Nine bookshops you can treat your Valentine to a new novel on International Book Giving Day across Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale

International Book Giving Day is an international initiative that encourages individuals, organizations, and communities to share the love of reading by giving books to others.

It’s a day dedicated to promoting literacy and the joy of reading – that also happens to fall on Valentine’s Day.

If your other half, ‘galentine’, or a friend in need is an avid book worm, why not check out this list of bookshops around the Yorkshire coast and gift them a new novel, bookish gift, or voucher.

Nine bookshops on the Yorkshire coast:

Scarborough:

• Waterstones – Scarborough’s Waterstones shop is located at 110-111 Westborough, at the end of Aberdeen Walk. It is open 9am until 5.30pm Monday – Saturday, and 10.30am until 4.30pm on Sundays. It offers a wide variety of books from the hot new fiction picks, fantasy and children’s novels to a wide variety of non-fiction books including photogrpahy, nature and travel, among others.
• Mrs Lofthouse’s Emporium – Mrs Lofthouse's Emporium is located at 4, Queen Street. It is open between 10am and 4.30pm Monday to Saturday, and 11am until 4pm on Sundays. They aim provide affordable and accessible books for all readers, regardless of their income, background, or preferences. They also have a large number of books that they are able to donate and you can request genres of books that they will be able to supply for free. They always have popoular thrillers, general fiction and crime novels along with more general non-fiction books which they can provide to charities or groups in need. More details can be found here.
• Frost Books and Artifacts Ltd – Frost Books and Artifacts is located at 36 Bar Street and is open Monday – Friday from 10am until 4pm, and closed on a weekend. Frost Books and Artifacts Limited (FBA) is a small company set up to celebrate the 200-year-old Frost printing tradition. FBA is a working co-operative selling over 3,500 third party owned original rare books dating back to the 16th century. These volumes are supplemented by select prints, reproductions, and modern copies. They also sell historic artifacts from around the world.

Whitby:

• The Whitby Bookshop – The Whitby Bookshop is located at 88, Church Street and is open 9.30am until 5pm from Monday – Saturday and then 10.30am until 5pm on Sundays. The family owned and independent bookshop opened in 1985 and is home to 10,000 titles and 13 million titles online.
• Holman’s Bookshop – Holman’s Bookshop is located at 19-21, Skinner Street and is open 7am until 3pm Monday to Saturday and 7am until 11am on Sundays. It is another family owned, independent book store spread over three levels. It provides a newsagents, stationers and bookshop to both local and visiting customers. It is in a Grade II listed building and has been serving Whitby for almost 100 years and still retains it's Old World charm.
• The Crow Emporium – The Crow Emporium is located at 7, Silver Street and is open 10am until 2pm Friday – Sunday. They sell an array of literay items and gifts, including pins and magnets, greeting cards and wrapping paper, prints and posters, figurines and ornaments, and ‘odds and ends’.
• Robin Hoods Bay Bookshop – Robin Hoods Bay Bookshop is located at 1, Chapel Street, Robin Hoods Bay and is open 11am until 4.30pm everyday. Reviews on Google say “Good little shop with a wide selection from classic and academic to mainstream fiction. Just the sort of place you expect in a town like this and fits the atmosphere” and “Only time for a flying visit but still found treasure..”

Ryedale

• Yorkshire Quality Books – Yorkshire Quality Books is located at 1-2 Park Street, Pickering and is open 10am until 5pm everyday except Wednesday and Sunday when it is closed. Reviews on Google say “Excellent second hand bookshop. I managed to get 4 books by the author I was looking for. Extremely well organised shop with a friendly and helpful owner.” and “Everyone loves a good ole bookshop to furtle around and browse in. This is a very good bookshop, well organised with a comprehensive stock of books on all subjects. Very reasonably priced too. Ebullient character of an owner who is helpful and knowledgeable. You even get given a set of ladders to access titles on the upper shelves. Well worth a browse, even if, like me, you really don't need any more books. I still made purchases, oops!”
• Kemp’s General Store – Kemp’s General Store is located at 11, Market Place, Malton and is open 9.30am – 4.30pm Monday – Saturday and 11am – 3pm on Sundays. The bookshop offers a carefully curated selection for books for everyone, including a wide selection of children's books. They also host a range of events, including book launches, workshops and other unique activities as well as a book club.

Other book stores are available in each town, why not have an explore and see what bookish delights you can find.