iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 10h

I found this new Miss Marple novel to be, overall, a success; very much in the spirit of Agatha Christie. The multiple POVs worked well, although the characters were quickly recognisable archetypes. The plot was engaging, I read it very quickly. I’d happily read more Marple from this author. 💙📚⚡️

Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel
By Lucy Foley

A Miss Marple Mystery.

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Such beautiful illustrations in this new children’s book! Combining the authoritativeness of the Kew Botanical Gardens with charming folklore from all around the world, and fascinating facts about trees. This is sure to become a favourite with nature-loving children. But I’m keeping it myself! 💙📚

A Magical Guide to Forests:
Folklore, History and Spells
By Sandra Lawrence
Illustrated by Dawn Cooper

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Very funny, right from the start. I was swept along by this original voice and story, even when I wasn’t sure what to make of it. An actor is hired by a psychology professor to sit silently in lectures whilst wearing a Black Bag. Definitely worth reading. Shortlisted for the Booker Prize 💙📚🖋️

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Interesting nonfiction examination of different aspects of the fishing industry, its people and history. The author provides a vivid picture of some fishing communities when she goes out on their boats. Good balance of facts and data with human stories. For discussion at book club tonight. 💙📚💡

Every Last Fish:
A Deep Dive Into the World of Fishes and Fishing
By Rose George.
Shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize for Conservation Writing 2026

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Novella set on Christmas Eve. Two strangers, Janice and Gerry, are the only guests in the hotel. Dining together, they tell each other the worst thing they ever did. As expected, the story takes some unexpected turns. Top quality writing, a traditional/ classic tale, told well. 💙📚🖋️

The Winter Guest
By Sarah Moss
A paperback proof copy

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

I wholeheartedly recommend this warm and exciting children’s adventure set in snowy Finland. Lumi, an autistic girl, befriends a wolf, and walks for days through the forest to bring him to safety. Pacy plot, truthful and positive autistic character, relevant climate change references. Great! 💙📚

Lumi and the Wolf
By Lottie Saahko
A paperback proof copy, splayed open to show front and back covers with illustrations of a girl and wolf with snowy forest background.

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Lots of interesting books here! 📚💙

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Róisín and Red meet as teenagers in 1980s Ireland. They move to London, live in a squat, and struggle to build lives. Later, the story picks up in 2007 but Red is nowhere to be found. Suffused with alcohol and barely-coped-with trauma, the characters and relationships are excellently written. 💙📚🖋️

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Quite a departure for me this weekend - I read my first ever P. G. Wodehouse book. Of course I’ve long been aware of Jeeves and Wooster, and felt like I already knew them as characters. I did find the writing amusing and clever, the dialogue is quick and smart, as I’d expected. Published 1925. 💙📚⏳

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

How timely to see this review of The Recovery House by @derekowusu.bsky.social in the newspaper today. He’ll be in conversation at this author event in Bristol on Thursday (1st October). I’m looking forward to it! www.thesmallcitybookshop.co.uk/event-detail... 💙📚🖋️

thesmallcitybookshop.co.uk

The Recovery House with Derek Owusu | Small City Bookshop

Join us in conversation with Desmond Elliott Prize Winner, Derek Owusu, on his new book, The Recovery House.

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Is auto-science-fiction a genre? In her new book, @naomialderman.bsky.social combines a reflective memoir on grief with the story of the appearance of a mysterious new species. I adore and respect the mimmoths! I’m still thinking about this brilliant, original & beautiful novel. Recommend! 💙📚🪐

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Oh I already have a plan to see it this afternoon at the very same place!

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I’ve always been interested in the story of Medea, since I first encountered Euripides’ play as a teenager. So I was intrigued by these stories set in Mexico, in which Medea appears as a kind of avenging/supportive angel to help women in times of trouble. Yay Medea! Welcome anytime & place! 💙📚🖋️

Medea Sang Me a Corrido
By Dahlia de la Cerda
Translated by Julia Sanches and Heather Cleary

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

I found this polemic appropriately engaging, but I fear that this book is the embodiment of preaching to the converted. The historical context is helpful for understanding the current situation; the arguments are clearly laid out. Screens=bad, books=good; but I would say that, wouldn’t I? 💙📚💡

The New Dark Ages:
The End of Reading and the Dawn of a Post-Literate Society
By James Marriott

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

What a fantastic evening at a packed event at The Small City Bookshop in Bristol listening to Zahra Joya talk about her excellent book The Vanishing Girl of Kabul. She urged us to pay attention to the women and girls suffering gender apartheid in Afghanistan. Follow @rukhshanamedia.bsky.social

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I very much liked this speculative climate fiction novel which follows the lives of two UK women, Lucy and Hester, from 2020 - 2070. Lucy is a nature-loving child during the pandemic; she becomes an activist. Hester is a documentary filmmaker whose dogs are beloved companions. A good read 💙📚🪐

When There Are Wolves Again
By E. J. Swift
Winner of the British Science Fiction Award for Best Novel

