Ask a Bookseller: Kibworth Books

Kibworth Books

Bookshops are the very best places to go for book recommendations – and booksellers are the friendliest, most knowledgeable of readers!

Ask a Bookseller brings the brilliance of bookseller recommendations to Caboodle. Claire, Kirsty, Debbie and Kerry – booksellers at the wonderful Kibworth Books in Leicester, our Caboodle Bookshop of the Month – have joined us in Caboodlers' Corner to answer your questions.

Want a recommendation of your own? Send your questions in for our guest booksellers and if yours is picked, you'll get a National Book Token to spend in your local bookshop. 

 


Caboodle Local

National Book Tokens gift cards can be spent in hundreds of local bookshops across the UK and Ireland, and online. 

Just by signing up to Caboodle or opting into emails from National Book Tokens, you'll receive Caboodle Local offers and events from bookshops near you straight to your inbox. Find out more and search for offers.  

 

 

Agatha Christie

What is the most exciting Agatha Christie book with (in your opinion) the best storyline? – Jess, age 14

Well, being quite the fan of an Agatha Christie books that's a tough choice indeed, but my personal favourites would definitely include The ABC Murders – a serial killer on the loose and time is running out, it's a gripping read! And Then There Were None also earns a place on the top of the list – stranded on a remote island with nowhere to hide, it's a really immersive and compelling story and definitely one to add to your reading pile. - Clare

Katya Balen

What is the most compelling and heartbreaking book you have ever read? – Binita, age 17

I'm quite a fan of a book which makes me cry, and a lot do! One of the most heart-breaking books for me has to be The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. I felt so deeply for the characters and the relationships depicted, and there's a line towards the end (no spoilers!) which made me sob. I also adored Katya Balen's The Space We're In, illustrated by Laura Carlin. It's a deeply moving read which touches on difficult subjects and emotions but in the most beautiful and sensitive way. I loved it and would highly recommend. - Kirsty

Brian Bilston

I am trying to get my Dad into reading and want to find a good book for him - I'm thinking perhaps something easy-going and funny. What would you recommend? – Carys, age 23

I really enjoyed The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion – it’s funny, heartwarming and compelling, perfect for kickstarting a new reading habit. It's a trilogy too which is always nice for those 'well, what’s next?' decisions on ending a book. Other titles and authors to look out for include A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman, or authors such Nick Hornby or David Lodge (maybe a short story collection such as The Man Who Wouldn't Get Up and Other Stories might be a nice way to ease in). Our other top recommendation would be Brian Bilston – he writes poetry rather than fiction but it is incredibly funny, witty and so accessible. Try Diary of a Somebody – part love story, part murder mystery and smattered throughout with hilarious poems, it's brilliant. - Kirsty

Scarlet Thomas

I've recently finished my quest to read all of Discworld. Do you have any recommendations of similar books that I can read to fill the Discworld shaped hole in my heart? – Evie, age 18


I love everything Discworld too and would heartily recommend The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. There are four books in the trilogy (giving you an idea of the Adams' humour!) and they are so funny, transporting and clever. I also love Scarlett Thomas's Worldquake trilogy which starts with Dragon's Green. Various doors in Edinburgh are portals to other worlds; books and libraries play a big part in the adventures of Effie and her friends, who I can still vividly picture even though I read the books years ago. - Debbie

Margarita Liberaki

I am going to Greece on holiday this summer. I love to read books set in the destinations that I visit. Can you recommend any great reads set on the Greek islands? – Naomi, age 45

It's lovely to read a book set in a holiday destination as it really adds a whole other dimension to the reading experience. For a trip to Greece I'd recommend Three Summers by Margarita Liberaki. It's luxury in book form, with engaging characters, evocative description and a beautiful coming-of-age story of three sisters. Other titles to check out with a Greek backdrop would be The Corfu Trilogy by Gerald Durrell, The Island by Victoria Hislop, One Summer in Crete by Nadia Marks or The Girl Under the Olive Tree by Leah Fleming. - Kerry

 

 

What makes Kibworth Books a great place to visit?

"Kibworth Books is a friendly, welcoming and inclusive bookshop in the heart of a thriving village community in rural Leicestershire. We pride ourselves on offering a wide range of books which we hope will include something for everyone. We love connecting people to their next read and making recommendations – it's such a joy when customers come back to tell us that they’ve loved a book they found through us! Our new premises has a huge room full of fiction and non-fiction, a dedicated children’s room and a (soon to be open) specialist rooms for cards and stationery – lots of space to welcome everyone in!" - Kirsty

Kibworth Books

 

Caboodlers' Corner

Caboodlers' Corner

Browse quizzes, reading lists, and recommendations from our guest booksellers.

Caboodlers' Corner
A gift beyond words

A gift beyond words

National Book Tokens are the ideal gift for booklovers and can be spent in bookshops in the UK and Ireland, and online.

A gift beyond words
National book token cookie themed gift card

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single visitor in possession of a good website, must be in want of a cookie."
Pride and Prejudice* by Jane Austen
*paraphrased


We use cookies to make our website work, understand how visitors use our website, and display relevant marketing to you.