Coles Books, Bicester

Need a book to keep you going over the long bank holiday weekend? We've got plenty to choose from on our fiction shelves that will make sure you're entertained until we reopen on Tuesday 28th August!!! #colesbooksbicester #fiction #fictionbooks #fantasticfiction #bankholidayweekend #books #bookshelf #shelfie #booksaremybag #booktime #bookstagram #wonderfulworldofbooks #lovereading #lovebooks

With the Bank Holiday Weekend on our doorstep we have a great selection of children's activity books in store. Whether it be I-Spy, colouring, sticker fun or origami, we've got something to keep everyone busy! #colesbooksbicester #activitybooks #stickerfun #i-spy #davidwalliamsbooks #drseuss #mrmen

Tomorrow's storytime book is 'Sir Dancealot' so why not pop into Coles Books at 10.30am for a tale of dragon foes and twinkly toes! #colesbooksbicester #colesstorytime #picturebooks #cuddlethegruffalo #dragons #timothyknapman #keithrobinson #bloomsburypublishing

Available in store from tomorrow, the brand new #herculepoirot mystery by #sophiehannah #themysteryofthreequarters . £18.99 hardback. Eager to start a poirot mystery? Then we have #closedcasket in paperback for £7.99 as well as the classic #murderontheorientexpress for £8.99. #agathachristie #harpercollins #themonogrammurders #crimethriller #crimedetective #supersleuth #fiction #colesbooksbicester #bookstagram

Brand new releases in fiction are in store today. #takenothingwithyou by #patrickgale is a stunning portrayal of a boy on the cusp of adulthood, gleaning from those around him both the glories and complexities of what being a grown up can mean. Hardback £18.99 #darksoul by #annastephens, the second book in the fantasy #godblindseries where evil gods walk the land as armies prepare for war. Hardback £14.99. #ellyblake brings us the 3rd installment in the #frostbloodsaga with #nightblood, where Ruby and Arcus face a more dangerous enemy than they ever have imagined. Paperback £9.99 #tinderpress #harpervoyager #hodderandstoughton #bookstagram #colesbooksbicester #fiction @ Coles Books, Bicester

Are you about to head off for your summer holiday or maybe planning a gap year abroad? If so we have a great selection of travel books to help you plan and enjoy your trip. Don't forget we also stock OS maps for those of you staying closer to home! #colesbooksbicester #lonelyplanet #berlitz #michelin #dorlingkindersley #top10 #julesverne #travel #internationaltravel #ordnancesurvey

Today is (apparently) world honey bee day! So in celebration of our buzzy friends, here are three fantastic books for fans of the bee. Learn how to create a buzz in your garden with 'Planting for Honeybees', share in the experiences of beekeeper Helen Jukes in 'A Honeybee Heart Has Five Openings' and for slightly younger readers learn all about bees and make your own hive with 'Turn This Book Into A Beehive!' #Honeybee #Colesbooksbicester #Worldhoneybeeday #books #bees #honey

The computer starts this morning with another update - time for thumbs to be twiddled, kettle popped on again, for the third time - patience with the buffering wheel is the virtue which still frustrates. Barely a day goes by without there being something 'new and improved' to get to grips with, and yet in this age of the new it's well worth re-visiting books from a time when authors were predicting through their books the future we now live in. George Orwell wrote his dystopi...an novel 'Nineteen Eighty Four' almost 70 years ago, but read it now in 2018 and you'll look at that clever little speaker, always listening to your instructions, predicting your music and ordering the cat food, with a little more suspicion; that camera above your laptop screen? you'll be sticking some packing tape over it before you get to the end of his novel. H.G. Wells is another, a writer of the Victorian era, his 1898 novel 'War of the Worlds' with the martian's 'heat-ray' becoming what we would now think of as the laser beam, the destructive and deadly 'black smoke' emitted by the invading tripods an ominous warning of the horrors of chemical weapons yet to come. The quite brilliant 'The Executioners' by John D. MacDonald (later to become the film Cape Fear) describing 1950s parental frustration with teenage obsession of a screen, only this time it's that new-fangled invention the television. We've made sure there are plenty of these classic novels from the late 19th and early/mid 20th century in our 3 for £10 Summer Reads offer. If you want to see the future, read a great book.
But Coles is not always about looking backwards for inspiration, there's plenty in the present and on the horizon which excites and stimulates - our new Signed Editions this week include the Motorsport designer John Barnard, a man whose imagination was firmly based in the future; playwright and National Treasure Alan Bennett brings his new work, 'Allelujah!' to the stage and page this summer; writer and actor James S. Murray kicks off his career as a novelist with 'Awakened'; Wayne Kramer, Hedonist in Chief of the band MC5 explains that the revolution is not over; Peter Swanson's thriller 'All the Beautiful Lies' is set to become a classic; we found Boris Becker in the cupboard under the stairs; that feeling of uncontrollable happiness is explained by Dean Burnett in 'The Happy Brain' and the rather delightful 'Places to Hide' by Dixe Wills is perfect for when you just want to get away from it all.
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Disney's new film Christopher Robin comes out in cinemas today! We all know and love that silly old bear winnie-the-pooh, and at Coles we have lots of his books, which are full of all the adventures with his friends like Eeyore, Tigger, piglet and of course #christopherrobin. Prices start at £5.99 #aamilne #winniethepooh #disney #disneystudios #colesbooksbicester #eeyore #piglet #tigger #kangaandroo #returntothehundredacrewood #winniethepoohcolouringbook #thebigadventure #theartofwinniethepooh #ehshepard @ Coles Books, Bicester

