Goldsboro Books

Crime and thriller fans, this is your one week warning! 🚨 The Goldsboro Crime Collective subscription opens its case file THIS September 1st! With limited places up for grabs (and so many of you signed up to the waitlist) we're expecting this opportunity to disappear faster than a criminal on the run. Don’t delay if you want to be part of this exclusive community.

We’re thrilled to reveal our September book choice, and our very first pick for the Goldsboro Crime Collective book club: A Reluctant Spy by debut author David Goodman

Literary agent of the year nominee, Harry Illingworth, shares why A Reluctant Spy was a no-brainer choice for the new first-of-its-kind subscription.

"A Reluctant Spy is for me the perfect spy thriller and introduces a huge talent to the genre. The novel is smart, modern and pacy, with razor-sharp dialogue and humour through its vivid characters. It’ll keep you gripped to the edge of your seat as it reaches its explosive finale and surely leave you dying for more."

Find out more about the Goldsboro Crime Collective on our website now!

We are delighted to announce the shortlist for the 2024 Glass Bell Award 🏆

From a first-time longlist of fourteen titles, we have whittled them down to just six titles!

A richly detailed historical mystery (THE SQUARE OF SEVENS by Laura Shepherd-Robinson), a dual-timeline thriller (THE TURNGLASS by Gareth Rubin), a poignant World War I novel (IN MEMORIAM by Alice Winn), a gripping alternate historical narrative (LADY MACBETHAD by Isabelle Schuler), a dark and twisted psychological thriller (STRANGE SALLY DIAMOND by Liz Nugent) and a vivid Greek retelling (CLYTEMNESTRA by Costanza Casati), all make up the female-dominated shortlist.

Find out more information about the Glass Bell on our website now (full article in our website journal)

Our September 2024 GSFF pick is set in a world steeped in dark magic - Tales of a Monstrous Heart by Jennifer Delaney!

A half-Fey at the Institute of Magic, shunned by her peers and a prejudiced mortal council for her mixed blood, is left with only one option to graduate - to accept a Mage Partnership with a mysterious cursed war hero from a family with a history mired in forbidden magic. But their partnership only puts them in danger as dark magic threatens to bring forth long forgotten beasts locked away that could destroy their world.

Described as a love letter to the Brontë sisters, Tales of a Monstrous Heart is a dark fantasy brimming with the gothic elements reminiscent of 19th century literature and the presence of magic felt on every page. It is a tale of surviving grief and creating relationships that withstand battling dangerous creatures and forces of darkness.

The GSFF edition will have digitally sprayed edges and hidden foiling under the dust jacket! It will be signed and numbered by the author 📚✍️

✨As we come towards the end of Independent Bookshop Week, we are thrilled to announce the longlist for the eighth Glass Bell Award 🏆

A winner of the British Book Awards Debut of the Year, a serial killer thriller, an epic and sweeping mystery set in Georgian high society, Number One Sunday Times Bestsellers, a historical literary tale set in London and Jamaica’s sugar-cane plantations, and a bone-rattling fantasy thriller join this diverse list of books in contention for the 2024 Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award - our longest list to date with 14 extraordinary books! 📚

David Headley, Goldsboro Books co-founder, MD, and founder of the Glass Bell says, “There’s so much to be said about each of these remarkable novels, and I feel that this year will be particularly difficult choosing a winner because we couldn’t cut the longlist to our normal twelve, so passionate were the team about each book.”

📝 Find out more info about the Glass Bell on our website now (full article in our website journal)

🚨 Our PREMIER Book of the Month for September is a gripping debut thriller - Five by Five By Claire Wilson

What if the killer she’s hunting turns out to be the woman she’s falling for?

A gripping debut thriller in a unique location, from a major new talent in Scottish crime.

📚 Our PREM1ER edition comes with sprayed edges, head and tail bands, a ribbon, and bespoke endpapers, plus it will be signed and numbered by the author.

Just because the most dangerous criminals in society are caught and locked up, doesn’t mean they stop committing crime.

