Nic the Bookseller
@nic-v.bsky.social
Part-time bookseller, full-time reader.
Bristol, UK.
When I read a book, I post a little review here.
Bristol, UK.
When I read a book, I post a little review here.
Well-written literary fiction set in rural Tasmania in the past (C19th?).
Twins Iris and Floyd are itinerant outcasts; hearing of a bounty for a dangerous puma, Dusk, they join an untrustworthy stranger to hunt her.
The prose is stark yet evocative of both characters and landscape.
#books
ππποΈ
Twins Iris and Floyd are itinerant outcasts; hearing of a bounty for a dangerous puma, Dusk, they join an untrustworthy stranger to hunt her.
The prose is stark yet evocative of both characters and landscape.
#books
ππποΈ
February 19, 2026 at 3:48 PM
Well-written literary fiction set in rural Tasmania in the past (C19th?).
Twins Iris and Floyd are itinerant outcasts; hearing of a bounty for a dangerous puma, Dusk, they join an untrustworthy stranger to hunt her.
The prose is stark yet evocative of both characters and landscape.
#books
ππποΈ
Twins Iris and Floyd are itinerant outcasts; hearing of a bounty for a dangerous puma, Dusk, they join an untrustworthy stranger to hunt her.
The prose is stark yet evocative of both characters and landscape.
#books
ππποΈ
A warm-hearted Japanese story with fantasy and fairytale elements.
Seven separate teenagers find their mirrors lead to a magical castle. There they learn about friendship, empathy and human connection.
With themes of bullying, anxiety and emotional resilience.
Charming and touching.
#books
πππͺ
Seven separate teenagers find their mirrors lead to a magical castle. There they learn about friendship, empathy and human connection.
With themes of bullying, anxiety and emotional resilience.
Charming and touching.
#books
πππͺ
February 17, 2026 at 7:11 PM
A warm-hearted Japanese story with fantasy and fairytale elements.
Seven separate teenagers find their mirrors lead to a magical castle. There they learn about friendship, empathy and human connection.
With themes of bullying, anxiety and emotional resilience.
Charming and touching.
#books
πππͺ
Seven separate teenagers find their mirrors lead to a magical castle. There they learn about friendship, empathy and human connection.
With themes of bullying, anxiety and emotional resilience.
Charming and touching.
#books
πππͺ
Hereβs an enjoyable and readable time-travel mystery by @ellygriffiths.bsky.social.
Ali Dawson is a police officer working on cold cases in London. She travels to 1850 to investigate the murders of women. And gets stuck there for a whileβ¦
Suspend your disbelief and enjoy the ride!
#booksππβ‘οΈ
Ali Dawson is a police officer working on cold cases in London. She travels to 1850 to investigate the murders of women. And gets stuck there for a whileβ¦
Suspend your disbelief and enjoy the ride!
#booksππβ‘οΈ
February 14, 2026 at 6:56 PM
Hereβs an enjoyable and readable time-travel mystery by @ellygriffiths.bsky.social.
Ali Dawson is a police officer working on cold cases in London. She travels to 1850 to investigate the murders of women. And gets stuck there for a whileβ¦
Suspend your disbelief and enjoy the ride!
#booksππβ‘οΈ
Ali Dawson is a police officer working on cold cases in London. She travels to 1850 to investigate the murders of women. And gets stuck there for a whileβ¦
Suspend your disbelief and enjoy the ride!
#booksππβ‘οΈ
Traditional media supports you- if youβre married to the Editor of The Guardian!
February 12, 2026 at 5:53 PM
Traditional media supports you- if youβre married to the Editor of The Guardian!
Yes, I preferred My Sister, The Serial Killer to this one, but theyβre both good!
February 12, 2026 at 5:43 PM
Yes, I preferred My Sister, The Serial Killer to this one, but theyβre both good!
In her critique/history of twentieth and twenty-first century psychiatry, @mariekebigg.bsky.social considers the social model of mental health and illness.
Can mental distress be explained by biology?(no, not really).
How can the mental health system ensure help over harm?
#books
πππ‘
Can mental distress be explained by biology?(no, not really).
