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Bookshop
Books are the heart of what we do. Although we are a general bookshop, our largest sections are devoted to children’s books, fiction, cookery and biography. If we don’t have the book you are looking for, we’d be more than happy to order it for you, usually within 24hrs.
READ MOREWe want the experience of our bookshop to be inspiring, ever-changing and welcoming to all. We believe in ‘extreme curation’, so we aim to stock the books we love, and those we think our customers will too. You can read about some of our current favourite books below, and check out our book review archive here.
Thank goodness bookshops still exist – especially magical Mainstreet! Your books fly off the shelves, window displays are amazing, and you could not have a more delightful and knowledgeable team.” Marylin Stovold
CloseBook
Reviews
The best thing about the life of a bookseller is definitely being asked to recommend a book. You’ll see a few of our most recent top tips below, but if you’d like to browse our
BOOK REVIEW ARCHIVE click here.
Book
Subscriptions
We offer lots of different types of Book Subscription, from A Year of Books (adult or children’s books) to our most recent, Diverse Voices, for more information or to buy a Book Subscription, please click here.
Books are
My Bag
We are proud supporters of this national campaign championing ‘bricks & mortar’ bookshops. “What I say is, a town isn’t a town without a bookstore. It may call itself a town, but unless it’s got a bookstore, it knows it’s not foolin’ a soul.” Neil Gaiman
Children's
Books
The children’s department is really a shop-within-a-shop, and, arguably, the most important part of the shop. We love children’s books so much at Mainstreet that this section has a whole page to itself here.
Care
Packs
Our Care Packs have proved especially popular in our new online shop – these are specially curated books with other goodies from the Mainstreet range (perhaps a bar of Bare Bones chocolate). Send a parcel of joy to someone you love.
Book
Group
We run two book groups at Mainstreet, one meets in the evening, the other during the day, monthly, usually on a Wednesday. See below for more info, new members are welcome, come along and give it a try.
BOOKS WE LOVE
Vivian
Based on the shocking drowning of forty fishermen from a tiny fishing village in Norway in 1617, and exploring the aftermath on the lives of the women and children left to fend for themselves, the book grips from the opening page…
Vivian
16 yr old Robert sets out to explore the countryside around his home in the North of England before assuming the role assigned to him by nature of birth and locality…
Vivian
A slightly gentler, more compassionate look at life within a maternity ward than Adam Kay’s This is Going to Hurt. However Leah Hazard, who still works as a mid-wife within the NHS, does not pull her punches…
Vivian
A wonderfully original novel set in an alternate reality. Kate lives one existence in New York with the love of her life Ben, and another dream reality as Emelia in plague riddled London, 400 years earlier…
Jack
Trolls, giants, nissen and elves are all commonly found within the colourful pages of Luke Pearson’s popular series. Living in a Scandinavian world in which the monsters and spirits of folklore actually exist…
Jack
In an attempt to prove a point that “one bad day” is enough to drive anyone to insanity, Alan Moore’s The Killing Joke showcases the Joker in one of his most iconic and diabolical stories to date…
Jack
The grey-scale palette, diary entries from the 80s and the overgrown fences of a spooky abandoned orphanage eerily set the stage for Pam Smy’s debut graphic novel…
Jack
Part action adventure, part rom-com, part Toronto tour guide, Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim series is the perfect example for what graphic novels have to offer…
Book group
Unfortunately Book Group meetings are currently on hold due to Covid-19. We will notify the mailing list once meetings can resume.
The Daytime Book group meetings are held monthly in the barn (above the DELI) on a Wednesday at 11am, the Evening Book Group meets in the bookshop at 6pm. You don’t need to be a member, just come along and give it a try. Dip into the Book Group archive to see a selection of what we have read in the past. See below for what we are reading next…
WHAT WE ARE READING
Daytime Book Group
Wed 18th March, 11am
Where the Crawdads Sing
by Delia Owens
Evening Book Group
Wed 25th March, 6pm
Days without End
by Sebastian Barry
Daytime Book Group
Wed 22nd April, 11am
Things in Jars
by Jess Kidd
Evening Book Group
Wed 29th April, 6pm
Tidal Zone
by Sarah Moss
Window Displays
We are very lucky that many of the Mainstreet team are talented artists. All our displays are made by hand, often using recycled cardboard boxes from our book deliveries. If you would like to see some of our windows through the years visit our window display archive.
