About Us
How we started
Thistledown Books began as a single cardboard box of second-hand paperbacks at a local market. The box grew into a stall. The stall grew into a shop. And the shop grew around one simple idea: a bookshop should be a place where you can spend an afternoon, not just buy a book.
We started because we couldn't find the kind of bookshop we wanted to spend time in. New books were everywhere, but good second-hand finds were scattered and hard to trust. The rare and out-of-print titles sat in dusty corners or behind gatekeeping prices. And there was nowhere to actually read — to sit with a cup of tea, turn pages without watching the clock, and belong for a while.
So we built it ourselves. Thistledown is now a full shop stocked with new releases, carefully chosen second-hand books, and the occasional rare find that makes a bookseller's heart race. At the back, there's a reading room — quiet, unhurried, and genuinely free to use. And we're still the people who are happy to hunt down that one book you can't quite remember the title of, or recommend something you didn't know you needed.
What we believe
These aren't just nice ideas — they're why Thistledown exists.
Honest pricing
New books at cover price. Second-hand books priced fairly — good condition, reasonable cost, no surprises. We'd rather sell more books at honest prices than play games with markup.
Books deserve a longer life
A well-loved second-hand book isn't a lesser book. It's a book that mattered enough to be kept, and now it matters to someone else. We stock them because they're worth reading again.
New and old side by side
The newest releases deserve shelf space. So do the classics and the out-of-print gems. We support new authors and celebrate old favourites in the same shop, because both matter.
The reading room is real
Not a marketing gimmick. A genuine space where the community reads, thinks, and lingers. Free to use, no purchase necessary, no time limit. We're here to serve readers, not just customers.
Inside the shop
Thistledown is a small shop with the feel of a place that's been loved into its current shape. Creaking floorboards announce arrivals. Floor-to-ceiling shelves run along every wall, organized by genre — fiction, poetry, history, food, art, mystery, science. The light is warm and steady. It's the kind of place where you can disappear for hours.
New releases live across the front and centre shelves, restocked regularly so there's always something fresh. Our second-hand corner takes up the whole of the east wall — organized, condition-graded, and genuinely worth browsing. You'll find unexpected treasures here: first editions sitting next to worn paperbacks, rare finds beside everyday reads.
At the back, past the "Reading Room" sign, is the room itself. A handful of comfortable chairs, natural light from the north window, shelves of books you can borrow while you're here, and the kind of quiet that makes you remember why you love to read. It's free to use and open whenever the shop is.
Meet the booksellers
Thistledown is run by a small team of people who have actually read the stock — or at least a lot of it. We're generalists by design: history one day, poetry the next, then a deep dive into 1980s crime fiction because someone asked. We love a good book more than we love making a sale, which is why we're genuinely happy to help.
Need to track down an out-of-print title? We'll hunt for it. Not sure what to read next? We'll ask you questions, listen to your answer, and recommend something that might surprise you. Looking for a gift for someone you're not sure about? We have time to think it through with you.
You'll find us in the shop most days, restocking shelves and reading between customers. You can also reach us through the contact form — we answer email the same way we answer questions in person: thoughtfully, and as soon as we can.