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Daily Mirror
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
We work in a bookshop — these are our 5 favourite books of all time
Looking for your next read? Five booksellers from across the UK have shared their favourite books of all time - and there's something for everyone. There is no greater feeling than sitting down to read a good book. But with so many options out there, choosing your next read can sometimes feel a little overwhelming. When it comes to finding reliable recommendations, there's nothing better than asking a fellow book lover. To celebrate Independent Bookshop Week, we went one step further and asked five book-loving booksellers to share their favourite reads of all time. Independent Bookshop Week, taking place between June 14–21, is a flagship campaign from the Booksellers Association celebrating independent bookshops and the unique cultural, economic, and community value they bring to the retail sector and wider society. From one of the best classics of all time to a 2023 novel that is "historical fiction at its finest", here are five booksellers' top reading recommendations. Let us know in the comments how many of these you've read and which you'll be trying out next. 1984 by George Orwell, 1949 Dean Freeman, from Heron & Willow, Jedburgh, said: "As my shop uniform is a homage to Winston Smith, I guess I should pick 1984! Over the years I've re-read it so many times (something I rarely ever do) and it never disappoints. An under-appreciated strength of the book is how it can be enjoyed from so many perspectives; political commentary, a love story, a thriller. "Now a parent, it hit me hard once more when Winston recalls a happy day with his mother but then disregards it as a politically unsuitable false memory. I really admire Orwell's work in explaining how this society functions on a practical level, including the book within a book and the appendices explaining Newspeak, though I know some people find that very dull! "It's been an interesting few years for fans of Orwell, with copyright on most of his works expiring and many now receiving sequels. Julia by Sandra Newman retold 1984 from Julia's perspective and took some wild swings at the end, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. "1984 itself is so ubiquitous that, oddly, I think it's actually overlooked and under read. Aside from all the cultural baggage, it absolutely stands up as a masterful piece of fiction." The Offing by Benjamin Myers, 2019 Mel O'Brien, from Dark Peak Books & Gifts in Glossop, said: "My favourite book of all time is The Offing by Benjamin Myers. I've read lots of Myers' work, and each book he writes is so different, but this one has always stood out as one I recommend to my customers. "It's the story of a friendship between a young lad from a mining village in the North-East and an older woman living in Robin Hoods Bay, set over one summer just after the end of the Second World War. Myers' descriptive prose paint an incredibly picture of the natural environment in an area I grew up in. "His portrait of the tender, platonic friendship between the two characters and the effect they have on each other is beautifully heart-warming. I first read this book at the start of the 2020 Covid lockdown and I wanted to be there by the sea with Robert and Dulcie eating fresh lobster with garlic and lemon and drinking cold dry white wine. "It is a book I will come back to again and again, and one I will continue to sell in droves at my bookshop (which celebrates its 4th birthday this Independent Bookshop Week!)." Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry, 1985 Steph Collis, from David's Bookshop in Hertfordshire, said: "Lonesome Dove, with its 840+ pages and very masculine cover design, is about as difficult a hand-sell as you could ask for. Even when I'm shouting at customers browsing in the M section of fiction that McMurtry's novel won the Pulitzer Prize back in 1989 and that you're getting potentially weeks' worth of entertainment for just £12.99, it's still a hard sell. "Despite this, eight copies have sold in the last seven months; that's seven people who will journey from Texas to Montana in the company of some of the most unforgettable characters (in my opinion) ever written. Lonesome Dove is a gripping adventure, a doomed love story, and a deeply sad and nuanced take on the myth of the wild west. "On the cover of my 2011 edition published by Pan Macmillan the quotation reads 'if you read only one Western novel in your life, read this one', and I think that pretty much sums it up. Pan Macmillan are releasing Lonesome Dove as one of their Picador Collection at the end of June - just look for a lasso on the shelf." The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell, 2022 Sue Porter, from Linghams Bookshop in Heswall, said: "It's so difficult to choose just one favourite book—honestly. My go to for a lasting impression, would be The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell. This is historical fiction at its finest. From the winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction comes the haunting and beautifully written story of Lucrezia de' Medici, Duchess of Ferrara. "At just sixteen years old, Lucrezia is plucked from the safety of her home and thrust into a political marriage with the volatile Alfonso II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara. O'Farrell transports the reader into the grandeur of the Renaissance courts—lavish, gilded, and glittering on the surface, yet shadowed with danger and secrets underneath. "From the very beginning, we're made aware of Lucrezia's fate. There is only one known portrait of her, and I defy anyone not to immediately search for it while reading! The book is filled with rich characters, each with their own compelling backstory, as well as vivid descriptions of sumptuous palazzos and the golden cages in which many women were confined. "This novel captures the heart and imagination from the start. It's a story of youth, power, art, and survival—one to return again and again." The Glutton by A. K. Blakemore, 2023 Jacqui Delbaere, from The Little Green Bookshop in Herne Bay, said: "Choosing my all time favourite book is so difficult! For a long time it has been Anna Karenina but a new contender has come along - 'The Glutton' by A. K. Blakemore. Published in 2023, it is the novelisation of The Great Tarare, a real-life figure in 18th century France. A sudden act of violence sees him left for dead and the attack ignites the strange phenomenon of his all-consuming appetite. "The story follows Tarare as he joins a band of rogues romping through central France towards the epicentre of the Revolution in Paris. He becomes their meal ticket, the Glutton of Lyon, a sideshow performer. "As Tarare's journey unfolds I felt both horrified and empathetic towards his plight. Illiterate, repulsive and shunned by most others, his brief brushes with love and lust offer glimpses of the life he could have had if he were not afflicted by his ferocious hunger. Even though he breaks every moral code, I still felt sympathy for him. "What I absolutely loved about this book is Blakemore's exquisite use of language. She describes Tarare's huge, horrifying appetite with stomach-churning delight as he feasts on everything from animal carcasses to household objects in front of crowds, watching with morbid fascination. "Blakemore brings the past to life through rich, lyrical language and precise imagery, I felt completely immersed in the period. Her masterful way with words retains the sensual style of her work as an award-winning poet. "The Glutton made me feel like I was right there with Tarare through his extraordinary life, and he is still with me today, long after I finished the book."