How can the mental health system ensure help over harm?
#books
πππ‘
February 12, 2026 at 5:41 PM
In her critique/history of twentieth and twenty-first century psychiatry, @mariekebigg.bsky.social considers the social model of mental health and illness.
Can mental distress be explained by biology?(no, not really).
How can the mental health system ensure help over harm?
#books
πππ‘
Can mental distress be explained by biology?(no, not really).
How can the mental health system ensure help over harm?
#books
πππ‘
My school motto was Go And Do Thou Likewise.
Which is good, because itβs from the parable of The Good Samaritan.
But less good, if you remember that my school was Colstonβs Girlsβ School, and you donβt really want to be Doing Likewise to him.
(Is your school sponsored by Ladbrokeβs?)
Which is good, because itβs from the parable of The Good Samaritan.
But less good, if you remember that my school was Colstonβs Girlsβ School, and you donβt really want to be Doing Likewise to him.
(Is your school sponsored by Ladbrokeβs?)
February 12, 2026 at 11:17 AM
My school motto was Go And Do Thou Likewise.
Which is good, because itβs from the parable of The Good Samaritan.
But less good, if you remember that my school was Colstonβs Girlsβ School, and you donβt really want to be Doing Likewise to him.
(Is your school sponsored by Ladbrokeβs?)
Which is good, because itβs from the parable of The Good Samaritan.
But less good, if you remember that my school was Colstonβs Girlsβ School, and you donβt really want to be Doing Likewise to him.
(Is your school sponsored by Ladbrokeβs?)
Just home from a brilliant event with the fantastic author Ali Smith.
Sheβs so great!
I love her books, but Iβd never seen her in person before (she signed a book for me π).
She spoke about her most recent novels, Gliff and Glyph, which I strongly recommend to everyone who loves stories.
ππποΈ
Sheβs so great!
I love her books, but Iβd never seen her in person before (she signed a book for me π).
She spoke about her most recent novels, Gliff and Glyph, which I strongly recommend to everyone who loves stories.
ππποΈ
February 11, 2026 at 9:16 PM
Just home from a brilliant event with the fantastic author Ali Smith.
Sheβs so great!
I love her books, but Iβd never seen her in person before (she signed a book for me π).
She spoke about her most recent novels, Gliff and Glyph, which I strongly recommend to everyone who loves stories.
ππποΈ
Sheβs so great!
I love her books, but Iβd never seen her in person before (she signed a book for me π).
She spoke about her most recent novels, Gliff and Glyph, which I strongly recommend to everyone who loves stories.
ππποΈ
Longlisted for the Climate Fiction Prize @climate-fiction.bsky.social
February 10, 2026 at 3:44 PM
Longlisted for the Climate Fiction Prize @climate-fiction.bsky.social
The Brooke family, owners of 1000 acres of English countryside, gather to bury their father.
I enjoyed this thoughtful, engaging and readable novel; themes of class, family relationships, suppressed emotions, and our responsibilities towards the environment, history and the future.
#books
ππποΈ
I enjoyed this thoughtful, engaging and readable novel; themes of class, family relationships, suppressed emotions, and our responsibilities towards the environment, history and the future.
#books
ππποΈ
February 10, 2026 at 3:43 PM
The Brooke family, owners of 1000 acres of English countryside, gather to bury their father.
I enjoyed this thoughtful, engaging and readable novel; themes of class, family relationships, suppressed emotions, and our responsibilities towards the environment, history and the future.
#books
ππποΈ
I enjoyed this thoughtful, engaging and readable novel; themes of class, family relationships, suppressed emotions, and our responsibilities towards the environment, history and the future.
#books
ππποΈ
Reposted by Nic the Bookseller
The Climate Fiction Prize 2026 longlist is here! π€©π
This longlist shows the limitless scope of climate fiction, from gripping thrillers to experimental literary works, folklore and reimagined myths to science fiction and generational family saga.
Full list here: climatefictionprize.co.uk
This longlist shows the limitless scope of climate fiction, from gripping thrillers to experimental literary works, folklore and reimagined myths to science fiction and generational family saga.
