Book of the Week
Three-a-Penny by Lucy Malleson
This describes what it is like to be a woman in a man's world - about the ups and downs of earning a living as a writer in the 1920s and 30s. Lucy Malleson wrote over 70 crime novels and was part of what is often referred to as the Golden Age of crime writing. But in order to be published she used a male pseudonym, and successfully concealed her true identity for many years. From the poignancy of the First World War and its aftermath to the invitation to join the infamous Detection Club, this re-discovered classic gives a fascinating insight into what life was like as a woman living and working in a largely male world during and after the First World War.
Dark Matter by Michelle Paver
A terrifying 1930s ghost story set in the haunting wilderness of the far north. January 1937. Clouds of war are gathering over a fogbound London. Twenty-eight year old Jack is poor, lonely and desperate to change his life. So when he's offered the chance to join an Arctic expedition, he jumps at it. Spirits are high as the ship leaves Norway: five men and eight huskies, crossing the Barents Sea by the light of the midnight sun. At last they reach the remote, uninhabited bay where they will camp for the next year. Gruhuken. But the Arctic summer is brief. As night returns to claim the land, Jack feels a creeping unease. One by one, his companions are forced to leave. He faces a stark choice. Stay or go. Soon he will see the last of the sun, as the polar night engulfs the camp in months of darkness. Soon he will reach the point of no return - when the sea will freeze, making escape impossible. And Gruhuken is not uninhabited. Jack is not alone. Something walks there in the dark...
Ealing in 50 Buildings by Paul Howard Land & Jonathan Oates
Known as the 'Queen of the Suburbs', Ealing is best known as being home to the world-famous Ealing Studios, the oldest film studios still in operation. However, there's much more to Ealing's historical and architectural heritage than this. Ealing in 50 Buildings explores the history of this West London borough through a selection of its greatest architectural treasures, from the Grade I listed medieval St Mary's Church in Perivale to the twenty-first-century gurdwara in Havelock Road, the biggest Sikh temple outside India.
There are buildings associated with famous people, such as the Poor Law school, which was attended by Charlie Chaplin; public buildings such as St Bernard's Hospital, where reforming surgeon Dr John Conolly worked; as well as mansions designed by John Soane. Local authors and historians Paul Howard Lang and Dr Jonathan Oates celebrate Ealing's architectural heritage in a new and accessible way as they guide the reader around the borough's historic and modern buildings.
These are the books that were most popular with our customers last week......
1. Twas the Nightshift before Christmas by Adam Kay
2. No-one is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg
3. A Ladybird Book about Donald Trump
4. The Body by Bill Bryson
5. Death Comes at Christmas by Gladys Mitchell
6 Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
7. Written in History: Letters that Changed the World by Simon Sebag-Montefiore
8. She Speaks by Yvette Cooper
9. Lady in Waiting by Anne Glenconner
10. A Short History of London by Simon Jenkins
If you would like to read any of these books, please send us a message from our contacts page, and we will reserve a copy for you.
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante is currently showing at the National Theatre
A modern masterpiece from one of Italy's most acclaimed authors, My Brilliant Friend is a rich, intense and generous hearted story about two friends, Elena and Lila. Ferrante's inimitable style lends itself perfectly to a meticulous portrait of these two women that is also the story of a nation and a touching meditation on the nature of friendship. Through the lives of these two women, Ferrante tells the story of a neighbourhood, a city and a country as it is transformed in ways that, in turn, also transform the relationship between her two protagonists.
Pitshanger Bookshop has been a feature on Pitshanger Lane for nearly 20 years. My name is Fiona Kennedy and I've owned the shop since August 2011.