Sign up to PREM1ER on our website today if you don’t want to miss out on any more stunning collectibles! 📖

📚⭐️ Discovering the perfect sci-fi or fantasy book today can be a delightful challenge with so many sub-genres, authors, tropes, and special editions to pick from. But worry not, our series of bookseller recommendations is here to guide you.

Today, our resident sci-fi and fantasy expert, Harveen, shares her favourite recent reads, sharing a variation of fantasy recommendations packed full of wagon chases, dragons, magical books, assassins, and thrilling adventures.

Harveen’s recommendations:
The Hunters by David Wragg
Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland
Dragon Rider by Taran Matharu
The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers
The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown
The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley by Sean Lusk
Until We Shatter by Kate Dylan

Read why Harveen chose these 7 books on our website now!

(You’ll find the full article in our journal section)

🚨Introducing the Goldsboro Crime Collective

A new venture set to invigorate the crime fiction world.

Tailored specifically for crime fiction fans, this innovative subscription service promises to redefine the reading experience for genre enthusiasts.

Find more information on our website now and register your interest in our NEW subscription 📚

Coming September 2024!

Raised to obey. Destined to rebel.

Our July 2024 GSFF pick is a debut fantasy inspired by ancient legends - The Night Ends with Fire by K.X. Song! 🐉

When a young woman is sold by her addict father to a violent and ill-tempered husband, she enlists in the army in disguise as a last chance at freedom to choose her own path. As she becomes embroiled in the future of her kingdom, she questions her loyalties and her long held ideals. The Night Ends with Fire is a testament to the developing sub-genre of fantasy dedicated to books inspired by Chinese history and mythology, expanding on the space of retellings and reimaginings.

The GSFF edition has a digitally sprayed edge and hidden foiling under the dust jacket. It will be signed and numbered by the author.

GSFF is currently fully subscribed, but you can join the waitlist today by getting in touch at: [email protected]

📚 Our passionate booksellers are always ready to chat about books and to continue our series of bookseller recommendations, Brighton bookseller Ellen, shares some of her favourite recent reads.

“While I’m not sure I’d be able to pin down one genre as my favourite, I will always reach for character-driven, intrigue-laden stories. I also have a fondness for non-fiction, especially anything historical. Generally, my conditions for liking a book centre around two things: how likely it is to make me cry, and how attached I feel to the characters.”

Ellen’s recommendations:
🚀 Floating Hotel by Grace Curtis
🕶️ The Lagos Wife by Vanessa Walters
📝 Shakespeare’s Sisters by Ramie Targoff
💖 Sweetness in the Skin by Ishi Robinson
✨ The Principle of Moments by Esme Jikiemi-Pearson

Read why Ellen chose these 5 books on our website now!

(You’ll find the full article in our journal section)

📚 Finding a book that you love and want to add to your collection can be overwhelming, especially with so many new books and special editions hitting the shelves every week. But worry no more! We are lucky enough to read hundreds of books at Goldsboro Books and what better place to start than with your trusted (and favourite) bookshop’s booksellers.

Today the recommendations come from Goldsboro Books Manager, Rebecca.

“I am a self-confessed magpie when it comes to books of all genres, with a particular soft spot for historical and speculative fiction, books that make me cry, and spine-tingling books that keep me anxiously watching over my shoulder. I may not finish every book that comes my way, as I’m often juggling 2-3 books at a time, but I know within the first chapter whether I will fall in love with it.”

Rebecca’s recommendations:
🤲A Sign of Her Own by Sarah Marsh
✨Medea by Rosie Hewlett
📖The Library Thief by Kuchenga Shenje
🥀The Potting Shed Murder by Paula Sutton
⏳The Ministry of Time By Kaliane Bradley
🤖William by Mason Coile

Read why Rebecca chose these 6 books on our website now!

(You’ll find the full article in our journal section)

📢 Surprise!

