The Nota Bene Prize 2026
The finalists have been announced for the book prize where you choose the winner. The Nota Bene Prize celebrates the kind of books that stay with you; the ones you press into a friend’s hands, underline on the train, or think about weeks after you’ve finished. The Prize’s organisers say they’re looking for fiction that […]
A Window into Christmas
It’s the most wonderful time of the year – not Christmas itself, but when our magical Christmas window starts taking shape.
Our current favourites
We’re often asked if we can recommend books we love and we always give it a good try (as you can imagine, it’s our favourite subject).
Robin Ince returns to Chorlton
We’re delighted to welcome back the utterly wonderful Robin Ince as part of the 2025 Chorlton Book Festival.
Review: Meet Me at the Surface
Fiona Grant reviews a dark and haunting new novel by Jodie Matthews, now in paperback. A strangely enthralling read; wonderfully descriptive language tells a story, set in a Cornish landscape of moors and small towns, of love and grief and motherhood, but always with an edge of something darker, something unknown, otherworldly. Jodie Mathews knits […]
Review: Wildly Different
Fiona Grant reviews Wildly Different: How Five Women Reclaimed Nature in a Man’s World A vivid recounting of the lives of five remarkable women, who rebelled against convention, prejudice and misogyny in order to explore, record and fight to protect the wild places throughout the world during the twentieth century. Using first hand accounts from those […]
Aaaaarrrr! Here be Pirates
There’ll be a perfectly piratey takeover of our shop on 28 June, as the children of Chorlton set off on a Treasure Hunt! This free community event welcomes kids, families, and pirates of all ages! Pirates will take over shops across Chorlton, each armed with a special riddle. Solve their puzzles to unlock pieces of […]
Review: The King’s Witches
Fiona Grant reviews a gripping new novel by Kate Foster, now in paperback. It is thought that between 1400 and 1782 40-60,000 people, mostly women over the age of 40, were put to death on charges or suspicion of witchcraft. Against this background, but focusing on the North Berwick witch trials of 1590, this novel […]
Jackie Kay at the Lowry
Jackie Kay at the Lowry We’re absolutely delighted to have been invited to be the bookseller for this very special event. Professor Jackie Kay is giving a lecture at the Lowry as part of the Sociological Review Foundation’s Conference – Undisciplining II. A greatly admired poet and scholar (and one of our favourite customers!), Glasgow-born […]
A book and a bench
There’s a glimpse of summer on the horizon and a couple of bank holidays to celebrate. If you fancy losing yourself in a good book for a while come in for a chat. We’ve been reading some belting novels recently and would be happy to recommend some therapeutic escapism.