Independent bookshop Sample shop
A neighbourhood bookshop with a café in the back room
New fiction, non-fiction, poetry and children's books on Larch Street. If it isn't on the shelf, we can usually order it in for you within the week.
Held at the till for J. Rivera until Sun 1 Nov. Sample
- Any book in printOrdered in, usually in 3 to 5 working days
- Holds for 7 daysKept behind the till with your name on it
- Café from 9 amCoffee, bakes and soup, most days until 4 pm
- Events most weeksReadings, book club and Saturday story time
Staff picks this month
Chosen and written up by the people behind the counter. Hold a copy and it'll be waiting at the till.
Showing all 6 picks
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The Lamplighter's Arithmetic
Marisol Fenwright
A canal town's last lamplighter and the girl who keeps his ledger. Slow at first, then I read the second half in one sitting.
Picked by Ines$18.00 Hold a copy -
Small Hours on Gannet Street
Teodor Askwith
Six neighbours, one power cut and a very long night. Funny for a hundred pages, then it quietly breaks your heart.
Picked by Callum$27.00 Hold a copy -
What the Heron Kept
Priya Halloran
A year walking one river from its source to the sea, with notes on the birds and the people who fish it.
Picked by Ruth$24.00 Hold a copy -
Forty Kitchens Down the Coast Road
Benedikt Orme
Food writing with recipes you will cook. The chapter on a harbour café's soup is the reason we put soup on our menu.
Picked by Ines$21.00 Hold a copy -
Oddfellow and the Paper Moon
Ottoline Brack
A fox folds a moon out of newspaper to find the way home. Read it aloud and do the voices.
Picked by Callum$14.00 Hold a copy -
Small Rain at Teatime
Ada Merrowcliff
Short poems about weather, kitchens and getting older. I keep it by the till and read one between customers.
Picked by Ruth$16.00 Hold a copy
Made upEvery book, author and staff name on this page was invented for this concept site, and the prices are samples.
What's on at the shop
Evening events are in the café room, which seats about 40. Sample events
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Reading and signing
Marisol Fenwright reads from The Lamplighter's Arithmetic
A half-hour reading in the café room, then questions and signing. Buy the book on the night or bring your own copy.
Thursday 29 October, 7:00 pm · Free, seat requests open
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Story time
Saturday story time
Two or three picture books read aloud, for ages 3 to 7 with a grown-up. Every Saturday. No booking needed.
Saturday 31 October, 10:30 am · Free
Drop in, no booking -
Book club
Fiction book club: Small Hours on Gannet Street
Read it, half-read it or come to listen. Members get 10% off the month's book.
Tuesday 3 November, 7:00 pm · $5, includes a hot drink
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Poetry evening
Open mic in the café room
Read one of your own poems or someone else's, up to five minutes each. Sign up on the night.
Friday 27 November, 7:30 pm · Free
Special orders
Can't see it on the shelf? We'll order it in
The same price you'd pay for a copy we already stock, with no delivery charge for picking it up here. Timings are samples.
Tell us the book
Title, author or ISBN in the form below, at the till or by phone. A rough description works too: "the blue one about bees" has found books before.
We order it in
Most books in print arrive from our distributors in 3 to 5 working days. If it's going to take longer, we tell you before ordering.
We let you know
You get a text or an email when it's on the hold shelf behind the till, with your name on a slip.
Collect and pay
We keep it for 7 days and you pay when you pick it up. Most special orders need no deposit.
The monthly book box
A book picked for you every month by one of us, based on a few lines you send about what you like to read. Pick it up with a coffee or have it posted. Sample prices
The café
Coffee and lunch in the back room
Six tables and a long bench under the window. Bring any book from the shop to your table before you buy it.
- Oat, soy and dairy-free milks at no extra cost
- Wi-Fi, with the password on the board by the counter
- The big table can be booked for book clubs and small groups
Hours and how to find us
Open late on Thursdays for events. Sample hours and address
| Day | Shop | Café |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | Closed | Closed |
| Tue | 9 am – 6 pm | 9 am – 4 pm |
| Wed | 9 am – 6 pm | 9 am – 4 pm |
| Thu | 9 am – 8 pm | 9 am – 5 pm |
| Fri | 9 am – 6 pm | 9 am – 4 pm |
| Sat | 9 am – 6 pm | 9 am – 5 pm |
| Sun | 11 am – 4 pm | 11 am – 3 pm |
- Address
- 27 Larch Street, on the corner of Mill Lane
- Getting here
- Two-hour street parking on Larch Street, and a bike rack by the door. The number 4 bus stops across the road.
- Access
- Step-free entrance and café, with an accessible restroom at the back. Ask us and we'll fetch books from the top shelves.
- Phone
- (555) 018-3317
Questions we get at the till
Anything else, ring (555) 018-3317 during opening hours.
Can you order any book?
Any book that's in print and available to bookshops, yes. For out-of-print books we ask a few used-book dealers and tell you the price before buying anything.
Can I take a book into the café before I buy it?
Yes. Browse with a coffee for as long as you like. We only ask that drinks stay on the table.
Do you buy used books?
No. We sell new books only, though we're happy to suggest where to take a box of old ones.
Do you sell gift cards?
Yes, in any amount from $10, at the till or by phone. They work for books, the café and the book box.
Do schools and book clubs get a discount?
Schools, libraries and book clubs ordering five or more copies of one book get 10% off. These are sample terms.
Order, hold or ask about a book
Tell us what you're after and how to reach you. We reply during opening hours, usually the same day. This is a demo form, so nothing is sent. Concept
- Pay when you collect, at the till
- Holds and special orders wait 7 days
- Event seats are held until 10 minutes before the start