This Friday at 10:30am is storytime at Coles books. Nadia will be reading Dinosaur Juniors, Happy Hatchday by Rob Biddulph. We look forward to seeing you all! #robbiddulph #colesbooksbicester #storytime #storytimeatcoles #freeevent #dinosaurs #cuddlethegruffalo

If you enjoy reading and indulging in an #afternoontea then #aliteraryteaparty by #alisonwalsh is the perfect addition to your recipe books. Full of blends and treats that would delight any classic book characters, as well as your guests, in store now. #colesbooksbicester #foodanddrink #recipes #saraletourneau #skyhorsepublishing #aliceinwonderland #thelionthewitchandthewardrobe #winniethepooh #thewizardofoz #thehobbit #sherlockholmes #thesecretgarden #nationalafternoonteaweek

Would you believe that today is the start of National Allotments Week! In store we have a great selection of books to inspire you and get you planning for next season at the 'lottie'. #colesbooksbicester #nationalallotmentweek #downtoearth #montydon #incredibleedibles #smallholding #plantingforhoneybees

Upstairs above the book shop our new packing bench is almost complete - all our Coles Books online orders are now being packed on the Burroughes & Watts full size snooker table, it’s been raised up to work-bench height and is complete with new blue baize to complement the original green, a few of the pockets are still go on but we should all be done and dusted by the time we open our Coles Signed Edition Gallery this coming Autumn #maximumbreak

Come and join us for story time this week at 10.30am on Friday. We will be reading 'Look Out, It's a Dragon' by Jonny Lambert. "Saffi's new home is perfect. It has flowers, soft grass and friendly neighbours. Or maybe not... "You can't stay here!" shout the animals. How can Saffi prove that not all dragons are the same?" #cuddlethegruffalo #colesbooksbicester #storytime #books #bicester

Going on holiday? Or just having an afternoon lazing in the garden? Then pop into the shop to choose your 3 books for just £10 - we have so much to choose from! #colesbooksbicester #summerreads #3for10 #bargain #specialoffer #sun #books

