The Stripey Badger Bookshop opened in the Dales village of Grassington this year. Co-owner James Firth says: “My co-owner is my mother, Linda Furniss, and my aunt owns the adjacent Stripey Badger Coffee Shop & Kitchen. It’s a family business with adjoining doors so customers can wander between books, coffee and cake. Linda has yearned to work in a bookshop since she was five, but never dreamed she would actually own one. We think the time is right for a new independent bookshop, with support for indies growing and the love of paper books increasing. And so it is proving, as residents and tourists alike visit. We have a large children’s section with colourful bean bags – we love it when parents are drinking coffee next door and the kids come in, sit down and look through our books.”

Top five sellers

•Date With Death (The Dales Detective Series Book 1) Julia Chapman

•Not Quite Nice Celia Imrie

•The Gallows Pole Benjamin Myers

•The World’s Worst Children 3 David Walliams (illustrated by Tony Ross)

•Oi Cat! Kes Gray (illustrated by Jim Field)

Five recommendations

•The Snow Child Eowyn Ivey
“This magical grownup fairytale is set in the Alaskan wilderness in the 1920s. Very atmospheric.”

•Prisoners of Geography Tim Marshall
“A fascinating book that I pick up time and time again, about why countries behave as they do.”

•A Bear Called Paddington Michael Bond
“My first book. Paddington is unfailingly polite and ready to help – a great role model. I still love reading his adventures.”

•Dracula Bram Stoker
“Absolutely gripping. The book is much more suspenseful and thrilling than the films, without the gore.”

•A History of the World in 21 Women Jenni Murray
“A beautiful hardback that is proving popular in this anniversary year of women’s suffrage. It celebrates women all over the world.”

The Stripey Badger, 7 The Square, Grassington, BD23 5AQ; thestripeybadger.co.uk; @stripeybadgers