Where the Crawdads Sing By Delia Owens out now

For years, rumors of the ‘Marsh Girl’ have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand.

Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Celeste Ng.

The multi-million copy bestseller soon to be a major film A Number One New York Times Bestseller ‘Painfully beautiful’ New York Times’Unforgettable . . .

          RETURN TO THE HUNGER GAMES 19.05.20

 The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Ambition will fuel him. Competition will drive him. But power has its price.

It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuvre his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

‘The world still thought Coriolanus rich, but his only real currency was charm’

Pre-order now for £15.99 (RRP 18.99)

The overall winner of the Costa Prize 2019 is

The Volunteer: A True Story of the Resistance Hero Who Infiltrated Auschwitz by Jack Fairweather 

In the Summer of 1940, after the Nazi occupation of Poland, an underground operative called Witold Pilecki accepted a mission to uncover the fate of thousands of people being interned at a new concentration camp on the border of the Reich. His mission was to report on Nazi crimes and raise a secret army to stage an uprising. His reports from Auschwitz were to shape the Allies response to the Holocaust – yet his story was all but forgotten for decades. This is the first major account to draw on unpublished family papers, newly released archival documents and exclusive interviews with surviving resistance fighters to show how he brought the fight to the Nazis at the heart of their evil designs. The result is an enthralling story of resistance and heroism against the most horrific circumstances, and one man’s attempt to change the course of history.

‘Totally gripping’– Simon Sebag Montefiore. ‘Pilecki is perhaps one of the greatest unsung heroes of the second world war … this insightful book is likely to be the definitive version of this extraordinary life’ — Economist. Would you sacrifice yourself to save thousands of others?

On sale now £8.99

FANTASTIC books for World Book Day Thursday 6th March!

All these titles will be in the shop from Thursday 27 February till Sunday 29 March, bring your WBD voucher and collect your FREE book!

Former Moss Side detective James Ellson, with his debut novel

‘The Trail’ on Saturday 7th March 12 – 2pm

 “intelligent and pacy thriller . . . a taut, keenly-observed tale of revenge, perseverance and the struggle against injustice.”  (Paula Hawkins, Girl On The Train)

“The Trail is a stunning debut from an exciting new addition to the world of crime fiction.” (Stephen Booth, Cooper & Fry crime series)

The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel. H/B out on 5th March 2020

The final novel in Mantel’s trilogy of historical novels about the life of Thomas Cromwell, will be published in March 2020. The long-awaited novel will cover the final four years of Cromwell’s life, starting with Boleyn’s execution in 1536, and moving to his own execution for treason and heresy in 1540.

The author said she had been on a “long journey” with her protagonist, and hoped her readers would follow her with him to the end of his life.

The  Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave. Out on 6th February 2020

Finnmark, Norway, 1617. Twenty-year-old Maren Magnusdatter stands on the craggy coast, watching the sea break into a sudden and reckless storm. Forty fishermen, including her brother and father, are drowned and left broken on the rocks below. With the menfolk wiped out, the women of the tiny Arctic town of Vardø must fend for themselves.

Three years later, a sinister figure arrives. Absalom Cornet comes from Scotland, where he burned witches in the northern isles. He brings with him his young Norwegian wife, Ursa.

Inspired by the real events of the Vardø storm and the 1621 witch trials, The Mercies is a story of love, evil, and obsession, set at the edge of civilization.

‘Beautiful and chilling’ Madeline Miller, author of Circe BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick 2020 

We have the following hardback books on HALF PRICE SALE this month.

Continue reading “JANUARY SALE” →

The 2019 Costa Novel Award Category Winners

Continue reading “Costa Book Awards 2019” →

The Chapel en le Frith Local History Group are delighted to introduce the first of their ‘Occasional Papers’.

Chapel en le Frith’s Ancient Tracks compiled by Tony Gloster and Industrial History of Chapel en le Frith Parts 1 and 2 compiled by Nigel Watson.

Now on sale at the shop, price £2.50 each Continue reading “Local History Group” →

‘Doesn’t time fly when you’re enjoying yourself’

We celebrate our 7th birthday this week and just can’t believe it! We have met such lovely people since we opened the shop on the 1st December 2012 and would like to say a huge thank you to all who have supported us and become friends as well as loyal customers. We look forward very much to continuing to provide a friendly and helpful personal service to you all.

The next meeting is on Wednesday 4th March 2020 in the shop at 7.30pm. This month is a free read as such – you have your ‘Secret Santa’ book to read!

See you next month :o)

Go to Book News page . . . . . .

We are delighted to have been invited this year to decorate a Christmas tree at Lyme Park. There are about 10 trees down by the Timber Yard cafe and shop, all decorated by local organisations and businesses. The minimalist look or a work in progress!

!       

Come in and see our half price shelf of Christmas children’s books. Grab a bargain while stock lasts!

Boo!

The eagerly awaited second book in this new Philip Pullman series, The Secret Commonwealth, is out now and on sale in the shop. 

