Bob Johnston

@bobjohnstonbooks

'Our Big Day' LGBTQ+ award-winning picturebook published 2022. Currently subbing agents w/ a gay novel for adults. Husband, dog lover, cat misser, biscuit eater, previously @gutterbookshop ... he/him 🇮🇪 linktr.ee/bobjohnstonbooks

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Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· 24d

It went down a treat - luckily I managed to scare them off before they went in for seconds... Forgotten how much I love rhubarb...

Photo of 4 people sat at a table with tea & cake.

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· 24d

Rhubarb & Walnut cake cooling... Rhubarb from our veg patch needed using!

Photo of rhubarb & walnut cake cooling on kitchen table in front of sliding kitchen doors onto a patio.

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· 25d

Happy Jukebox Saturday to all who celebrate. TOKEN 1 for me is the first relevant song that pops into my head & today that was 'Metal Mickey' by Suede which was a 'sprint to the dancefloor' song in my student days. And for non-UK or young ones, Metal Mickey was a TV robot... youtu.be/0rbw5FaCAzw?...

Google image of Metal Mickey TV programme showing a silver metal robot with large mouth and 'ears' and curly silver wire on his head as hair. Pictured with Irene Handl as a 'granny' and a female human.

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· 25d

Evening dog walk in the bog meadow. Our little slice of Mayo heaven...

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· 28d

Today we're doing shady... #Heatwave #Doglife

Photo of Jess, a black & tan lurcher, lying on the bed looking snoozy...

Photo of Obie, a black German Shepherd, lying in the shade on a wooden floor

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· Jul 10

My much-missed Molly cat approves this statement.

Photo of Bob's cat Molly (now sadly deceased) lying in a flowerpot amongst the plants. She was a black & white shorthair

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· Jul 9

Grass snakes in the UK are brown despite the grass being green. Used to see them quite a bit growing up in Bedfordshire & loved them (I had a bit of a snake obsession). Lived in Ireland for 26 years now & we don't have snakes at all which makes me sad... #grasssnakes

Google image of a UK grass snake which is brown with dark shevrons along the 'back'

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· Jul 9

Very excited to get an email today from an agent I applied to about 6 months ago saying that they loved my work & would be interested in working with me. And then, of course, I checked the email address & it was AI spam using her details incl. agency branding etc. I know it's everywhere but AARGH!!

Meme of a cow standing in a grey sea with text "I can't go the rest of my life asking if it's AI or not "

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· Jul 9

Ah don't. You can imagine our two. "Don't worry he's friendly" they say as their terrier runs over and I'm desperately trying to stay vertical as my two lose their shit... Leon just shouts "CONTROL YOUR DOG!" in his teacher voice whilst I just hang on for dear life (much like running a bookshop ;) )

Photo of Bob's dogs sitting on some grass & looking at the camera. Jess is a black & tan lurcher with Dobby ears. Obie is a black German Shepherd with Batman ears.

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· Jul 4

Oh I hate car problems. My first car was always misbehaving until it was in the garage at which point it would be absolutely fine until the following day... Just inherited my sister-in-law's old car so preparing myself for garage stress...

Bob & friend Chris at a christening in 1994 wearing dark suits & sunglasses & looking a bit Reservoir Dogs apart from they're leaning against Bob's first car - a beige Vauxhall Astra.

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· Jul 4

I knew there was a Julian Cope song yet couldn't think of it! My brain must have done a side-shuffle to Pixies...! Met Julian Cope once, he shook my hand wearing a large metal gauntlet and it hurt... he was very lovely though... I had Peggy Suicide on gatefold vinyl and loved it...

Photo of Julian Cope talking about his book at Electric Picnic about a decade ago. I was bookseller at the festival.

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· Jul 3

I've bought my ticket! You're gonna need a lot of sangria...

Google image of a flyer promoting Black Cat Boat Party showing people dancing on a boat & text including All You Can Drink / Sangria and Beer / 2 DJs

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· Jul 2

A gorgeous night at @booksupstairs.bsky.social to celebrate #TheRedMouth - a new novel by @sheelanogig.bsky.social set in the bogs of Mayo - brilliantly launched by @oneflawediris.bsky.social. So many booky friends in attendance & lovely to catch-up w/ friends. #NewIrishFiction #WritersLife

Photo of Bob's hand holding a copy of the book & a glass of white wine. The book jacket is red & white with an illustration of bog meadow & red 'earth' below

Photo of the author Sheila Armstrong reading from her book in front of a microphone.

Photo of Olivia Fitzsimmons launching the book as she reads from printed sheets of paper

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· Jul 1

When you pop into your local charity shop & they have one of your old bookshop bookmarks stuck to the wall. Made me happy today. @gutterbookshop.bsky.social

Photo of wall in charity shop with a Gutter Bookshop bookmark featuring quote "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars" Oscar Wilde

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· Jun 30

Night out in #Dublin - #empireofthesun in Fairview Park. Gonna dance our little legs off & regret it in the morning...