We are absolutely delighted to announce this year's Fantasy in the Court attending authors ✨️

***SOLD OUT EVENT***

We are so excited to be welcoming:
Adrian Tchaikovsky
James Logan
Hannah Kaner
Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson
Chris & Jen Sugden
JJA Harwood
Anna Stephens
A. B. Poranek
Grace Curtis
Joanne Harris
Claire North
Ben Aaronovitch
Lucy Holland
Georgia Summers
Molly X. Chang
A. S Webb
Francesca May
Marianne Gordon
Adam Simcox
Catriona Silvey
Taran Matharu
Rebecca Zahabi
Frances White
James Barclay
C.L. Clark
Laura Sebastian
David Wragg
Natasha Pulley
Thomas D. Lee
A.Y. Chao
Cari Thomas

Our PREMIER Book of the Month for July is the thrilling and captivating debut novel - The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks ✨️

Prepare to be enthralled from start to finish. With its steampunk allure and allegorical depth, this novel offers a spellbinding experience akin to embarking on a transformative adventure. Impeccably paced and elegantly crafted, it earns its place as an instant classic, inviting all aboard for a mesmerising voyage through the Wastelands.

Our PREM1ER edition is entirely bespoke - with an exclusive colourway dustjacket, stencilled edges and hidden gold foiling, this is one you don't want to miss from your collection📚

Don’t miss out on another exceptional PREM1ER pick by signing up today on our website!

The 2024 Easter egg hunt is on! 🐣

We’ve hidden 10 Golden Eggs across our website, complete with generous discount codes of all sizes which can be used on any book of your choice (excluding future releases, only one discount code per order) up until 11.59pm Sunday 31st March (GMT). 📚

✨️All you have to do is work out which books we’re referring to in the clues, find their page on our website & discover your discount!

Guess all 10 books correctly and you could be in with the chance of winning our Spring bundle (£100 gift voucher + 4 proofs). Enter by sending us a message via email, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with your 10 guesses. The winner will be notified on Tuesday 2nd April.

🐰 PLUS this year we've had an infestation of bunnies...whilst we managed to clear out most of them, 5 errant rabbits have hidden themselves on our website. Find all five, send us their locations and you'll be entered into an additional giveaway to win a £25 gift voucher. 🐰

Good luck & Happy Easter weekend from all the team here at Goldsboro Books 💖

🔒 Unlock the secrets of The Library Thief! 🗝

Pre-order a signed copy of The Library Thief before 09/04/24 for a chance to win this hand-painted fore-edge copy! (Limited to one lucky winner)

📖 In 1896, Florence's journey begins, intertwining with scandal, family secrets, and a mysterious library break-in. Don't miss out on your chance to dive into a world filled with intrigue and whispers. Pre-order this captivating and skillfully written debut now!

Behind the Bookshelf: Exploring The World of a Publishing Editor with Katherine Armstrong 📚

An engaging conversation into the intricate world of a publisher editor. 🔍

Katherine offers an insider’s perspective on the editorial process and the journey of a book from manuscript to a bookshelf.

🎧 Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts! https://www.buzzsprout.com/1922897/14696246-behind-the-bookshelf-exploring-the-world-of-a-publishing-editor-with-katherine-armstrong

Our PREMIER Book of the Month for June is the fantastic new book by A. J. West - The Betrayal of Thomas True 🦚

With lyrical prose and gripping suspense, this historical thriller will captivate you from start to finish. Heartbreaking yet enchanting, it's a tale of love, betrayal, and the struggle for survival in a world where darkness lurks at every turn.

✨️ Our PREM1ER edition created in collaboration with Orenda Books will have stunning stencilled edges and illustrated endpapers, plus it will be signed and numbered by the author. And, as always guaranteed at Goldsboro Books, a collectible first edition.

