Books of the moment from The Marlow Bookshop team

May is a wonderful time for books - there are so many new publications to choose from - if you like books it's party season. Meanwhile reissues of classic titles - from authors we may have missed or well-thumbed perennial favourites - vie for attention and offer a breathing space from busy life preoccupations.

This time I thought I'd share some of our staff and local customer favourites. These are the "have you read this?! It's so great!!" books of the moment:

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McGonaghey - fiction paperback £9.99

Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a remote island that is home to the world's largest seed bank. As Shearwater risks being lost to rising sea levels, the island's researchers have fled, and only the Salts remain. Until, during the worst storm in living memory, a mysterious stranger washes ashore.The family nurse the woman, Rowan, back to strength, but it seems she isn't telling the whole truth about why she's there. And when Rowan stumbles upon sabotaged radios and a recently dug grave, she realises that she's not the only one on the island with a secret....dark and compelling.

Taiwan Travelogue by Yang Shuang-zi - fiction paperback £14.99

Disguised as a translation of a rediscovered text by a Japanese writer, Taiwan Travelogue is a bittersweet story of love between two women, nested in an artful exploration of language, history and power. Set in May 1938, the young novelist Aoyama Chizuko sails from Japan to Taiwan where her interpreter proffers tantalising glimpses of island life and helps her to taste as much of cuisine as her larger-than-life appetite can bear. Shortlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize and Winner of the 2024 National Book Award for Translated Literature. Colourful and complex.

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke - fiction hardback £16.99

 'My name is Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive…' Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle – and her followers are sick with envy. Her charming farmhouse on her working ranch is artfully cluttered, her husband is a handsome cowboy, her homemade sourdough boules are each more beautiful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers and industrial-grade ovens behind the scenes? What her followers don’t know won’t hurt them.Then, one morning, Natalie wakes up in a strange, horrible version of reality. Her home, her husband, her children—they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Is this a hoax? A reality show? A test from God? Natalie knows just two things for sure: this isn't her perfect life, and she must escape, by any means possible. Darkly funny, shocking and gripping

Is a River Alive? by Robert MacFarlane non-fiction paperback £11.99

From celebrated writer Robert Macfarlane, a brilliant, perspective-shifting new book – which answers an emphatic yes to the question of its title.

We journey first to northern Ecuador, where a miraculous cloud-forest and its rivers are threatened by goldmining. To wounded rivers, creeks and lagoons of southern India, where a desperate battle to save the lives of these waterbodies is under way. And finally, to north-eastern Quebec, where a spectacular wild river – the Mutehekau or Magpie – is being defended from death by damming in a river-rights campaign.This most moving and beautifully written book should open hearts, spark debates and lead us to the revelation that our fate flows with that of rivers – and always has.

Finally, have a break from the armchair and Go For A Walk! with local explorer and author Katie Waistell - pb £7.99

Explore, discover and enjoy 21 walks in the Chilterns. With hand drawn maps to guide you along the way, discover countryside, towns and villages local to Marlow, Bourne End, Cookham and more.

Visit The Marlow Bookshop 22-24 Spittal St, Marlow SL7 1DB