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Sort of the third part of Alexei Sayle’s memoir. Also includes plenty of funny polemic, righteous anger, and a potted social history of the last 60 years of the UK. I appreciated the good and clear explanation of Marxism. Entertaining. 💙📚💡

How I’ve Tried to Change the World:
By Walking Down the Middle of the Street Shouting
By Alexei Sayle

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Here’s a fast-paced thriller that’s easy to read. When Nadeeka arrives home she is confronted by police tape and a dreadful crime scene; her partner has been murdered. But is all as it first appears? Big twists and bad guys with uncomfortable relevance (organised English far-right thugs). 💙📚⚡️

It’s Not What You Think
By Clare Mackintosh

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

David has dementia. He’s a rich retired American executive, on his final journey via London to a Zurich euthanasia clinic. Extremely well done; I was drawn into David’s collapsing & fragmentary brain. From within his decline and bewilderment I felt lasting regret. A strong Booker contender. 💙📚🖋️

Switzy
By Emma Cline.
A paperback proof copy.
Hardback is published in the UK on 10th September.
Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2026

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

It was delightful to return to the Archipelago of Glimouria for more adventures. In the third part of the Impossible Creatures series for children, Herculean quests must be undertaken to save a kidnapped friend. I love the Bestiary in the back, with super illustrations and funny descriptions. 💙📚

Impossible Creatures:
The Neverfear
By Katherine Rundell

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

The Curator sets up scenes in historical buildings. She meets the Archivist and decides on the era of the King. Then it’s back to the olden days of the King and his court. Original & intriguing, about the fundamental unknowability of history. With short chapters and vivid descriptions. 💙📚🖋️

May We Feed The King
By Rebecca Perry.
Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2026

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Deceptively interesting Japanese murder mystery. I wasn’t sure about the use of pictures as clues, but it does work. At first the chapters seem to be separate short stories, but in fact they link together most cleverly to form a satisfying whole. We’re discussing this at Book Club tonight. 😊 💙📚⚡️

Strange Pictures
By Uketsu
Translated by Jim Rion

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Reposted by Nic the Bookseller

Tom - the BookCellar @tombartley.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Having a play with mapping Bristol's indie bookshops. Since the last Bookshop Crawl map was published in 2025 there's at least four of us have opened new shops and in new parts of town. We plot quite nicely into north-south and east-west trails.

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Enjoyable and informative, with an easy narrative style, as you would expect from @jonronson.bsky.social His insights into the personal/psychological drivers of anxiety and extremism are explored beside political/societal factors. The chapter on Graham Linehan is particularly interesting. 💙📚💡

The Castle:
Adventures in a World of Unravelling Men
By Jon Ronson.
The Independent Bookshop exclusive edition with a conversation with Patrick Radden Keefe.

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Thought-provoking existential novella. A man finds himself in Hell. It’s a massive library containing all possible books. Most are nonsense; to leave, he must find his life story. Everyone in Hell is white and English-speaking. Very vivid, a bit frightening, stays with you. I liked this. 💙📚🖋️

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Heartfelt coming-of-age story set in Ireland, with themes of grief & masculinity. Jack is 12 when his mother kills herself and his father goes to the mental hospital. Sent to live with his grandparents, Jack learns to deal with feelings & become a man. I enjoyed the uncles’ dialogue. Poignant 💙📚🖋️

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Cara Lavan @caralavan.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Spotted on Church Road BS5 this week

A series of posters on a wall next to a high street saying another heat wave brought to you by the oil industry. It includes a map of Britain with the extreme temperatures that have been experienced this summer.

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Agreed. Their books are beautiful objects as well.

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

30 years ago, teenage Ana’s body was found in a Buenos Aires suburb. This brilliant novel considers the repercussions for her family, with sections from the perspectives of different characters. My new favourite! I hope lots of people read this. Insightful, moving, and a great read #WITMonth 💙📚🖋️

Cathedrals
By Claudia Piñeiro
Translated by Frances Riddle

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

2/2 … @rukhshanamedia.bsky.social and continues to work to tell Afghan women’s stories from her exile in London. I can’t wait to see her when she visits Bristol in September. Her book is a great read and she’s a fascinating person. www.thesmallcitybookshop.co.uk/event-detail...

thesmallcitybookshop.co.uk

The Vanishing Girl of Kabul with Zahra Joya | Small City Bookshop

Join us in conversation with exiled Afghan human rights journalist and former TIME Woman of the Year, Zahra Joya on her new book, The Vanishing Girl of Kabul

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

This is an extremely interesting and eye-opening personal account of life in Afghanistan. @zahrajoya.bsky.social dressed as a boy from the age of 5 to get an education. Her first-hand account of gender apartheid and her path to becoming a journalist is essential reading. She founded … 1/2 💙📚💡

The Vanishing Girl of Kabul:
Betrayal, Hope and an Extraordinary Fight for Women’s Rights
By Zahra Joya
With Amie Ferris-Rotman

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

I enjoyed this essay. Probably because it provided the perfect combination of teaching me something new, and confirming my existing beliefs.

