For the list lovers: I suggest you do the following:

1- Go through your TBR on Goodreads. If you don’t have an account, here is why you should!

2- Write down the books you want to get from the fair. Sort this list by priority.

3- Allocate a budget for the books you’ll get. Also allocate a mini-budget for unexpected books which may catch your eye

4- Try to find out which publishers are most likely to have the books you’d like. I suggest looking through the publisher websites.

5- Allocate time to find out enough info about each book in your list. This can be done beforehand (google and goddreads) or it can be done through conversations at the fair.

With these tips, you’ll be able to accurately target the books you want the most. Stick to the plan and you’ll be able to efficiently get all the books you want.

But what if you’re not a list type?

For the moody, chaotic type who just wants to stroll and fall in love with a book, I suggest:

1- Find out what genre you love. Again, use goodreads, but this time go through your top reviews of the past year. Find out the general type of book you like.

2- Identify the places you want to visit. You can do this by thinking about where your ideal book might be.

3- Pick a number of questions to ask the bookshop personnel. I suggest telling them about your favorite books, and asking them to find you something similar.

4- Set a maximum amount of money to spend or a maximum number of books to buy: You’re likely to get carried away (trust me, I always get carried away), so it helps to restrict your spending as much as possible. You’ll come again soon