Hello! I’m Phil, and I run Pigeon Books on Albert Road with my wife Mel. We’re proud to be Southsea’s only new independent bookshop – stocking a bit of something for everyone, with diverse kid’s books, a range of fiction, LGBTQ+ fiction and non-fiction, poetry, and much more.

This is my first of what I’m hoping will become a fairly regular feature – highlighting a selection of our current best-sellers and personal recommendations, and hopefully giving you all a little bit of inspiration for your next read.

Richard Osman’s ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ clearly deserves the first mention here – a best-seller on it’s release in hardback, it’s now out in paperback and a perfect summer holiday read.

A brilliantly written thriller based around a group of elderly care home residents who get together to try and crack unsolved crimes – and who suddenly need to do it for real.

Richard’s personality and humour are definitely on show here – and I’d definitely recommend this for usually reluctant readers, it just might be the catalyst you need to get you on the detective/thriller train!

Another current fiction favourite is ‘Love In Colour’ by Bolu Babalola – a fantastic retelling of tales and myths from West Africa and ancient Greece, amongst others.

Short story collections are perfect for those like me, who struggle to commit to a full book in one sitting (although there are plenty of readers who can) – you’ll find it easy to drop in and out whenever you have a chance to, without the need to remember what happened in that last chapter.

On the non-fiction side, ‘The Book Of Trespass’ by Nick Hayes is another popular choice – a book which attempts to change the way we see our country, exploring the approximately 92% of our land and 97% of our waterways which are not publicly accessible under the laws of trespass.

This is definitely on my ‘to be read’ pile – I’ve heard nothing but good things about it since it’s publication.

For younger readers, Akala has recently added to his arsenal of literary weapons with ‘The Dark Lady’, a young adult novel based in Elizabethan London, written in a uniquely Shakespearean style.

It revolves around 15-year-old Henry, a pickpocket with an exceptional gift – and comes complete with an exceptional cover design by University of Portsmouth graduate Kingsley Nebechi for good measure.

Hopefully that will begin to whet your appetite for what’s out there – and please remember that if we don’t have something that you want, we’re usually able to get hold of it in the next day or two, so make sure to ask!

Website: pigeonbooks.co.uk
Twitter: twitter.com/pigeon_books
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Address: 1 Albert Road, Southsea
Email: info@pigeonbooks.co.uk
Telephone: 07311 186312