Do we really carry the knowledge we gleaned from that first read forward forever? And are there new insights to be had from a second (or third, or fourth) pass of the same book?

Whether you’re a true believer or merely curious about the zodiac, here’s our (just for fun) guide for matching your friends or loved one’s sign and personality traits to their tastes as a reader.

Learn more about Mr Matthews - Greytown’s most cheerful bookseller. The first thing he bought with his own money, his daytime drink of choice and of course his favourite reads!

We recently spoke to Alison Jones, whose book This Pākehā Life - An Unsettled Memoir, was shortlisted for the 2021 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards and has been one of our bookshop’s best-selling non-fiction titles in 2021. 

Boasting 11 independent bookshops and the country’s only Booktown, the Wairarapa may just be New Zealand’s #1 region for readers. Here’s a sampling of the curious and clever minds behind our bookstores.

When was the last time you listened to someone, or someone really listened to you? At work we’re taught to lead the conversation. On social media, we shape our personal narratives. At parties, we talk over one another. We’re not listening. And no one is listening to us.

Do major literary awards actually equal more sales of the books and make them more popular? The answer, as with so many things in life, is “it depends.”

George Gibbs, Ockham New Zealand Awards finalist for Booksellers Aotearoa prize for Illustrated Non Fiction talks to Millie Blackwell from The Village Bookshop in Greytown.

Leonard Bell, finalist for the 2021 Ockham Book Awards Booksellers Aotearoa prize for Illustrated Non Fiction talkes to Millie Blackwell from The Village Bookshop in Greytown.

Jane Ussher, a finalist for the 2021 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards for Booksellers Aotearoa prize in Illustrated Non Fiction talks to Mrs Blackwell from The Village Bookshop in Greytown.

A common question in the bookshop is “Why do you have so few children's books?” A fair question, so I thought I’d take a moment to set the record straight.

The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards announced their longlist recently. Here's a guide to the titles we're working through at Mrs Blackwell's Village Bookshop.

We were excited to get a mention on One News last week in a short piece on the resurgence of bookshops in New Zealand.

A special thank you post for everyone who made Mrs Blackwell’s Village Bookshop possible.

“Read more” is perennially one of the top self-improvement habits people try to commit to — as a New Year’s resolution or any time during the year — and rightly so! Reading broadens the mind, expands the senses, builds empathy, and entertains, all in one neat, portable package. If you’d like to start or increase a reading habit here are some of our best tips.

Nobody wants to be “that guy,” at the Book Club meetings so we’ve assembled this part manifesto, part guidance to ensure you will rise to the top of your fellow club members’ esteem.

Good books and good friends (and, yes, good wine) are some of the best parts of life, and it’s a joy to be able to share them.

But there’s more to a book club than just reading the book. Making a few informed decisions before starting your book club can help ensure that it stands the test of time and becomes a cherished event on your calendar.

Whether you’re looking for a new planner or are simply frustrated with your existing (dis)organisational system, searching for a new planning system can be overwhelming. If, like many, you find yourself switching your tools up frequently, still searching for that perfect system, you might want to try creating one of your own, via a system called bullet journaling.

A local introvert’s guide to the many delights of our country village heaven.