October in the Bookshop

Autumn is here, and we have plenty of great books to suit the season, from the beautiful prints of Angela Harding's Falling into Autumn to the delicious pastries and warming recipes of Trine Hahnemann's Eat Copenhagen and the children's Halloween classic Funnybones by Janet and Allan Ahlberg.

New Arrivals in Store

Book Club

Our book club meets in the shop at 6.30pm on the last Wednesday of each month. We're a friendly bunch, and there's usually a good crowd. All are welcome, so feel free to turn up and enjoy chatting over coffee with other local book lovers.

This month's books is: Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnal, writer of Broadchurch and Doctor Who.

The body is found abandoned on the A35 in Dorset –tied to a chair, stag antlers on his head. It's Jim Tiernan, landlord of Fleetcombe’s The White Hart pub –
and now a murder victim.

Newly arrived DS Nicola Bridge has her work cut out. Fleetcombe is a picture-postcard village. Murder is the last thing on anyone’s mind. Except that here Nicola finds whispers, rumours, resentments and lie after lie. Because the smaller the village, the darker its hidden secrets . . .

What our Staff are Reading

Working in a bookshop means we have a huge choice of books to sample. Right now, our staff are reading:

• Hayley - My Friends by Frederik Backman
• Ben - Abroad in Japan by Chris Broad
• Matilda - Hex by Jenni Fagan
• Gareth - Zen and the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

Author Event

Join us on 15th October, when author Emily Buchanan will be joining us in the shop to talk about her book, Send Flowers.

About Emily

Emily Buchanan grew up on the Kent coast, where her first reader was her little sister, for whom she wrote bedtime stories. After studying English Literature at the University of East Anglia, she worked as a multidisciplinary creative for environmental NGOs, with a focus on climate and conservation campaigns. She lives in Norwich with her pianist spouse, a small herd of animals, and more houseplants than she cares to admit. Send Flowers is her first novel.

About The Book

Fiona, better known as eco-influencer @FoliageFifi, hasn't left her flat since her boyfriend, Ed, died. She blames herself for what happened to him and for the failure of their climate activist group. But when Ed's favourite plant appears on her doorstep with an anonymous note, Fifi feels a glimmer of hope. She sprinkles his ashes into the soil and wakes to find that the plant has flowered. Not just that - it can talk. Her explanation? Ed is back. This time as a houseplant.

Intent on keeping Ed and his flowers alive, Fifi follows his cues into a world on the brink of climate collapse. But when Ed becomes demanding, urging her towards the people and places that left her scarred, Fifi realises that preserving his life could mean risking her own.

How far will she go to keep him blooming?

Set in a future that feels all too real, Emily Buchanan's startlingly original debut explores the right to protest amidst climate chaos, the importance of community in weathering life's storms and the resilience of love and hope in a world that seems beyond saving. Perfect for fans of Shark Heart by Emily Habeck, Death Valley by Melissa Broder, The Overstory by Richard Powers and Weather by Jenny Offill.

'Buchanan’s vision of a near-future Britain gives her fantastic premise a solid grounding... This very engaging novel never loses sight of the importance of banding together collectively and the self-affirming sense of belonging that comes with it' Herald

'Send Flowers is so much more than its brilliantly out-there concept: a climate activist's dead boyfriend comes back as a houseplant. Equal parts funny and furious, it's a book that blooms as you read it' Bobby Palmer, author of Isaac and the Egg

'Radical, hopeful stories are exactly what the world needs right now and through her characters, Emily gets to the heart of what drives activism now and throughout history: the simple hope that a better world is possible' Will McCallum, Executive Director, Greenpeace UK

Did You Know?

If there's a book you want that isn't in our stock, we can usually order it for you within a day or so? Ask us for details!

Tea and Coffee

While you're browsing our shelves, why not treat yourself to tasty hot drink? We have a variety of teas and a handmade Italian cappuccino machine, and we can prepare you any of the following:

Freshly Ground Coffees - £2.50

• Americano
• Latte
• Flat White
• Espresso

Quality Teas - £1.20

• English Breakfast
• English Breakfast Decaf
• Earl Grey
• Chamomile
• Lemongrass and Ginger
• Triple Mint

You can sit at one of our tables with a cup and saucer, or get your drink to go in one of our recyclable paper cups.

Social Media

You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram! Just search for @hartmannsbooks.

And that's it for this month. We'll be in touch again in November. In the meantime, we look forward to seeing you in the shop, where you're always guaranteed a warm welcome!

Happy reading!

Hayley & team

PS: If you've enjoyed this newsletter, please help spread the word to your friends in Portishead and beyond, and encourage them to sign-up using this link: https://hartmanns-books.ghost.io/