summary - I need to read that book!!

[@aaron_osborne]

I fell in love with Dakota’s content especially her journaling video recently.

[@erina2600]

Aaaaa excited for you to read Greta and Valdin!! There’s one point where Greta literally hops on the bus that I get on everyday, and gets lost in a park so close to where I live which I just adored - it’s so fun seeing such familiar details in a book that’s getting very popular

[@dollstylist041poll3]

The Road is a book you never forget. I think about it constantly

[@valkyrie_cain86]

I love Greta & Valdin! It got me out of a reading slump, and is my favourite read of the year so far. Would recommend drawing a map of the family relations though, as there are a lot of characters to keep track of.

[@emmeline-tyler]

The copy I read had a list of characters at the start

[@valkyrie_cain86]

Same. I've been reading in a bookclub though, and many people still found it hard to keep track with the list.

[@Woman_of_Basil]

Every video of Jack and Dakota has such an infectious giddy energy to it. I’m in love with every video from this duo.

[@WithSquared]

I just bought 4 books for independent bookstore day, and I challenged myself to pick up books that I've never heard of before and based my choices only on the cover art and blurbs that interested me the most. it was fun to go in blind and come out with books I didn't know I wanted to get because I usually just go in, get what I'm looking for, and go. I might try this out at some point too, this seems fun!!

[@white_edits9439]

We need a video of you reading these books I’m so exited about what you will think of butter since I just started reading it!

[@Groundedsquirrel]

Love this concept, seeing the bookshops and jotting down reading ideas.

[@kv2661]

I love these videos because I’m just constantly going back and forth to goodreads super excited to add books to my want to read list

[@rukky.sshonubi4797]

Im grateful you took us along on your journey. This made my day.

[@leonnoel9501]

kinda funny that you specifically go looking for The Road at Hatchets and then there's just a different copy already behind you in the ad 5:52

[@58angieb]

'Hatchhards' of Piccadilly, London (booksellers since 1797) ,& not as Jack mistakenly said,'Hatchets' 😊

[@quinncrochet19]

"It's giving Joe from YOU" 😂 I laughed so hard. I love you and I'm so glad I found your channel at the beginning of this year ❤ Currently reading Sula because of you and I love it so far!!

[@jubidrawer]

All the bookstores in London look so gorgeous!!!

[@elliembh1726]

I saw butter in a bookstore literally just the other day and said I bet jack would like this

[@charliepearson7388]

Yay, so happy to see you got Greta and Valdin! It's such a lovely book. As a fellow New Zealander myself, it's so great to see her work getting international recognition.

[@glovaldebenito]

Hey! An idea for a future video!! Maybe you should have one of those scratch maps and scratch all the countries you’ve read from before.. and then pick countries not scratched and make a video about books from those places!! 😊

[@an33y]

Genius idea and way better thought-out idea than I thought it would be. I thought you were going into a bookstore and buying every book you see a stranger reading that you haven't read.

[@ramantinuwal1810]

Jack is so consistent. The last time he mentioned bookbar, he said the same thing.

[@imahotmess872]

hey im a writer, and ur videos always put a smile on my face. i discovered u 2 yrs ago i think and i was already obsessed with ur channel. and ive actually read some of the book that you’ve mentioned before so thx for that! and omg ur so nice to ppl it makes me jealous! u earned a new sub!😊

[@yvonneandbeyond]

Loved this video! I've actually just moved to New Zealand and picked up Greta and Valdin in a very cool bookshop in Wellington called Pegasus Books (They have super tall shelves and ladders! 😍). Very excited to hear your take on G&V when you've finished it! :)

[@LC-fx2lo]

Those bookstores are so beautiful, I want to cry. I could live there. 😍😍

[@KevinKing2200]

I’m amazed at how continually inventive you are! Book Shop Crawl! I loved your commentary as always, and getting out in London with you and Dakota?!?! So much fun. One of your very best of all time. Plus, you encouraged me to yank The Road up into my Amazon cart (been putting off that read for waaaay too long) and also Greta & Valdin. Maaayyybee Butter. See what you do to me? Us? (I’m sure I’m not the only one… 🛒📚) I am so jealous of all the gorgeous bookshops in London 😮😮😮

[@johnmavroudis2054]

Buying a book, is the greatest recommendation possible. LOVE this video and your adventures and enthusiasm. Cheers!

[@gulk.5307]

obsessed with your videos, jack!

[@paperboundfolio]

“Is this being 25?” Jack, it’s 11pm on a Saturday and I’ve been ready for bed since 7. If it isn’t 25, it’s definitely 29 😂

[@indiethebindi]

The Dakota/Jack friendship is top-tier 💛

[@hiitsme9086]

My day instantly gets better when jack posts THANK YOU ❤ you are an UNDERRATED youtuber

[@efkharisto]

What a crazy mix of books you've got there Jack! The only one I've read is The Road (which I loved) and the one I'm looking forward to is Butter (can't believe that it's based on a true story!)