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Fast-paced humorous murder mystery set in a London hospital. Is doctor Eitan Rose having another episode of mental illness, or should his colleagues take heed when he claims that a killer may be responsible for the sudden deaths of senior doctors? (No reason it can’t be both.) 💙📚⚡️

A Particularly Nasty Case
By Adam Kay.
Who writes popular children’s books. Which this is, basically, but with adult sex, swearing and medical details

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

a well-paced plot that held my interest throughout. A great example of the hero’s journey/ coming-of-age story. I’m a far-from-Young adult, and strongly recommend this for all ages 12+ UK publication 27th August

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

I loved this absorbing & well-written YA fantasy by @franceshardinge.bsky.social In a quasi-medieval village, all lives are governed by the castle. But the castles sometimes move - playing pieces in a mysterious Great Game. Fantastic world-building, engaging characters to root for, and a 💙📚🪐

Traitors’ Nest
By Frances Hardinge
A paperback proof copy with the tagline Your Next Move Changes Everything

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

I don’t have a phone. Not everyone does. Alerts aren’t sent to tablets / computers - no phone numbers. That’s how I found out. Thanks BBC.

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

In an uncanny post-crisis Britain, beachcombers scavenge artefacts from the sea. What are the iGhetti? It’s unclear what has happened; has the continent been lost? The City invaded by aliens? I found this intriguing & unsettling, and will have to read it again. Longlisted for the Booker Prize 💙📚🖋️

The End of Everything
By M. John Harrison

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

An intense, original novel about the mother-daughter relationship, beauty standards, and integration in modern America. Linli’s mother in LA is dangerously addicted to plastic surgery. Her only chance to repair the damage is to go on reality TV. I found this sometimes gruesome & hard to read 💙📚🖋️

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Maybe the most important nonfiction book this year. @naomiaklein.bsky.social & @astra.bsky.social lay out clearly, with evidence & sound analysis, the intersecting strands of encroaching authoritarianism: religious & tech bro, with their similar disregard for humanity/planet Earth. Essential! 💙📚💡

End Times Fascism:
And The Fight for the Living World
By Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor.
An advance reading copy.
Published in the UK 15th September 2026

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Sorry, they’re quite private. I’m glad you’re covering this important story, thanks!

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

I have friends who were no-fault evicted from their Bristol home earlier this year so that their landlord could make more money on Airbnb

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

The balloons finally blew my way this morning!😊 Right when I was watering the plants in my back garden. They are both closer and louder than you might think! My photos don’t do them justice. I love living in Bristol! #bristolballoonfiesta #bristol

Four balloons in the sky, lots of clouds, some chimneys

Balloons in the sky above the backs of some terraced houses and the greenery in my back garden

Five balloons in the sky; below, the backs of some terraced houses and some greenery

A stripy black and yellow balloon in the sky above, not far above the back of my house

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

A very literary novel, long listed for the Booker Prize. The writing is excellent; the dialogue is brilliant, the characters well-drawn, the observations astute. Altogether highly accomplished. What the story is, I couldn’t say. 💙📚🖋️

The Palm House
By Gwendoline Riley
A paperback proof copy. The proper hardback cover has those arty legs on it

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Raven Books @ravenbooks.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Nicola Colton, in my humble opinion, deserves to be more widely appreciated. Her books are delightful, both pictures and text, with enough of a challenge to keep early readers engaged without being too much. #kidsbooksfriday #kidlit

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

I needed this as relief from Naomi Klein’s forthcoming End Times Fascism, which I have paused midway through, because it’s too true and important and relentless. I recommend reading both that, and this ridiculous yet serious thriller, together, to help with the not-sinking-into-despair thing.

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

I thoroughly enjoyed this fun, fast-paced provocative romp. Kayla, a nature- & book-loving 14-yr-old New Zealander, logically decides to tackle the climate crisis by stopping those most responsible for egregious harms. Her murder of several billionaires sparks an international movement… 💙🖋️⚡️

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

In an alternate 1979 England, 3 triplets live in a secluded children’s home. They receive various medical treatments; we soon suspect that nefarious experiments are happening. I enjoyed this engaging story; how far are we complicit when we ignore /allow harm to those constructed as ‘others’? 💙📚🖋️

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Dilara, her husband, & her Alzheimer’s stricken father are Turkish exiles in Italy. Her renovated bathroom turns into a prison cell, in a real prison in Turkey. Intriguing and often moving Kafkaesque examination of exile, yearning, memory, politics, loss & belonging. Booker Prize Longlisted 💙📚🖋️

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Nic the Bookseller @nic-v.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

A YA thriller set in the future, in a deep sea mining & research facility. I’m afraid I didn’t finish this book, which is most unusual for me. I guess I’m not the target audience. But I am looking forward to 3 new YA/older children’s books coming out soon, from great authors I love… 💙📚

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