Darling Reads

Darling Reads We are an independent bookshop based in Horbury, West Yorkshire. Mon - Fri 9am-4:30pm
Sat 9am-3pm

Our Summer Events Schedule!We’re really excited to see all of these wonderful authors again over the next few weeks 😊Tic...
03/06/2026

Our Summer Events Schedule!

We’re really excited to see all of these wonderful authors again over the next few weeks 😊

Tickets are available but going quickly so get in touch / book online ASAP!

📚 Jennifer Saint - This Immortal Heart - Weds 17th June

📚 J M Hall - Murder on a Cornish Train - Sat 4th July

📚 Kenneth Wilson - Pilgrim Cello - Mon 13th July
saint.author

We are delighted to introduce a brand-new initiative especially for home educating families in our community...Starting ...
01/06/2026

We are delighted to introduce a brand-new initiative especially for home educating families in our community...

Starting on Wednesday 3rd June, we’ll be hosting a dedicated Home Education Drop In Session once a month, here in the shop.

As part of the initiative, home educating families will enjoy:

📚 20% off all children’s books (either from the shelves or ordered in - some exclusions may apply)
✏️ Free activity sheets for children to enjoy with us or to take home.
🔎 Bespoke book recommendations tailored to your child’s interests, age, and learning style.
☕ And generally just a relaxed, friendly environment to browse, chat, and connect with other families.

As a bookshop, we really value our relationships with local schools and nurseries which we foster through discounts, curated reading lists and author events. We recognise, however, that home educating families are also creating rich, thoughtful, and inspiring learning environments every day.

Our drop-in sessions are part of our commitment to making sure those families feel equally welcomed, supported, and included within our educational community. We believe every child deserves access to exciting books, creative opportunities, and a space where their curiosity can flourish — whatever their educational pathway may look like.

Our first two sessions will take place on:

Weds 3rd June
1pm - 3pm

and

Weds 8th July
1pm - 3pm

No booking is required — simply come along at any point during those times.

If you can’t make either of those dates, but would like to be included in updates about future sessions, please just drop us an email to
[email protected]

Tag a friend who needs to see this!

Just a reminder of this FREE crime writing event at Wakefield Library this weekend!It's a day full of author talks, meet...
01/06/2026

Just a reminder of this FREE crime writing event at Wakefield Library this weekend!
It's a day full of author talks, meet and greets, book signings and celebrating all things crime fiction 📚

Sat 6th June from 10am
Wakefield Library

Our lovely staff member, Fran, has written a book! 🍃🦡This month is the bicentenary of the completion of the wall enclosi...
29/05/2026

Our lovely staff member, Fran, has written a book! 🍃🦡
This month is the bicentenary of the completion of the wall enclosing Walton Hall, built to exclude poachers and predatory wildlife. The books follows Beverley Badger on her adventures to save her family as Mr Waterton builds the first ever nature reserve.
This is a beautiful children’s book written by Fran with gorgeous illustrations by Rebecca Dorman and spotlights our local history which is still relevant today. All proceeds support Wakefield District Badger Group, who continue to look after Charles Waterton’s badgers 200 years on!
The books are on sale in the shop for £10 (if you could pay cash this would be very much appreciated). Fran will be in the shop tomorrow (Saturday) so pop in and chat to her about her wonderful book!

Brand new board books for the littlest people in your life. From fairy tales to frogs, football to fish, we have somethi...
28/05/2026

Brand new board books for the littlest people in your life. From fairy tales to frogs, football to fish, we have something for every tiny reader 🥰

Why not treat them to a 3, 6 or 12 month subscription, where they receive a board book and matching wooden Lanka Kade figure every month? Find more details on our website or call in to talk to us.

To celebrate 10 years of Little People, Big Dreams, we’ve got 10 sets of these fab pin badges to giveaway when you buy a...
27/05/2026

To celebrate 10 years of Little People, Big Dreams, we’ve got 10 sets of these fab pin badges to giveaway when you buy any of the books from the series.

We love these inspiring books and there’s nearly 150 to choose from, with 6 more planned for this year!

Let us know which book you want (we can order any of them in!) and we’ll allocate the badges accordingly*.

Quarto Kids

*One per customer, while stocks last.

27/05/2026

We are delighted to announce that the marvellously gifted Mike Gayle will be visiting Pontefract Library next month!

Gayle is a journalist who has written novels including 'The Museum of Ordinary People', 'Half a World Away' and 'Hope Street'.

He will be talking about his writing and his newest book 'On We Go'. There will be a book signing and tasty snacks!

📅 5 June
⏰ 1:30pm
📍 Pontefract Library
🪙 £2 per ticket

Booking essential, visit: https://www.ticketsource.com/wakefield-libraries/t-qmavzxx



Wakefield Council Pontefract Castle (official) Experience Wakefield Pontefract Reads

25/05/2026

We’re really excited to be the bookseller for this fabulous festival of Yorkshire Crime Writing!

Come along to this FREE* all day event and meet authors, listen to the panels and immerse yourself in some brilliant crime fiction!

📚 Sat. 6th June
🔪 From 10am
📚 Wakefield Library

*Tickets are free but you need to reserve your place - just visit the ticketsource website and search Wakefield Library 😊

We’re not usually open on bank holidays but as this one is during half term we thought we’d treat you 😊We’ll be open on ...
24/05/2026

We’re not usually open on bank holidays but as this one is during half term we thought we’d treat you 😊
We’ll be open on Monday until 1pm 📚

22/05/2026

It was so hard to keep this brief, you know how much I can talk 😂

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
A wonderful, heartwarming tale of women being resourceful and scrappy in the face of disaster. Set in Mississippi in the 1930s, this would be great read for fans of 'The Help' or 'Lessons in Chemistry'

Murder on the Cornish Train by J M Hall
Gripping, mysterious, atmospheric, this is the perfect book for lovers of cosy crime with genuinely enjoyable characters - and who doesn't love a murder mystery set on a train??

Cleopatra by Natasha Solomons
Historical fiction at it's finest! I would read Natasha's books all day long. She is always so credible and convincing. I loved how she portrays Cleopatra in this story, the motivations and political machinations that drive her decisions and the impact the consequences have on her. It's brill!

The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson
READ. THIS. BOOK. Especially if you love world building fantasy with high stakes political intrigue.

The Daisy Chain Flower Shop by Laurie Gilmore
A cozy romantic mystery with a fake relationship dynamic. Just enjoy being swept along by the romance ( and spice...🌶️). Featuring a cast of characters that you know and love, and if you don't it's fine, you can read these books in any order.

As I said, we are always happy to recommend books and this is just a handful, we have so many more great books in stock 😊

Address

17 High Street
Horbury
WF45AB

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 9:15am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 4:30pm
Thursday 9am - 4:30pm
Friday 9:15am - 4:30pm
Saturday 9am - 3pm

Telephone

+441924260384

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