Fourbears Books

Alex Forbes left a fifteen-year office career in May 2020 and opened Fourbears Books on Prospect Street that December, naming the shop after the nickname a friend's five children gave him years earlier. The shop stocks fiction and non-fiction for adults alongside a substantial children's section, and runs book clubs and writing groups through the year. Alex's partner Claire, his children Jacob and Eliza, his mother, and a staff member named Jo all work the shop alongside him, making it a family concern rather than a solo operation with hired help. Special orders typically arrive within one to two days. The shop has hosted an annual festival bringing published authors to Caversham for talks and signings, and sits among Caversham's other independent shops on Prospect Street, open six days a week with a shorter Sunday sitting.