Age brings wisdom (hopefully), experience and pragmatism - positive attributes which help add a little of the grease which keeps the wheels of society moving smoothly. The 'village elders' were exactly that, the group of individuals who've had the time to stress-test their experiences and opinions, refining them and improving them for the betterment of their society, it's something which only comes with the benefit of age. Isn't it strange how politicians always appear to be ...wiser once they've retired or moved to the back benches? There are two attributes though which we tend to equate with the younger generations: curiosity and excitement. As we age we should try and keep these two friends though, the application of fun and wonder to a life is not age specific - seek out the joy and the excitement wherever we can. There's barely a day at Coles when something exciting isn't happening, but today it has a cherry on top - today is the day when we hopefully finish the snooker table transformation into our packing bench - the small things in life can sometimes bring the biggest joy, providing you keep the excitement! We'll pop some pictures in next week's newsletter.
Our Coles Signed Editions this week include the unearthing of the 2011 publication of Alan Sugar's 'The Way I See It' - it'll be interesting to read if the intervening seven years has turned his ranting and raving into wisdom. Another book, worthy of another look is Billy Bragg's 'A Lover Sings', if his lyrics spoke to you in your youth, there's a chance they still do now, having matured with wisdom, experience and pragmatism - read his lyrics for 'A New England' and I guarantee you'll be transported back to your early twenties. We have a wonderful collection of fiction this week featuring Joanna Cannon, Jasper Fforde, Stuart MacBride, Helen Oyeyemi, Gill Sims, Anne Tyler and Derek Landy; the curiosity is provided by Rebecca Front as we look through her eyes at the odd in life; Sarah Britton is doing the cooking, and we go to the theatre with a pair of Marks - Messrs Gatiss and Rylance. The excitement and passion this week is provided by Kevin Keegan, a footballer and manager whose enthusiasm for the game he loves is as infectious now as it ever was - we're now taking pre-orders for his forthcoming autobiography.
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Storytime this Friday at Coles Books, Bicester @ 10.30am - Caroline will be reading an old favourite, 'Giraffe's Can't Dance' by Giles Andreae and illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees.
We have some of our own jungle animals to add to the Playhouse too!
Come along and enjoy - it's FREE!... #cuddlethegruffalo #welovereading #storytime #colesbooks #gilesandreae #guyparkerrees #giraffescantdance
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Simple pleasures............The window is open and the breeze is beautiful and cool, the trees over on the banks of the River Bure gently sway as if made from some lush green, hypnotic fluid. The moisture they've been able to extract from this tiny river sustaining them and keeping them fulsome through the dry weeks of summer, we can forgive them their greedy thirst for they have been offering comfort to the occasional weary traveller waiting for a bus - the shade of a tree i...s the perfect balm in summer.
By the till in the shop there is often a number of leaflets and flyers promoting events and interest groups about the town, but last week a rather unusual, but delightful flyer was left just sitting on one of our display tables - someone had come into the shop, quietly left it and disappeared - an intricately presented sheet of A4 paper, folded it is no bigger than a box of matches, its monochrome type and images extolling the virtues of an organisation called The Wander Society. It turns out this rather quirky 'movement' is the work of Canadian author Keri Smith, formed as an antidote to the stresses and strains of the modern world - the essence being that there is much to be had from the simple pleasure of wandering - as Bilbo Baggins recounted in The Fellowship of the Ring 'Not all those who wander are lost'.
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Storytime this Friday at Coles Books, Bicester @ 10.30am - the new playhouse will be OPEN and Caroline will be reading 'The Gruffalo' by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler to celebrate! Come along and enjoy - it's FREE! #cuddlethegruffalo #storytime #colesbooks #welovereading #juliadonaldson #axel scheffler

This book shop is how every book shop should be. I love the decor and the lovely staff but most of all, the fact that they provide a reading time to children every Friday morning is really amazing. Not to mention all the signed books they have, and the lovely wrapping paper and and and �

Such a wonderful book shop. A cosy atmosphere and such a good selection. When you go in, you don’t want to ever leave!

Recently ordered a signed copy of the new Neil Gaiman book which was delivered overnight and was packed and presented so well it was a shame to open it. I will certainly be using them again and can't recommend them highly enough

Recently ordered a german book. Although I was told it would at least take 3 weeks to get it they managed to have it in 10 days.

Very friendly and obliging staff.

Really helpful and very quick delivery of ordered book. Thank you.

My favourite book shop and great local business. Always very helpful and friendly

My book arrived & it had such lovely wrapping & branding! Looked very professional & very well taken care of! Would definitely buy from you again! :)

Lovely bookshop, Many signed books by authors. Many author's come to Cole's to sign or talk about their books. Nice!

If every business conducted themselves as Coles do the world would be grand.

Great variety, price and speedy service. Every time a parcel arrives it's truly exciting

I'd just like to say a huge thank you. My 12 year old son came in today on his second ever visit to town alone. He wanted to spend his World Book Day token. He said the lady he asked for help was really nice and he came away with a fantastic book. What makes this even more amazing is that he has autism and it took a lot of courage to do this! His first visit to town was yesterday when he scoped out the shop before planning with me what he needed to say. Thank you for making him feel comfortable enough to do this - he is so proud of himself and so are we!

I found a book I'd been hunting for ages and it arrived in a few days. Beautifully packaged, and I can't wait to read it �

I can't recommend Coles enough! I've had 3 books through them now, they always come well packaged to avoid damage in transit and the delivery time is exceptional! I will definitely be using Coles again, just wish they were in Manchester, then again I'd never have any money left!

Great choice and good price point, love the vynl section and local interest stuff by the till point. Fab service.

Gorgeous little shop with friendly and helpful staff �.

Fantastic shop. Love coming in here.

Fantastic bookshop with a great range of books and lovely staff.

Fabulous service received today! Book paid for and delivered to my work the same day at no extra charge. This is why I love this bookshop x x

Brilliant customer service, best place to get all your signed edition books ☺