TOP 10 | All the latest news from Waterstone’s Ballymena
Crime fiction has taken the top spot at Waterstone’s Ballymena this week, with Ann Cleeves’ The Killing Stones leading a varied bestseller chart featuring thrillers, historical fiction, romance, fantasy and non-fiction.
Lyse Doucet’s The Finest Hotel in Kabul takes second place, while Robert Harris’ Agrippa completes the top three. Elsewhere, readers are picking up titles from Lee Child, Virginia Evans, William Boyd, Pierce Brown and Richard Osman.
There is also plenty arriving on the shelves, including a new novel from R.F. Kuang, Sebastian Barry’s The Newer World, Richard Osman’s latest thriller and a celebration of Freddie Mercury’s songwriting compiled by Mary Austin.
This week’s Top 10
1. The Killing Stones — Ann Cleeves
The acclaimed crime writer behind the Vera Stanhope and Shetland series delivers another atmospheric mystery, bringing the character-driven storytelling and carefully constructed suspense that have made Cleeves one of Britain’s best-known crime novelists.
2. The Finest Hotel in Kabul — Lyse Doucet
The BBC Chief International Correspondent tells the story of Afghanistan through Kabul’s Inter-Continental Hotel, established in 1969, using the landmark and those connected to it to explore decades of dramatic change in the country.
3. Agrippa — Robert Harris
The bestselling author of Conclave and Fatherland returns to Ancient Rome for an exploration of friendship, influence and power, with Agrippa exposing the truth about Emperor Augustus through his memoirs.
4. Fall I Want — Lyra Parish
A contemporary romance from Lyra Parish and the latest selection attracting readers looking for an escapist love story.
5. The Correspondent — Virginia Evans
An epistolary novel centred on Sybil Van Antwerp, a memorable protagonist who has spent decades living much of her life through letters until a message from her past disrupts her carefully ordered world.
6. Exit Strategy — Lee Child
Lee Child brings his trademark fast-moving suspense and action to another thriller, continuing to prove a popular choice with Ballymena readers.
7. The Predicament — William Boyd
A novel from the acclaimed author whose extensive body of work has established him as one of Britain’s best-known contemporary storytellers.
8. Red Rising — Pierce Brown
The opening instalment of Pierce Brown’s bestselling science-fiction saga introduces a brutal future society divided by a rigid colour-based hierarchy and a young man drawn into a dangerous rebellion.
9. Gone Before Goodbye — Harlan Coben & Reese Witherspoon
Two major names combine for a suspenseful thriller, bringing together the twists, secrets and high-stakes storytelling associated with Coben’s bestselling fiction.
10. Buckeye — Patrick Ryan
A sweeping story exploring human connection and the intimacies of small-town life, following two married people whose chance encounter has consequences that ripple through their families for generations.
New half-price picks for readers
There are more choices beyond this week’s bestseller chart, including the latest edition of a perennial family favourite and a new cookbook from Jamie Oliver.
• Guinness World Records 2027
The latest collection of extraordinary feats and fascinating facts returns for 2027, packed with information spanning everything from emeralds to the Incredible Hulk.
• 20 Minute Meals: Real Fast Food — Jamie Oliver
Designed for busy lives, Jamie Oliver serves up a collection of speedy dishes, with recipes intended to be completed in just 20 minutes.
• Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories 2 — Jeff Kinney
Ghoulish surprises await in the follow-up to Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories, as Greg Heffley’s best friend shares more comically terrifying tales featuring monsters, oversized insects and more.
Saturday Storytime
Young book lovers can head along to Waterstone’s Ballymena for another Saturday Storytime and colouring session.
The next event takes place at 12pm on Saturday 19 September, when the team will be reading Duck Delivers Cake by Tom Tinn-Disbury.
New books arriving on the shelves
A fresh selection of fiction and non-fiction brings some major names to Waterstone’s Ballymena this week.
• Taipei Story — R.F. Kuang
From the bestselling author of Babel, Yellowface and Katabasis comes a coming-of-age story exploring identity, family and the enduring impact of secrets from the past.
The novel follows a Yale student who has newly arrived in Taiwan and discovers a heartbreaking truth about her late grandfather.
• The Newer World — Sebastian Barry
Set against the rapidly changing landscape of nineteenth-century America and England, the latest novel from the award-winning author of Days Without End follows freed man Tennyson Bouguereau on a visceral journey towards a new life.
• We Chase Shadows — Richard Osman
Richard Osman’s globetrotting thriller series returns for its second outing, taking readers from Palm Springs to Barcelona and a sleepy English village pub.
Osman’s unlikely detective trio find themselves pursuing a ruthless killer in another escapist mystery spanning countries and continents.
• Freddie Mercury: A Life in Lyrics — Mary Austin
The words and creative life of one of rock music’s most recognisable figures are celebrated in a new volume devoted to Freddie Mercury’s songwriting.
Compiled by Mary Austin, the book includes previously unseen material from Mercury’s personal archives, ranging from notebooks and photographs to alternative lyrics.
With Ann Cleeves leading this week’s chart and major new titles from R.F. Kuang, Sebastian Barry and Richard Osman joining the shelves, there is plenty for Ballymena readers to discover as the autumn publishing season gathers pace.
Families can also make a weekend visit, with Saturday Storytime continuing to offer younger readers a chance to enjoy a book and colouring activities in store.