[@dovemakes]

If you ever make it to the Pacific Northwest usa, particularly Portland, you NEED to go to Powells! I'm literally about to head over there right now, it's the largest independent bookstore in the world. You'd love it, it's the size of an entire city block and 4 stories tall. New and used titles, rare book room, a bunch of zines and small press, a little cafe, and over a million books being sold at any given time. I love this concept, I think I'll ask the cashier while I'm there just to see what they say!

[@lilybugslibrary]

Watching you and Dakota was fun all on it's own. You add in book shopping and it was terrific. :)

[@pranjuliagarwal1264]

39 sec ago? Dammit. That's salvation.

[@jack_edwards]

thank you for being here!!

[@PamsShenanigans]

that edition of The Road is so simple yet so pretty!!

[@nacho6438]

dakota is so funny every single frame she's in

[@jack_edwards]

i'm single-handedly trying to destroy her cool and mysterious aesthetic

[@jack_edwards]

cool and chaotic instead

[@desaravladasi2062]

@@jack_edwardsthis is literally what my best friend does to me 😔 (this is a lie i can’t stop yapping)

[@XIII306]

what an unexpected collab- im here for it!

[@Ebony.B]

Love these videos with Jack and Dakota ❤

[@headoverheels80]

hi jack! love that you're going to be reading a book set in NZ that's so cool! just wanted to let you know that maori is pronounced differenly to how it's spelt - it rhymes with moldy. i think there are vids on youtube that may explain it better lol but just thought i'd let you know in case you do a review for the channel! :)

[@SahbaMobini23]

convinced me to go to my city’s book crawl today. this is such a fun experiment!!! and so fun to watch!!

[@kittyscosylibrary]

Everything about this video was perfection - thank you Jack

[@jessthomas7210]

The clip of you two sniffing the books was sooo precious

[@sj_sunshine]

bookstore hopping? sign me up - the vibes are immaculate

[@RichardCharter]

Definitely would love to see more booktuber collaboration!

[@moniquebaham]

I loved this video! Of course now I wish I lived in London so I could go to all of the book shops that you and Dakota visited! 📚

[@mishripettinger6242]

the new zealand shoutout had me kicking my feet in joy ngl

[@nita182]

I'm a Catalan living in Switzerland and I've just spent a few days back home and read Permafrost. It is really really good. Can't wait to hear more about what you think about it. I just started Boulder now. It's funny that I only heard from this series because of you, because back in Catalunya Eva Baltasar is EVERYWHERE.

[@mshelper4560]

This was like a fun treasure hunt. Thanks for this video!!

[@neutralmakhotel]

A video starring the dynamic duo of Dakota and Jack? I AM SAT

[@larakuntschik4023]

i hope u do a part 2 wear u reed all the books and give ur opinions

[@enelabe]

Not "Hit the road Jack" LMAO your humour is amazing

[@clr395]

Seeing as you are enjoying Eva Baltasar, another amazing Catalan writer is Irene Solà, with her "When I sing, Mountains dance"

[@SleepyAE31]

14:37 I've never been to London and I don't watch a lot of book/reading channels so when I absolutely knew that I had seen Daunt Books before, it threw me for a loop trying to figure it out. Eventually, I remembered! They showed it in an episode of Who Do You Think You Are. Charles Dance's relative used to own the property and ran an art supplies store!

[@user-14268]

I'm so obsessed with this video gonna rewatch until I die 😭

[@nirali_t]

Love that you went to Bookbar! I live right next to it :)

[@jasminesmith6361]

You and Dakota having that cursed song stuck in your head at the same time as me does make me feel better 😌🤣

[@juliehughes1258]

12:03 I do that too! Fix the display. Same in grocery stores, where I face the display when I take something.

[@BritReadsBritAuthors]

Looking forward to a future charity-shop book-haul!

[@spotmotion7452]

I love the "dream blunt rotation" 🤣

[@safoorahafeez]

Me getting greta and valdin as a gift few days back and was waiting for you to review it. So ill wait until you post on your socials on how you find this book

[@mandyschmidt7960]

Can't wait for your reviews of these

[@dianasga9179]

I literally bought Butter yesterday randomly to take to my weekend trip to Sicily!!!! Excited now

[@marinaescriva-jx4ex]

Will be very interested in hearing your thoughts on Permafrost, and specifically Baltasar's racism. I read it in Catalan, and the only character of colour in the novel, a Chinese guy with two lines of dialogue, is written with all his Rs as Ls. I wonder if the English translation includes that too. Considering none of the foreign characters have a (written) accent in the book, that seemed like a bizarre choice, which my SEA partner found even more offensive than I did. Honestly never picked up another book by her. I'd recommend Irene Solà, or even better, a classic of Catalan literature, Broken Mirror by Merce Rodoreda.

[@zzrdz32]

I can't believe no one has pointed this out...

[@SynapticCleft13]

Mercè Rodoreda is amazing

[@melyibarra809]

Dakota and Jack!!!!!! A hit already

[@AbiofPellinor]

the absolute chaos, we love it

[@arlyponcedeleon6049]

I read the road last year and it was so heartbreaking 💔 but so imersive with the descriptions, so i hope Jack loves the book as much ❤❤

[@coolgab21]

Same!!!! I loved it too!