Full list here: climatefictionprize.co.uk
February 5, 2026 at 5:29 PM
The Climate Fiction Prize 2026 longlist is here! π€©π
This longlist shows the limitless scope of climate fiction, from gripping thrillers to experimental literary works, folklore and reimagined myths to science fiction and generational family saga.
Full list here: climatefictionprize.co.uk
This longlist shows the limitless scope of climate fiction, from gripping thrillers to experimental literary works, folklore and reimagined myths to science fiction and generational family saga.
Full list here: climatefictionprize.co.uk
The characters in this moving and poetic novel will stay with me for a long time.
From the 1860s to the present day, generations of Native Americans survive displacement and institutional oppression, at a cost, by holding on to culture and care.
Heartbreaking, epic, tender, & truthful.
#books
ππποΈ
From the 1860s to the present day, generations of Native Americans survive displacement and institutional oppression, at a cost, by holding on to culture and care.
Heartbreaking, epic, tender, & truthful.
#books
ππποΈ
February 7, 2026 at 3:14 PM
The characters in this moving and poetic novel will stay with me for a long time.
From the 1860s to the present day, generations of Native Americans survive displacement and institutional oppression, at a cost, by holding on to culture and care.
Heartbreaking, epic, tender, & truthful.
#books
ππποΈ
From the 1860s to the present day, generations of Native Americans survive displacement and institutional oppression, at a cost, by holding on to culture and care.
Heartbreaking, epic, tender, & truthful.
#books
ππποΈ
I was expecting a well-plotted, atmospheric thriller from @sarahhilary.bsky.social, and wasnβt disappointed.
But I was thrilled to encounter an actually believable, authentic, and relatable autistic character in Agnes, the young woman at the heart of this novel.
Insightful and tense.
#books
ππβ‘οΈ
But I was thrilled to encounter an actually believable, authentic, and relatable autistic character in Agnes, the young woman at the heart of this novel.
Insightful and tense.
#books
ππβ‘οΈ
February 5, 2026 at 6:44 PM
I was expecting a well-plotted, atmospheric thriller from @sarahhilary.bsky.social, and wasnβt disappointed.
But I was thrilled to encounter an actually believable, authentic, and relatable autistic character in Agnes, the young woman at the heart of this novel.
Insightful and tense.
#books
ππβ‘οΈ
But I was thrilled to encounter an actually believable, authentic, and relatable autistic character in Agnes, the young woman at the heart of this novel.
Insightful and tense.
#books
ππβ‘οΈ
A fascinating memoir originally published in 1938.
The author leaves her comfortable life in Central Europe to spend a year on the arctic island of Spitsbergen with her husband. They survive in a basic hut.
The writing is vivid, connecting deeply with the harsh reality of nature.
#books
πππ‘
The author leaves her comfortable life in Central Europe to spend a year on the arctic island of Spitsbergen with her husband. They survive in a basic hut.
The writing is vivid, connecting deeply with the harsh reality of nature.
#books
πππ‘
February 3, 2026 at 4:12 PM
A fascinating memoir originally published in 1938.
The author leaves her comfortable life in Central Europe to spend a year on the arctic island of Spitsbergen with her husband. They survive in a basic hut.
The writing is vivid, connecting deeply with the harsh reality of nature.
#books
πππ‘
The author leaves her comfortable life in Central Europe to spend a year on the arctic island of Spitsbergen with her husband. They survive in a basic hut.
The writing is vivid, connecting deeply with the harsh reality of nature.
#books
πππ‘
An engaging story about love, family, & destiny, set in Nigeria.
The lives of Eniiyi, her dead aunt Monife whom she resembles, and other family women are interwoven to consider fate, heartbreak, autonomy and intergenerational pain.
Are they doomed to repeat past patterns?
Captivating.
#books
ππποΈ
The lives of Eniiyi, her dead aunt Monife whom she resembles, and other family women are interwoven to consider fate, heartbreak, autonomy and intergenerational pain.
Are they doomed to repeat past patterns?
Captivating.
#books
ππποΈ
February 1, 2026 at 1:33 PM
An engaging story about love, family, & destiny, set in Nigeria.
