October in the Shop

Hello, friends!

Welcome to Spooky Season!

In the run-up to Halloween, we have plenty of spooky books for all ages, from Bluey to Bram Stoker. So skip the tricks and pop in and buy yourself a seasonal treat!

The coming of autumn is also a big relief for us. The shop has large east-facing windows, so during the heatwaves, mornings were particularly warm!

Now, with the cooler weather, we're switching our focus away from summer romance to cosier reads. Autumn's always a great time to curl up with a hot drink and a murder mystery, classic ghost story, or seasonal recipe book.

As always, we're more than happy to give recommendations to help guide you to your next great read, so just pop in and tell us the kind of thing you like and we'll work our magic!

October Events

Book Club

Our book club meets in the shop at 6.30 pm on the last Wednesday of every month. If you'd like to join in, just show up. All are welcome.

This month, our book will be: Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson.

A tender and emotionally complex debut about the relationship between two young Black British artists, Open Water shines a light on the ways love and race can be interlinked in modern society.

• Shortlisted for the Waterstones Book of the Year 2021
• Waterstones Fiction Book of the Month for February 2022
• Shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize 2022.
• Winner of the Costa First Novel Award 2021
• Winner of The British Book Awards 2022 Debut Book of the Year
• Shortlisted for the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award 2021

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 - The Artists by Lucy Steeds
• Matilda - A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang
• Gareth - The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Tea and Coffee

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

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

Hot Chocolate - £1.20

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.

Book Tokens

Book tokens make the perfect gift for any age. We offer vouchers specifically for our shop, as well as National Book Tokens that can be spent anywhere, and you can choose any amount that suits your needs, from £1 to £250. Just ask at the till for details.

Book Recommendation

Who does the Mona Lisa actually depict?
Why do we still look to the Greeks and Romans to inform our politics?
Where do we find meaning in a world dominated by technology?

Culture is like a language. Art, architecture, history and philosophy are its grammar. And, like a language, anyone can learn it.

In 2022, Sheehan Quirke took to Twitter (now X) as The Cultural Tutor with the aim of making culture accessible for everyone. He wrote about poetry, paintings, building design, and counter-intuitive but fascinating facts about history and geography. It wasn’t the sort of content you usually find on a newsfeed – and yet it has flourished, gaining over 1.7 million followers.

Taught in forty-nine short lessons – from Babylon to Brutalism, Ronaldo to Ragnarök – Sheehan takes readers on a delightful and fascinating journey through culture. He explores provocative questions (is mythology any different to science?) and uncovers illuminating stories (did you know that the highest paid athlete in history was a Roman charioteer?).

This is a witty and thought-provoking exploration of everything you need to know to begin your own adventures in the world of culture and see the everyday wonders around you.

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

Read on!

Hayley & team

Hartmanns Books
28-30 High Street
Portishead
BS20 6EN
07949 480856

www.hartmanns-books.co.uk

Opening Hours

• Mon-Fri: 10.00 am - 5.00 pm
• Sat: 9.30 am - 5.30 pm

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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 at our website: https://www.hartmanns-books.co.uk/