Selfie of Bob & husband Leon in front of the stage at concert. They're lit up in red & yellow lights.

Selfie of Bob in the tent. Lights have made his face bright pink against the red tent background

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· Jun 29

A little wild Irish fauna to brighten your morning. Spikes of Bog Asphodel have appeared in our bog meadow, along with swathes of St John's Wort which I adore... #IrishWildflowers

Photo of bog asphodel - a spike of bright yellow star flowers amongst dewey grass.

Photo of St Johns Wort - like a buttercup but petals fold backwards and has a centre of exploding orange stamen.

More St Johns Wort showing about 20 plants amongst mixed meadow grasses

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· Jun 27

Which of course made me think of this...

Google image of Bowie roundabout saying 'turn to the left / turn to the right / ooooh fashion'

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· Jun 26

Poor sad Obie (named Sooty at the rescue but their social media person misheard & called him Sushi...!) Anyway, he's still beautiful but no longer sad... #rescuedog

Photo of Obie by Dogs Angels Ireland with text 'This boy needs help, we need to get him a foster home asap. His name is Sushi beautiful but sad'

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· Jun 26

We've just been allocated last-minute local residents' Michael Bublé tickets for Saturday. Leon has gone to the library to collect them. He sent me this. I'm thinking a #Malahide librarian is delighted with themselves today. #LibrariansRock #LibrariansEasyListening

Photo of an A4 tall poster stand on a flat base in library reception with a picture of Michael Bublé holding an arrow & text telling people to collect tickets on the first floor.

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· Jun 26

Obie scritches. #Friday

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· Jun 25

Well, last night I watched 'Case 39' w/ Reneé Zellwegger & Bradley Cooper on Netflix & it wasn't very good but also quite enjoyable because I do love an evil child, some dodgy effects & it's the only time I've fancied Bradley Cooper. Would sort of recommend. www.imdb.com/title/tt0795...

Photo of Bradley Cooper in a shirt and tie

Photo of Renée & evil child in a car with Reneé looking both wet & very scared

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· Jun 24

Hot dogs become cool dogs with an evening dip in Lough Cullen... #Mayo

Photo of Jess, a black and tan lurcher, & Obie, a black German Shepherd, sitting on a rock in the shallows of Lough Cullen.

Photo of Bob's husband sorting leads on Jess & Obie in the shallows of Lough Cullen with dimly lit hills behind

Close up Photo of Jess & Obie sitting on a rock in the shallows of Lough Cullen. They look happy.

Another photo of Jess, a black and tan lurcher, & Obie, a black German Shepherd, sitting on a rock in the shallows of Lough Cullen.

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· Jun 24

It's strawberry season here at Sweeney's Cottage & I'm managing about a punnet a day.. and when I say 'managing' I obviously mean both picking & eating... #IrishStrawberries

Photo of a large Flora tub filled with ripe red strawberries

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· Jun 24

It's a hard knock life... #mayo #icedcoffee

Photo of a tumbler glass of iced coffee on a lilac outdoor table with a meadow, old stone shed & polytunnel behind it on a sunny day

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· Jun 24

Great to listen to @martinadevlinbooks.bsky.social talk about brilliant literary women at #westportlibrary last night. Martina's always been a huge supporter of @gutterbookshop.bsky.social. A great talk on some of Ireland's (& Irish adjacent) women writers - I learnt loads! #IrishWomenWriters

Photo of Bob & Martina smiling next to a sign for the event

Photo of Martina talking next to a projector screen showing the famous 'pillar' portrait of the Brontë sisters.

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· Jun 23

Good morning from #Mayo ... Pure notions with an iced coffee on the patio... #IrishSummer

Selfie of Bob holding a glass of iced coffee with an old stone shed & meadow in the background. The sky is blue, the grass is green & Bobs wearing his dad's inherited gardening hat.

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· Jun 22

Yep.

Photo of a big black German Shepherd sleeping on Bob's lap who is smiling despite having two dead legs

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· Jun 21

Watching #TheCure at Isle of Wight Festival on Sky Arts & feeling 17 again... just with a lot less hair...

Photo of Bob wearing a Cure t-shirt & paisley shirt, smiling with longish blonde hair...

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· Jun 21

Obligatory dead Dad Fathers Day photo. He was a man of few words but many hand gestures.

Photo of Bob's Dad in a dinghy tying two bits of rope together. He's wearing a polo shirt, shorts & a hat and stocking up two fingers at the camera

Bob Johnston@bobjohnstonbooks· Jun 20

This is my dog. She's special too.