Lyra, now twenty years old, and her daemon Pantalaimon, are forced to navigate their relationship in a way they could never have imagined and are drawn into the complex and dangerous factions of a world that they had no idea existed. ‘High-octane adventure accompanies ingenious plotting’ The Times.

Click on the link  Philip Pullman interview (30.44 mins in)

Continue reading “Book of Dust Vol 2 OUT NOW” →

It’s Bookshop Day tomorrow, call in and see us with your BAMB tote bag, or book related bag you had from us, or your loyalty card have a lucky dip for a special present from us to you to celebrate Bookshop day 2019!

Click on the link and see the many, many well-known faces who want bookshops on our high street to survive and thrive:

Books are my Bag – BAMBassadors

Competition: How many can you name? Write them down and come in on Saturday with your list. The one with the most will win a £10 RM Gift Voucher.

Also the Loyalty Card Draw will take place with a £10 RM Voucher prize. Make sure this week to use all your ‘nearly filled’ cards to be in time for the draw! (Remember to put your name and contact number on your card)

Buy one poetry book and get another for HALF PRICE. 3rd – 5th October.

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

Ducks, Newbury Port by Lucy Ellmann

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo

The Orchestra of Minorities by Chicozie Obioma

Quichotte by Salman Rushdie

10 minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World by Elif Shafak

Winner announced on the Monday 14th October Continue reading “Booker Prize for Fiction Shortlist 2019” →

Did you know the best way to support us (and your high street) is to

PLACE YOUR ORDER DIRECT WITH US IN THE SHOP, VIA EMAIL, TELEPHONE OR THIS WEBSITE? 

and not use a third party. Use any of the search engines to find your books, music CD’s or vinyls then send us your order to MAXIMISE the benefit to our shop! If you would like YOUR ORDER DELIVERED, we can do that too! – free of charge within a radius of  5 miles from the shop. Just ask for details and we will do our best to provide you with a first class service. WE ARE COMING UP TO OUR 7TH BIRTHDAY and we would like to have many, many more – with your help!

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

With The Testaments, the wait is over. Margaret Atwood’s sequel picks up the story more than 15 years after Offred stepped into the unknown, with the explosive testaments of three female narrators from Gilead. `Dear Readers: Everything you’ve ever asked me about Gilead and its inner workings is the inspiration for this book. Well, almost everything! The other inspiration is the world we’ve been living in.’ Margaret Atwood.

 SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2019. The literary event of the year.’ Guardian. ‘It’s terrifying and exhilarating.’ Judges of the Booker Prize 2019  Out on Tuesday 10th September, our price £16.99

Same but different? Stephen Booth’s latest book Drowned Lives is the same quality psychological crime thriller he does so well; different because there is no sign of Ben Cooper and Diane Fry! Are they (or Stephen) just on a break?

If you missed the book signing on Saturday 31st August, we still have some signed copies of Stephen’s book on sale at £16.99

   This is young Alex White who is on a quest to get more people out enjoying nature. Illustrated throughout by Alex’s stunning photographs, this book will appeal to young and old alike. It suggests when and where to get out there; what to go looking for; how to do it; what to take… and a host of other tips. Get Your Boots On on sale here SP £13.99.  Thank you Alex – cracking book! Continue reading “Young Alex, Wildlife Champion” →

Come and meet Martyn next Saturday 27th July from 12 midday to 1.30pm, if you are into all things flying – well planes!. This is a book of ‘firsts’ in the aviation world dating from 1933 to 2018, a comprehensive reference charts many of the world’s most important airliners and commercial aircraft through their first flights.

Martyn is an experienced aviation photographer with over 40 years experience in documenting the changes in aviation over the decades. His work has appeared in publications around the world. Martyn lives locally.

Did any of you hang Airfix model planes from the ceiling in your bedroom when you were a child? I bet Martyn did! Come along and ask him . . . . .

From 15th – 22nd June.  More details to follow

The much-loved  children’s author, Judith Kerr has died at the age of 95. Judith Kerr OBE was a British writer and illustrator. She created the both endearing and enduring picture books the Mog series and The Tiger Who Came to Tea as well as acclaimed novels for older children such as the semi-autobiographical When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, which gave a child’s-eye view of the Second World War. She was born in Berlin in 1923 and fled to Britain with her family in 1933.

Emily Maitlis remembers asking Judith if the Tiger symbolised the 60’s sexual revolution where normal and suburban life became upended by this wild and exotic creature? She told me no, it was just a story about a tiger coming to tea!  I love this. . . .  thank you Judith from all the children who have enjoyed your books over generations.

The latest news is that Hilary Mantel’s next novel The Mirror & the Light will be published in March 2020, the final novel in the trilogy which started with Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies.

Hilary Mantel became the first British author and the first woman to be awarded two Man Booker Prizes.

 The Shortlist 2019

Fiction written by women for everyone

On Tuesday 19^th March 2019, the eight-strong shortlists for the prestigious CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals, the UK’s oldest book awards for children and young people, are revealed. Selected by volunteer Youth Librarians from longlists of 20 books per Medal, these titles reflect the very best in children’s writing and illustration published in the UK.