The lives of Eniiyi, her dead aunt Monife whom she resembles, and other family women are interwoven to consider fate, heartbreak, autonomy and intergenerational pain.
Are they doomed to repeat past patterns?
Captivating.
#books
ππποΈ
The lives of Eniiyi, her dead aunt Monife whom she resembles, and other family women are interwoven to consider fate, heartbreak, autonomy and intergenerational pain.
Are they doomed to repeat past patterns?
Captivating.
#books
ππποΈ
Excellent thread.
Makes sense.
Makes sense.
January 30, 2026 at 5:01 PM
Excellent thread.
Makes sense.
Makes sense.
The most striking thing about this forthcoming book by @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social is the preponderance of hope.
βIdeas have powerβ, she reminds us, with clear-eyed analysis and encouragement to connect.
βLiberation is contagiousβ - even in this time of monsters.
Brilliant & vital.
UK 26/3/26
πππ‘
βIdeas have powerβ, she reminds us, with clear-eyed analysis and encouragement to connect.
βLiberation is contagiousβ - even in this time of monsters.
Brilliant & vital.
UK 26/3/26
πππ‘
January 30, 2026 at 4:41 PM
The most striking thing about this forthcoming book by @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social is the preponderance of hope.
βIdeas have powerβ, she reminds us, with clear-eyed analysis and encouragement to connect.
βLiberation is contagiousβ - even in this time of monsters.
Brilliant & vital.
UK 26/3/26
πππ‘
βIdeas have powerβ, she reminds us, with clear-eyed analysis and encouragement to connect.
βLiberation is contagiousβ - even in this time of monsters.
Brilliant & vital.
UK 26/3/26
πππ‘
A spicy new murder mystery novel by @alessandraranelli.bsky.social set in modern-day Vienna, with a timeless, golden-age feel.
Sterling is the concierge at an infamous love hotel, facilitating anonymous liaisons. When two guests are found dead, can she find the killer?
UK publ. 30/4/26
#books
ππβ‘οΈ
Sterling is the concierge at an infamous love hotel, facilitating anonymous liaisons. When two guests are found dead, can she find the killer?
UK publ. 30/4/26
#books
ππβ‘οΈ
January 28, 2026 at 4:25 PM
A spicy new murder mystery novel by @alessandraranelli.bsky.social set in modern-day Vienna, with a timeless, golden-age feel.
Sterling is the concierge at an infamous love hotel, facilitating anonymous liaisons. When two guests are found dead, can she find the killer?
UK publ. 30/4/26
#books
ππβ‘οΈ
Sterling is the concierge at an infamous love hotel, facilitating anonymous liaisons. When two guests are found dead, can she find the killer?
UK publ. 30/4/26
#books
ππβ‘οΈ
Hereβs a great review of Glyph, the new novel by Ali Smith which is brilliant and should be read by everyone!
Iβm so excited about seeing her in Bristol on 11th February.
Tickets available here:
www.thesmallcitybookshop.co.uk/event-detail...
ππποΈ
Iβm so excited about seeing her in Bristol on 11th February.
Tickets available here:
www.thesmallcitybookshop.co.uk/event-detail...
ππποΈ
January 27, 2026 at 4:06 PM
Hereβs a great review of Glyph, the new novel by Ali Smith which is brilliant and should be read by everyone!
Iβm so excited about seeing her in Bristol on 11th February.
Tickets available here:
www.thesmallcitybookshop.co.uk/event-detail...
ππποΈ
Iβm so excited about seeing her in Bristol on 11th February.
Tickets available here:
www.thesmallcitybookshop.co.uk/event-detail...
ππποΈ
I absolutely loved this brilliant new speculative eco-fiction.
People are turning into trees. They pick a spot, stand still, and gradually take root.
Bren & Caelyn, leading unsatisfying late-capitalist lives in Australia, investigate the phenomenon.
Sharp writing; resonant & profound.
#books
πππͺ
People are turning into trees. They pick a spot, stand still, and gradually take root.
Bren & Caelyn, leading unsatisfying late-capitalist lives in Australia, investigate the phenomenon.
