Nottingham books — 22 interesting reads to add to your bookshelf
Fiction, biographies, poetry, and more...
With Nottingham being a city of literature and the county being full of inspiration, it’s no surprise that there are plenty of Nottingham books out there.
We have rounded up 22 books that have Nottingham connections such as subjects, locations, and authors. While there are many that we could have chosen, we have narrowed these down based on genre, reviews, and uniqueness.
If one of your favourite things to do in Nottingham is delving into a good book, these novels are all worth checking out. We have linked to the brilliant Nottingham Books wherever possible which we highly recommend browsing for more local reads, as well as other sites where the books are available.
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22 Nottingham books that deserve a place on your reading list
By Eve Smallman
1. 111 Places in Nottingham That You Shouldn’t Miss, Phil Lee and Rachel Ghent
Nottingham link: Subject and location
Genre: Factual
Nottingham has given the world Robin Hood, Raleigh bikes, and Boots the Chemists, as well as being home to famous authors, football clubs and cricket clubs. Despite all this and much more, Nottingham wears its charms lightly, but our fascinating city has much to offer — and in this book, you’ll find 111 places to intrigue, amuse and illuminate.
amazon.co.uk
nottinghambooks.co.uk
2. Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, Alan Sillitoe
Nottingham link: Location and author
Genre: Coming-of-age
This cult classic of working class life in post-war Nottingham follows the exploits of rebellious factory worker Arthur Seaton. It highlights his indulgent Saturday night antics, including juggling relationships with two different women, as well as the consequences he faces on a Sunday morning (hence the name!).
3. Selected Poems, Lord Byron
Nottingham link: Author
Genre: Poetry
Described as ‘Mad, bad and dangerous to know’ by one of his lovers, Lord Byron was the quintessential Romantic, and he produced some of the most daring and exuberant poetry of the Romantic age. These are the works that made him famous overnight and gave birth to the idea of the brooding Byronic hero.
amazon.co.uk
nottinghambooks.co.uk
4. Lady Chatterley’s Lover, D.H. Lawrence
Nottingham link: Author
Genre: Romance
Constance Reid (Lady Chatterley) is married to an upper-class baronet who was left with lower-body paralysis as a result of his participation in the Great War. Both physically and emotionally distant from her husband, Constance begins an extramarital affair with the gamekeeper. This is the uncensored version of this novel.
5. Who’s That Girl?, Mhairi McFarlane
Nottingham link: Location and author
Genre: Rom-com
When Edie is caught in a compromising situation at a wedding, she moves back home to Nottingham for a fresh start. However, she soon falls into the path of Hollywood heartthrob Elliot Owen and gets swept up in his star-studded lifestyle. After, you can read the sequel, You Belong With Me.
6. Always On My Mind, Beth Moran
Nottingham link: Location and author
Genre: Rom-com
Jessie is forced to move back in with her twin, Isaac, and his two best friends, including Elliot, the boy Jessie once loved, until his life was changed forever by a terrible accident that Jessie still blames herself for. See if Jess finally forgives herself for Elliot’s accident, all while she helps Isaac's friends make ‘boys to men’ changes and working at her parents’ day centre.
amazon.co.uk
nottinghambooks.co.uk
7. Somewhere Only We Know, Cathy Bramley
Nottingham link: Author
Genre: Romance
When Magnolia Jones finds her daughter’s travel journal, she can think of no better way to honour her life than setting off on the gap year trip that twenty-three-year-old Brontë had dreamed of taking. Perhaps following her daughter's footsteps around the world is exactly what Magnolia needs to piece her broken heart back together and begin to heal.
amazon.co.uk
nottinghambooks.co.uk
8. My Legendary Girlfriend, Mike Gayle
Nottingham link: Location
Genre: Comedy
Will Kelly is an English teacher still hung up on his ex, Aggi, three years after their breakup. He is desperate to move on and trying to discover if there can be An-Other One, all while dealing with his decrepit flat. The novel explores themes of unrequited love, heartbreak, and the challenges of letting go.
9. Pleasantly Disturbed, Lee Stuart Evans
Nottingham link: Location and author
Genre: Comedy
Robin dreams of becoming Jim Kerr, while Fliss is a musical genius who auditions for TV’s biggest talent show. Robin switches hobbies to investigate suspicious goings-on at a derelict railway yard near Sherwood Forest, but tragedy occurs and the police turn their suspicions on Robin and Fliss. Does death mean the end of their romantic and musical dreams, or is it only just the beginning?
amazon.co.uk
nottinghambooks.co.uk
10. It Hurts Every Time, L.P. Mills
Nottingham link: Author
Genre: Sci-fi
In his latest incarnation, Lieutenant Pluto is tasked with investigating the death of Krishna Klein, a brilliant but troubled philanthropist who has been found with a bullet in his head. With the aid of his assigned partner, Esther Dupont, Pluto uncovers a techno-fascistic plot to plunge the Utopia of Morrissette into authoritarian control.