See Younger Readers page for more details.

Feminist Book Fortnight 2019 will run from Saturday 4th – Saturday 18th May 2019

In 2018  a group of radical and independent bookshops around the UK and Ireland launched Feminist Book Fortnight, a celebration of feminist books. Independent bookshops around the country highlighted the diversity of feminist books over the two weeks with displays of books and lots of events. Participating bookshops reported lots of full events and a “thirst” for discussion of feminist issues as well as celebration of feminist achievements.

See Events page for more details

Congratulations to all of you who exchanged their WBD voucher for a free book! This year has been the best so far for us with visits to Kettleshulme St James Primary School and Chapel High School together with the ones brought to the shop an amazing 176 more books are out there! 

Thanks to children, parents and teachers for your support in this event and of course the National Book Tokens and lots of lovely publishers and authors who make it all possible!

Remember if you would like us to visit YOUR school next year make sure you book early!

This year’s Crime ‘n Dine evening will be on Friday 12th April at 7.30pm with two highly respected authors in the world of crime writing – William Shaw and Olivia Kiernan.

We are back at Rems for Gareth’s Hot Pot, ticket price £20 which includes dinner and a £5 voucher to spend on the night when William and Olivia’s books will be on sale.

Save the date, contact the shop now for tickets! See Events page for more details.

12 FANTASTIC BOOKS BY 12 AMAZING AUTHORS –  Mallory Blackman, Rick Riordan, Jeff Kinney, Abi Elphinstone, Lauren Child to name a few.

See Younger Readers page for more details. You have until the 31st March to redeem your vouchers.

Fing, David Walliams latest book is on sale in the shop NOW!

Meet the Meeks! Myrtle Meek has everything she could possibly want. But everything isn’t enough. She wants more, more, MORE! When Myrtle declares she wants a FING, there’s only one problem……. WHAT IS A FING?

Congratulations to the winning team ‘Fire Whisky’ at our Harry Potter Quiz night on Friday. Martha (first from left) was the best dressed Hermoine and best dressed adult, Professor McGonagall.  Thank you to all who came and hope you had a good time!

The Cut Out Girl by Bart Van Es

A masterpiece of history and memoir’ Evening Standard ‘Superb -this is a necessary book – painful, harrowing, tragic, but also uplifting’ The Times

Little Lien wasn’t taken from her Jewish parents – she was given away in the hope that she might be saved. Hidden and raised by a foster family in Amsterdam during the Nazi occupation, she survived the war only to find that her real parents had not. Continue reading “Costa Awards Book of the Year” →

The winners of the prestigious Costa Awards were announced tonight with Sally Rooney’s Normal People voted the best novel.

Sally Rooney has become the youngest author to win the Costa Novel Award, four months after she was omitted from the Booker Prize shortlist.

The 27-year-old won the prize for her coming-of-age tale, Normal People, described by the Costa judges as “a trailblazing novel about modern life and love that will electrify any reader”.

See Book News page for the other category winners

We are delighted to celebrate our 6th Birthday this week and Lyndsay and I wish to thank all our loyal customers for your support and making READING MATTERS a well established independent bookshop in Chapel. The past six years have flown by but in that time we have met some wonderful people and heard interesting stories about their lives and their families, learnt how to find a book with the merest of information – ‘it was blue and in the window a few weeks ago’ But the best thing about owning an independent bookshop is – it’s our shop we can do what we like!

I have heard many times recently how more and more of you are shopping locally, and we thank you for this.

The overnight internet sensation that is Wonky Donkey is now on sale here!

Hurry copies are selling fast!

You Tube Wonky Donkey

Milkman by Anna Burns is this year’s winner of the Man Booker Prize.

Milkman is extraordinary. I’ve been reading passages aloud for the pleasure of hearing it. It’s frightening, hilarious, wily and joyous all at the same time.’ – Lisa McInerney, author of The Glorious Heresies In this unnamed city, to be interesting is dangerous.
Middle sister, our protagonist, is busy attempting to keep her mother from discovering her maybe-boyfriend and to keep everyone in the dark about her encounter with Milkman. But when first brother-in-law sniffs out her struggle, and rumours start to swell, middle sister becomes ‘interesting’. The last thing she ever wanted to be.
To be interesting is to be noticed and to be noticed is dangerous. Milkman is a tale of gossip and hearsay, silence and deliberate deafness. It is the story of inaction with enormous consequences. Continue reading “Man Booker Prize Winner 2018” →

The winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize 2018 (formerly the Samuel Johnson Prize) is Serhii Plokhy with Chernobyl. Continue reading “The Baillie Gifford Prize Winner 2018” →

The broadcast brothers are of course our very own High Peak Radio Paul Jenner and his brother Steve.

Their book,  On the Radio is out now and on sale in the shop. Continue reading “Broadcast Brothers” →