About Me

I'm Mel, the founder of Booked and Busy Book Club, which is based at Briggs and Co in Colwyn Bay.

I first started the book club in May 2026, when my reignited passion for books got me thinking about creating a shared space for other people who enjoy reading but also want to get out, meet new people and become part of a community with a shared interest.

I have always been a big reader, but when I started a family and was working towards my career, reading took a bit of a back seat. Now my children are grown up and have fled the nest, I have that time back again, and reading has once again become a big part of my life.

I wanted to share that passion with other people — and so Booked and Busy Book Club was born.

So, how did I choose the location?

Briggs and Co in Colwyn Bay was an easy choice. It has such a cosy and relaxed vibe, with comfy chairs and a varied offering of coffee and wine. There's also the added bonus of pizza night on a Thursday — which, in my opinion, works very well alongside a good book!

How does the book club work?

When the group first started, we put book titles into a hat and picked one at random for everyone to read that month. New members can also bring a title to add to the hat on their first visit.

I chose this way of selecting our books deliberately, as I didn't want anyone to feel the pressure of being "chosen" to decide what the group would read. It keeps things fun, fair and completely random — and you never quite know what is going to come out of the hat!

We meet at 7pm, settling in with a drink and a chance to catch up with one another before getting down to the main event — a discussion about our chosen book. At the end of the discussion, everyone has the chance to rate the book out of five stars.

Once the book discussion is finished, there's time for any other news or book-related chat before the rest of the evening is yours to enjoy. Every few months, we also plan to welcome local authors to come along and talk about their books, as well as organising other book-related events outside of our usual club meetings.

The book club is always open to new members, and there really are no rules or regulations. Didn't finish the book? Not your cup of tea? That's absolutely fine! The idea is to create a relaxed and welcoming space where people can enjoy books, conversation and, most importantly, each other's company.

From book club to bookshop

It was after setting up the book club that I began to realise what my real dream was — to open a bookshop.

And so, the research began.

Rather than taking the plunge straight away, I decided to do my homework. There is so much to learn about the world of books and running a bookshop, and my research is very much an ongoing process. I eventually decided that starting an online bookshop would be the perfect stepping stone, allowing me to learn the ropes while working towards my long-term goal of having an actual bricks-and-mortar bookshop.

And so, Booked and Busy Books was born.

The online bookshop is due to launch towards the end of October this year, and I'm incredibly excited to see where it takes me.

The preloved book swap cupboard

As the idea developed, my mind started working overtime and I began thinking about other ways I could combine my love of books with supporting the local community. This led to the introduction of our preloved book swap cupboard at Briggs.

The idea is simple: "Take a book, leave a book." Alternatively, if someone would like to take a book without leaving one, they can make a donation to Macmillan Cancer Support. The cupboard has been stocked with the help of our book club members, who have kindly donated their own preloved books.

My vision for Booked and Busy Books

Ultimately, my vision is about much more than simply having a shop full of books.

I want to create a cosy, welcoming community space — somewhere people can come to browse and buy a book, but also somewhere they can sit down, relax and perhaps even start reading that book there and then.

I'd love the shop to host events centred around books, including author visits, book clubs and other activities that bring people together. I also hope to collaborate with other local businesses wherever possible, creating opportunities to support one another and bring even more to the local community.

For me, books have always been about more than just reading. They can bring people together, create conversations, introduce us to new ideas and, sometimes, even lead to new friendships.

That is ultimately what I hope Booked and Busy Books will become — a place where people can come for the books, but stay for the community.