Don’t miss out on another exceptional PREM1ER pick by signing up today on our website! 📚

Five ruthless killers. Five deadly motives. One king - who must die. 🗡

Our May GSFF pick is Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland 🗡

An epic fantasy debut inspire by Korean myth and legend. With morally grey characters guided by love and revenge, each harbouring their own secrets and agendas, the story unfolds in a symphony of deceit and betrayal. Five Broken Blades promises to be the start of an enthralling trilogy, rich with diversity and global influences and completely unputdownable!🗡

This May our members will receive an extra special edition with this exclusive blue colourway, digitally sprayed edges, stunning artwork on the endpapers (as seen in the second image) and this will be signed by the author, numbered and a first edition, as always guaranteed at Goldsboro Books 💙🗡

GSFF is currently fully subscribed, but you can join the waitlist today by getting in touch at: [email protected]🗡

🎶 Join us as we celebrate the launch of a fascinating new book exploring all things ABBA with author Giles Smith interviewed by ABBA fan and bestselling author Frances Quinn

🗓️ Wednesday 8th May 2024
⏰ 6.30pm
📍Goldsboro Books Brighton
🎟️ Events page on Goldsboro website

We dive deeper into the world of publishing in our latest podcast episode, as David interviews former actor turned agent, Emily Glenister.

Emily shares her expert advice on how to submit to an agent,✔️ where her passion for books originated from 📚 and reveals her own unique book collection and treasured gems. 🌟

Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts 🎧

👉 https://www.buzzsprout.com/1922897/14601212-interview-with-literary-agent-former-actor-emily-glenister

Our PREMIER Book of the Month for May is a gloriously uplifting novel - The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers by Samuel Burr 🧩

📖 Perfect for the Spring, Samuel Burr's debut novel is a breath of fresh air; with characters as real and flawed as life itself, it's bursting with love, hope, and a sense of community. From crossword puzzles to the mysteries of identity, it's a joyous conundrum unpicked with wit and empathy.

Don’t miss out on another exceptional PREM1ER pick by signing up today on our website! 📚

🧩Sometimes finding your place in the world is the greatest puzzle of all...🧩

Clayton Stumper is an enigma.

He might be twenty-five years old, but he dresses like your grandad and drinks sherry like your aunt.

Abandoned at birth on the steps of the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers, he was raised by the sharpest minds in the British Isles and finds himself amongst the last survivors of a fading institution.

When the esteemed crossword compiler, Pippa Allsbrook, passes away, she bestows her final puzzle to him: a promise to reveal the mystery of his parentage and prepare him for his future.

Yet as Clay begins to unpick the clues, he uncovers something even the Fellowship have never been able to solve - and it's a secret that will change everything...

🔥 From the ashes of an empire, a hero will rise...

Our April GSFF pick is Dragon Rider by Taran Matharu 🐉

Amidst the ashes of a fallen empire, Jai, a young servant, seizes his chance for freedom and revenge, embarking on an epic journey with a fierce warrior and a stolen dragon egg. With scorching battles, intricate politics, and a riveting personal quest, this captivating epic unfolds with breathtaking intensity and intricate world building; seamlessly blending tradition with innovation in the fantasy genre.

✨️ This April our members will indulge in the epitome of collectible luxury with our exclusive slipcase edition of this glorious book - dazzling with gold foil, this will be signed by the author, numbered and a first edition, as always guaranteed at Goldsboro Books 📚

-Image one shows the slipcase design
-Image two shows the dragon egg design of the book that will come in the slipcase

GSFF is currently fully subscribed, but you can join the waitlist today by getting in touch at: [email protected]

📢 Our PREMIER Book of the Month for April is THE gripping, high-octane thriller of 2024 by Robert Rutherford - Seven Days ⏱️

Guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat, Robert Rutherford has created an intricate and masterfully executed race-against-time thriller that keeps the tension ratcheting up until the very end. His tightly woven plot and polished writing promises a reading experience that will leave you breathless 💥

If you aren't already a member of PREM1ER, what are you waiting for?! Sign up today and you'll never miss out on high quality collectible books ever again 📚

*****

Your father is on death row.
You have seven days to save him.
But do you want to?

Alice knows her father is guilty of many things.
He's guilty of abandoning her.
He's guilty of being unfaithful to her mother.
But is he guilty of murder?

Now on Death Row, he has seven days to live.
Some people want him released.
Others will kill to keep him just where he is.
Alice has only one chance to save him.
But should she?

*****