Stanfords Staff Selects

New Fiction we’ve been reading

Here are six new titles that we have been enjoying during our summer holidays:

by Claudia Piñeiro, translated by Frances Riddle

£12.99

Set in: Argentina

Fifteen years after killing her husband’s lover, Ines is fresh out of prison and trying to put together a new life. Her old friend Manca is out now too, and they’ve started a business – FFF, or Females, Fumigation, and Flies – dedicated to pest control and private investigation, by women, for women. But Senora Bonar, one of their clients, wants Ines to do more than kill bugs – she wants her expertise, and her criminal past, to help her kill her husband’s lover, too.

This is Pineiro at her wry, earthy best, alive to all the ways we shape ourselves to be understandable, to be understood, by family and love and other hostile forces.

Around the World in 5 Books

Let us take you on a quick trip around the world via these five selected books of fiction with a sense of place that are currently on our shelves here at Stanfords:

Blessings

by Chukwuebuka Ibeh

£14.99

Set in: Nigeria

When Obiefuna’s father witnesses an intimate moment between his teenage son and the family’s apprentice, newly arrived from the nearby village, he banishes Obiefuna to a Christian boarding school marked by strict hierarchy and routine, devastating violence. Utterly alienated from the people he loves, Obiefuna begins a journey of self-discovery and blossoming desire, while his mother Uzoamaka grapples to hold onto her favourite son, her truest friend.

Interweaving the perspectives of Obiefuna and his mother Uzoamaka, as they reach towards a future that will hold them both, BLESSINGS is an elegant and exquisitely moving story of love and loneliness. Asking how we can live freely when politics reaches into our hearts and lives, as well as deep into our consciousness, it is a stunning, searing debut.

Stanfords Staff Selects: Books for Earth Day

To commemorate Earth Day, seven members of our Stanfords team have picked one thought-provoking book that celebrates the environmental global movement and highlights the importance of protecting our planet.

Faye picked:

The Joyful Environmentalist

by Isabel Losada

£12.99

“This book was immensely liberating for me. It was the first time I felt like knowledge is power. I am excited to spread the word of Isabel Losada.”

Lake District Guides and Maps

Friday 13th August marks 70 years of the Lake District National Park as it was founded in 1951.

Home to Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England, the Lake District is steeped in history and a popular holiday destination for anyone who enjoys the great outdoors . It is the perfect place to enjoy scenic walks, visit market towns such as Kendal, Ambleside and Keswick, swim in the famous lakes and tarns, go fell-running and Wainwright hill-bagging, to name just a few things this magnificent National Park and World Heritage Site has to offer.

If you love the Lake District or are planning to visit, here are some of our favourite guides and maps:

10 Pride Month book recommendations

Here are 10 book recommendations from staff at Stanfords to celebrate Pride Month:

Conundrum by Jan Morris

As one of Britain’s best and most-loved travel writers, Jan Morris has led an extraordinary life. Perhaps her most remarkable work is this grippingly honest account of her ten-year transition from man to woman – its pains and joys, its frustrations and discoveries.

National Tree Week

Today marks the beginning of National Tree week. These last few months have seen a lot of us exploring outside more and getting to know our local trees while on walks.

Here are our recommendations for tree lovers:

Our favourite games and puzzles this Christmas

It’s time for some festive fun.

Christmas is a great excuse to get family and friends together and play a board game or a puzzle. So clear the table and settle down to one of our favourites: Continue reading Our favourite games and puzzles this Christmas

Stanfords Staff Selects: London Fiction

Here at Stanfords we sell maps and books from all over the world, but sometimes there is no place like home. We currently have a buy one get one half price offer on a selection of our favourite London books, gifts and guides. To give you a real taste of this wonderful city, here is some of our favourite London fiction: Continue reading Stanfords Staff Selects: London Fiction

Astronomically Good Gift Ideas

When you have visited everywhere that this magnificent planet has to offer, these books and gifts will help you make the right choices for some interstellar travel gift ideas.

Continue reading Astronomically Good Gift Ideas

Our floor manager Lizzie has selected her favourite fiction from 2017 so far. Continue reading Stanfords Staff Selects