11. Message Deleted, K.L. Slater
Nottingham link: Author
Genre: Crime thriller
Saffy receives a worrying text message from her best friend, Leona — but the phone screen changes and says ‘this message was deleted.’ Saffy races to Leona’s house, but her friend insists everything's fine. Six hours later, the police knock on Saffy’s door, as Leona goes missing with her young child. There’s blood everywhere. And Saffy was the last one to see them alive…
amazon.co.uk
nottinghambooks.co.uk
12. The Dream Home, T.M. Logan
Nottingham link: Location and author
Genre: Crime thriller
Adam and Jess, along with their three children, move into a beautiful new home: a rambling Victorian house in The Park. But soon enough, Adam discovers a hidden door, concealing a secret room. Just like the house, Adam has his secrets too, and soon he will find himself setting in motion a series of events that will place his family in terrible danger.
amazon.co.uk
nottinghambooks.co.uk
13. Lonely Hearts, John Harvey
Nottingham link: Location
Genre: Crime
Shirley Peters is found dead in her home murdered — one of many sordid domestic crimes hitting the city. Then, another woman is found throttled, and there appears to be one too many connections between these seemingly unrelated crimes. Detective Inspector Resnick is sure that the work is of one sadistic killer. This is the first book in the Charlie Resnick Mysteries series.
amazon.co.uk
nottinghambooks.co.uk
14. The Burning Girls, C.J. Tudor
Nottingham link: Author
Genre: Thriller
Reverend Jack Brooks and daughter Flo move to the isolated Chapel Croft — however, the village harbours dark secrets and Flo soon starts to experience visions of burning girls. The duo find themselves drawn into a web of unsettling events. There is also a TV show based on the book.
15. A Marriage of Lions, Elizabeth Chadwick
Nottingham link: Author
Genre: Historical fiction
Raised at the court of King Henry III as a chamber lady, young Joanna of Swanscombe's life changes forever when she comes into a large inheritance. Now a wealthy heiress, Joanna’s marriage to the King's half-brother William de Valence stokes the flames of political unrest. Soon enough, England descends into a bitter civil war, and Joanna is left with only her wit and courage to outfox their enemies.
amazon.co.uk
nottinghambooks.co.uk
16. The Bookseller’s Daughter, Deborah Carr
Nottingham link: Subject
Genre: Historical fiction
On the beautiful island of Jersey, Florence Rowe lives a quiet life working in her father’s bookshop. But when Jesse Boot, the successful owner of Boots the chemist, arrives on the island, Florence is immediately captivated by his tales of life in a busy, bustling city on the mainland. For the first time ever, Florence imagines a life away from the constraints of Jersey society. This is the first book in the three-part series.
amazon.co.uk
nottinghambooks.co.uk
Read more:
17. Queer Nottingham 1960-1990, CJ De Barra
Nottingham link: Location and author
Genre: History
Both a historical record and a celebration of unique stories, people and places, this gives a glimpse into the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals in and around Nottingham over three pivotal decades. The stories told reveal the struggles, queer joys and activism that defined the community, and shed light on the fight for recognition.
18. What It Feels Like For a Girl, Paris Lees
Nottingham link: Location and author
Genre: Autobiography
Thirteen-year-old Byron needs to get away, and doesn't care how. Sick of family members and the people in Hucknall, Byron escapes into Nottingham’s kinetic underworld. But when the comedown finally kicks in, Byron arrives at a shocking encounter that will change life forever. This was also made into a TV series by the BBC.
19. The Power of Music, Sheku Kanneh-Mason
Nottingham link: Author
Genre: Autobiography
Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason knows the transformative power of music, from winning the BBC Young Musician Award to performing at Harry and Meghan’s wedding. But how was it that someone like him — a person of colour, from a state school in Nottingham — rose to the upper echelons of the classical music world? Sheku explores the experiences and values that led him here.
amazon.co.uk
nottinghambooks.co.uk
20. Broadly Speaking, Stuart Broad
Nottingham link: Author
Genre: Autobiography
For over seventeen years, Stuart Broad left it all on the field. A multiple Ashes winner and cricket World Champion, Broad was integral to some of the greatest England teams of all time. His awards and achievements, however, don't tell the whole story. In his autobiography, Broad shares the moments from the game which made him and those that almost broke him.
amazon.co.uk
nottinghambooks.co.uk
21. The Lord of Milan, Robert Nieri
Nottingham link: Subject
Genre: Historical fiction
This is a work of fiction based on the life of Herbert Kilpin, a textile worker from Nottingham who in 1899 founded AC Milan and led the football team to its first three championship titles. Kilpin died in obscurity in 1916 while his club went on to become one of the most successful in world football. One hundred years after his death, Kilpin is regarded as one of the fathers of Italian football.
22. Bendigo: The Right Fist of God, Alan Dance and David Field
Nottingham link: Location and subject
Genre: Historical fiction
This novel is based on the life of William Thompson, one of Nottingham’s best-known historical characters. It follows the life of boxer Bendigo from his birth in 1811 through to his death in 1880, as he fights his way from the poverty of a Nottingham slum to fame and fortune as champion bare-fist boxer of all England, before converting to become an evangelical preacher.
amazon.co.uk
nottinghambooks.co.uk
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