Sharp writing; resonant & profound.
#books
πππͺ
January 26, 2026 at 4:56 PM
I absolutely loved this brilliant new speculative eco-fiction.
People are turning into trees. They pick a spot, stand still, and gradually take root.
Bren & Caelyn, leading unsatisfying late-capitalist lives in Australia, investigate the phenomenon.
Sharp writing; resonant & profound.
#books
πππͺ
People are turning into trees. They pick a spot, stand still, and gradually take root.
Bren & Caelyn, leading unsatisfying late-capitalist lives in Australia, investigate the phenomenon.
Sharp writing; resonant & profound.
#books
πππͺ
The intertwining stories of three generations of gay men in modern India.
Vivaan, an out and very online teenager; Mambro, his uncle, who struggles with persecution in the β90s/β00s; and his grand uncle Sukumar, forced to live a life of secrecy.
Vivid writing with lots of detail.
#books
ππποΈ
ππ
Vivaan, an out and very online teenager; Mambro, his uncle, who struggles with persecution in the β90s/β00s; and his grand uncle Sukumar, forced to live a life of secrecy.
Vivid writing with lots of detail.
#books
ππποΈ
ππ
January 24, 2026 at 2:54 PM
The intertwining stories of three generations of gay men in modern India.
Vivaan, an out and very online teenager; Mambro, his uncle, who struggles with persecution in the β90s/β00s; and his grand uncle Sukumar, forced to live a life of secrecy.
Vivid writing with lots of detail.
#books
ππποΈ
ππ
Vivaan, an out and very online teenager; Mambro, his uncle, who struggles with persecution in the β90s/β00s; and his grand uncle Sukumar, forced to live a life of secrecy.
Vivid writing with lots of detail.
#books
ππποΈ
ππ
Really interesting and insightful reportage on the trial in Australia of Erin Patterson, who poisoned her relatives.
These three accomplished writers interrogate our attitudes to women who kill and the βTrue Crimeβ genre, with mature and compassionate reflections.
Enlightening.
#books
πππ‘
These three accomplished writers interrogate our attitudes to women who kill and the βTrue Crimeβ genre, with mature and compassionate reflections.
Enlightening.
#books
πππ‘
January 23, 2026 at 5:10 PM
Really interesting and insightful reportage on the trial in Australia of Erin Patterson, who poisoned her relatives.
These three accomplished writers interrogate our attitudes to women who kill and the βTrue Crimeβ genre, with mature and compassionate reflections.
Enlightening.
#books
πππ‘
These three accomplished writers interrogate our attitudes to women who kill and the βTrue Crimeβ genre, with mature and compassionate reflections.
Enlightening.
#books
πππ‘
Nah, itβs all those other people being not good at networking! With their mistaken first impressions, and voice & word misjudgements.
Cut them some slack, innit?
Cut them some slack, innit?
January 23, 2026 at 2:43 PM
Nah, itβs all those other people being not good at networking! With their mistaken first impressions, and voice & word misjudgements.
Cut them some slack, innit?
Cut them some slack, innit?
I couldnβt put down this debut psychological thriller by @leodora.bsky.social
Natalie has a secret - but does she really know what happened to her exes? And can her new husband be trusted?
Very suspenseful; unfolds across several timelines, with great characters & many twists.
12/2/26
#books
ππβ‘οΈ
Natalie has a secret - but does she really know what happened to her exes? And can her new husband be trusted?
Very suspenseful; unfolds across several timelines, with great characters & many twists.
12/2/26
#books
ππβ‘οΈ
January 21, 2026 at 4:23 PM
I couldnβt put down this debut psychological thriller by @leodora.bsky.social
Natalie has a secret - but does she really know what happened to her exes? And can her new husband be trusted?
Very suspenseful; unfolds across several timelines, with great characters & many twists.
12/2/26
#books
ππβ‘οΈ
Natalie has a secret - but does she really know what happened to her exes? And can her new husband be trusted?
Very suspenseful; unfolds across several timelines, with great characters & many twists.
12/2/26
#books
ππβ‘οΈ