Our Books
Fiction
We don’t separate out “classic” fiction (eg; Jane Austen) from more modern fiction, as who knows which of today’s authors will become “classic” authors in a few years or decades? We have a vast quantity of fiction, reasonably priced, which is regularly updated. So come and surprise yourself by discovering a new author, whether revered or not!
Antiquarian and Rare
We don’t have all our Antiquarian and Rare books in the shop, but we are gradually listing them online. If you are looking for something in particular, do email us, and we will do our best to help. We believe that books are to be enjoyed and appreciated, so we like to encourage visitors to share the wonder of ancient, unusual and just plain weird
Science Fiction
Through a beautiful doorway, we have a Science Fiction corridor. We know the purists will shudder, because we have mingled fantasy and horror with the collection. But truly, you might find something you hadn’t previously considered, so please be charitable! We also have a good selection of young adult fiction in this space, together with our lovely Vintage Paperbacks.
History and politics
Our history sections are divided into centuries (from Prehistoric, Ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt, Medieval then each century from 1500 to the present day), with major sections on Military History, including World War I and World War II. We have a lot of politics, of the UK and other countries, including shelves of political biography. We also have small (but perfectly formed!) collections of Classical Literature (eg; Plato), Monarchy and the history of other countries, (eg; America).
Detective Fiction
Everyone loves a “whodunnit”! So we have a good range, including local authors like Stephen Booth, popular authors such as Ian Rankin, Dick Francis or Minette Walters and loved authors like Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie or Emma Lathen. Not to everyone’s taste, but we also have a small “True Crime” section. And don’t forget historical detective fiction such as Lindsey Davies or Ellis Peters.
Biography
We love biographies! It’s such a good way to experience different lives, so not everyone is particularly famous, but all are interesting. Behind biographies, we have our sports section, notable especially for the vast quantity of cricket books. We also have a lot of “coffee table” books, and a good range of Folio Society books which make great-looking but inexpensive gifts.
Transport
Tim Dudley, who founded Peak Volumes, loved cars. So we have a super motoring section, with a lot of sought after, collectable books. We also have extensive (as in whole bookcases full) sections of trains, aeroplanes and shipping together with shelves of trams, motorcycles and buses.
We have so much more!
Music, Reference, Art, Crafts, Education, a big Children’s section, Travel (including mountaineering), Local History, Gardening, Ecology, Poetry, Birds, Wildlife and more!
We also sell CARDS, a small selection of GIFTS and WRAPPING PAPER
Come and visit us – you can be sure of a very warm welcome.