Welcome to this week’s news, reviews, and ‘all-things-books’ latest from the team at Waterstone’s Ballymena!
This week’s Top 10 bestselling books…
1. Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanna Collins
2. Bakes and Wee Treats by Jonny Murphy
3. The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins
4. My Favourite Mistake by Marian Keyes
5. I Love My Granny by Giles Andrae
6. Cozy Corner by Coco Wyo
7. The Woman by Kristen Hannah
8. The Amendments by Niamh Mulvey
9. The Honeymoon Affair by Sheila O’Flanagan
10. James by Percival Everett
Saturday Storytime…
Our next Saturday Storytime session will take place Saturday 5th April at 12pm.
We will be reading our Waterstone’s Children's Book Prize Winner, The Cafe At The Edge Of The Woods by Mikey Please.
We will have colouring in afterwards!
Young Adult Book Club…
Our next meeting of the Young Adult Book Club for the 14-18 year old age group will take place on Thursday 24th April at 7pm.
We will be reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
Everyone is very welcome at our meetings, we look forward to seeing everyone there!
Waterstone’s Children’s Book Prize Winners…
We are delighted to announce the winners of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize for 2025.
• Best Illustrated Book and Overall Winner
The Cafe at the Edge of the Woods by Mikey Please
Inspired by a game Mikey Please played with his wife and son during lockdown, The Café at the Edge of the Woods is a timeless comic tale about a café owner and her trusty waiter’s attempts to serve a particularly picky customer. Told in witty rhyming text and adorned with evocative illustrations reminiscent of Jon Klassen and Maurice Sendak, children will adore this laugh-out-loud funny stew of the heartwarming and the grotesque, as a little imagination and creativity ensure that a visiting ogre gets just the monstrous meal he requested.
• Best Book for Younger Readers
Rune: The Tale of a Thousand Faces by Carlos Sánchez
A gorgeously quirky, magical and inclusive graphic novel, Rune finds two friends pursued by bullies escape into an untrodden forest and pass through a portal into another realm, where a whole new adventure begins.
• Best Book for Older Readers
King of Nothing by Nathanael Lessore
A worried mum makes his rowdy son join local activity group Happy Campers and the results are altogether unexpected in this funny and heartwarming story of friendship and rearranged priorities, perfect for fans of Alex Wheatle and Jason Reynolds.