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Ricardian Day' among Grassington bookshop's week of special events
The Stripey Badger Bookshop, in Grassington, will be participating in Independent Bookshop Week from June 14 to 21. The paperback launch of 'The King's Mother,' by Annie Garthwaite, will be showcased in the shop on Saturday, June 14, at 10.30am. The novel, set during the Wars of the Roses, concerns the relationship between Edward IV and his mother Cecily Neville, and is billed as "perfect for fans of Hilary Mantel, Madeline Miller, and Maggie O'Farrell." Also on Saturday, June 14, the shop will host an illustrated talk on 'Richard III, The Northern King' by the Yorkshire Branch of the Richard III Society, at 2pm. The event is free, and tickets can be reserved online at On Monday, June 16, Scottish businessman and TV personality Patrick Grant will speak about his new venture in Settle and his time on The Sewing Bee. The event is in collaboration with the Threshfield and Linton WI, and will take place at Grassington Town Hall. The week will conclude with author Phil Earle visiting Stonyhurst College, Clitheroe, to talk to schoolchildren about his new book, 'The Dawn of Adonis.' Independent Bookshop Week is a UK and Ireland-wide campaign highlighting the importance of independent bookshops. The campaign started in 2006.
Daily Mirror
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Jacqueline Wilson novel shortlisted for best summer title in Indie Book Awards
This Indie Book Awards has announced their shortlists across four categories, bringing together the best in book publishing for summer 2025, including a national treasure and Booker shortlisted author Awards season isn't over yet, as the book industry continues to kick into gear to celebrate the best books of the year. On May 9, The Booksellers Association announced the shortlists for this year's Indie Book Awards. This is a unique award, as it is for both authors and illustrators, and judged by independent bookshops across the United Kingdom. The category winners will be announced during Books Are My Bag's annual Independent Bookshop Week (Saturday 14th – Saturday 21st June 2025). The Indie Book Awards is a part of the year-round campaign activity of Books Are My Bag promotes the crucial role that independent bookshops play in adding economic, cultural and community value at both a local and national level. The Indie Book Awards aims to champion the best paperbacks of the summer by celebrating the best books across four categories: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Children's Fiction and Picture Book. The bumper list of shortlisted authors for 2025 includes national treasure Jacqueline Wilson and international bestselling author shortlisted for the Booker Prize, The Costa Book Award and The Woman's Prize For Fiction Elif Shafak. Ahead of the shortlist announcement, Emma Bradshaw, Head of Campaigns at the Booksellers Association, said: 'We are privileged to regularly witness the alchemy of authors and independent booksellers working in tandem to place the perfect books into the hands of exactly the right reader; it is a magical pairing of brilliant writers and expert curators.' The Adult categories judging panel consists of Charlotte Vaughan (Kenilworth Books), Tom Owen (Gay on Wye), Amber Harrison (FOLDE), Jacqui Delbaere (The Little Green Bookshop) and Tomás Kenny (Kenny's Bookshop & Art Gallery) The Children's categories judging panel consists of Amy Moorhouse (The Thoughtful Spot Children's Bookshop), Molly Murray (Seahorse Bookstore), Heather Slater (Forum Books), Trish Hennessy (Halfway Up the Stairs) and Sarah Skelton (The Book Nook Stewarton). A judging panel of independent booksellers will decide on the four category winners which will be announced on Thursday 19 June. The full Indie Book Awards 2025 shortlist Children's Finding Bear by Hannah Gold (HarperCollins Children's Books) Ghostlines by Katya Balen (Bloomsbury Children's Books) Murder for Two by Niyla Farook (Piccadilly Press) The Falling Boy by David Almond (Hodder Children's Books) Brielle and Bear: Once Upon a Time by Salomey Doku (Harper Fire) Reek by Alastair Chisholm (Barrington Stoke) Picture Book Bear by Natalia Shaloshvili (Frances Lincoln Children's Books) The Dinosaur Next Door by David Litchfield (Magic Cat Publishing) Farah Loves Mangoes by Sarthak Sinha (Flying Eye Books) The Golden Hare by Paddy Donnlley (The O'Brien Press) Invisible Dogs by Ruby Wright (Rocket Bird Books) Runaway Cone by Morag Hood (Two Hoots) Fiction James by Percival Everett (Picador) There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak (Viking) The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry (Canongate Books) Caledonian Road by Andrew O'Hagan (Faber) The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier (The Borough Press) Think Again by Jacqueline Wilson (Bantam) Non-Fiction A Bookshop of One's Own by Jane Cholmeley (Mudlark) Ingrained by Callum Robinson (Transworld) Dispersals by Jessica J. Lee (Hamish Hamilton) Reading Lessons by Carol Atherton (Fig Tree) The Garden Against Time by Olivia Laing (Picador)
