Blog
Friday Fun: Paper is not dead…
22 March, 2013
Following our Wednesday Cover Story this week and the ongoing e-book v physical book debate, I couldn’t help but laugh at this French video I came across on YouTube. Tweeted it the other day, but I feel it deserves to be shared here, on our Friday Fun slot… Chiara Priorelli, Publicity & Marketing Manager
The Germans are good at everything…
21 March, 2013
Every type of food, that is. Some people go on holiday to sight see. I go on holiday to eat. And I feel that’s okay as I am now a member of a foodie-filled office. I’ve just back from a lovely four days in Berlin; the city was beautiful, covered in snow and with the […]
Wednesday Cover Story: The beautifully packaged book v The e-book
20 March, 2013
Earlier this week, over dinner with friends, I was asked the all-too-common question: will e-books eventually kill the book? Won’t everyone ultimately opt for the cheapest possible bargain? I proceeded to explain that undoubtedly, e-books have made a dent in the sales of physical books, especially mass market paperbacks. Unless you are averse to reading […]
Coming to a tunnel near you?
19 March, 2013
I’m all in favour of the technology that has made me a more frequent library user. Online catalogue, check. Online reservation for when I spot a review, check. I would never read half of what I hear about otherwise. And, of course, online renewal – thank goodness, otherwise I’d have been beggared by overdue fines. […]
Thanks Ireland – and not just for the Guinness…
18 March, 2013
St Patrick’s Day, which took place yesterday, is for many probably just an excuse to get down the pub and have a pint of Guinness while inventing spurious Irish ancestors and enjoying the general craic. Perhaps it’s also a good time, however, to think about what great contributions Ireland has made to our literature. For […]
Yes, that’s right, we’re working in our pyjamas.
15 March, 2013
It’s not every day you get to work at the office in your pj’s. And it’s not that surprising seeing as I kept having to fight the urge to curl up under my desk for a kip. But today, we could, and we did. So, give it up for some Red Nose Carpet fashion from […]
Happy Birthday Sir Michael Caine!
14 March, 2013
Today, revered actor Sir Michael Caine celebrates his 80th birthday, and, considering he’s something of a national treasure, it’s a milestone that is getting some deserved attention. A new exhibition launches today at the Museum of London featuring never-before-exhibited photographs of the iconic actor, as well as footage from his cult classics films like Alfie, […]
Wednesday Cover Story: The Changing Face of Lolita
13 March, 2013
As our weekly Wednesday Cover Stories prove, book covers are always an intriguing (and sometimes controversial) topic. It’s particularly interesting to take a book and look at all the different packages it’s come in over the years. That’s precisely what this site does, with one book – Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov. The site showcases 185 […]
Ding, dong the book is far from dead
12 March, 2013
It seems fair to say that it’s the sign of a good book when it inspires countless spin-offs and adaptations, so by that reckoning L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a stonkingly-good read. I must admit I haven’t read the original story but feel like I’ve done the literary equivalent of osmosis […]
Find yourself a Book Buddy
11 March, 2013
I went to Oxford last weekend to see my long time book buddy and university friend, Daisy. I never really realised we were book-mates until recently. We chat about everything under the sun, but the conversation always takes a literary turn. Every time we meet we swap books, tell of exciting new titles, moan bitterly […]
Friday Fun: Vote for the Oddest Book Title of the Year
8 March, 2013
It’s that time again: time to pick the Oddest Book Title of the Year. There have been some wonderful entries for the Diagram prize in the past (see here, here and here) and this year doesn’t disappoint. There’s the usual mention of at least one animal and one body part, but this year I found […]
Happy World Book Day!
7 March, 2013
Today is World Book Day! And what a day it is. The Biggest Book Show on Earth is about to kick off (11am today) to be broadcasted to cinemas nationwide and streamed live here; events will be taking place in schools, libraries and bookshops, eight £1 books have been released especially for the occasion; an […]
Wednesday Cover Story: Hot stuff
6 March, 2013
There are times when you spot a book cover that just fits so well that you would like to shake the designer by the hand. And then there are times where the realisation of their design idea is so astoundingly apposite that I’m tempted to adopt a ‘We are not worthy’ pose along these lines. […]
Once upon a wedding…
5 March, 2013
While I have no plans to get married any time soon, I have noticed that weddings seem to be in vogue lately. After Stylist Magazine’s recent article, ‘Is Marriage Back in Fashion?’, they’ve also added a wedding blog to their website. And it seems that wedding planning is now all over the Internet – sites […]
The Pitfalls of Genre
4 March, 2013
Last week I was reading A&B author Susanna Kearsley’s blog where she raised the issue of genre and suggested we should read books regardless of how they are pigeon-holed into a category. Similarly I have a friend who’s a bookseller and hates how certain books like Hilary Mantel’s are classed as Literary Fiction, while other […]
Breakfast of champions
1 March, 2013
Recently breakfast has been much discussed in the A&B office. For a start, I have become quite evangelical about granola. I swear I’m super-powered after a bowl, Lesley to the power of N, if you can stomach such a thought. Then, Chiara has been making my mouth water (even more than usual) by describing her […]
Highlights from the RoNA Awards
28 February, 2013
This Tuesday I had the pleasure of attending the Romantic Novelist Association‘s Awards ceremony – a wonderfully jolly evening as romance novelists, publishers and agents, gathered at the RAF Club to support the nominees, applaud the winners and salute the genre in general. This year the awards were given out by none other than TV […]
Wednesday Cover Story: Judging Covers – UK vs US
27 February, 2013
It’s often interesting to compare the book covers produced by UK and US publishers; no matter how similar, there are always some subtle differences which perhaps say something about the disparity in our culture and attitudes each side of the pond. US literature website The Millions has recently posted its annual Judging Books by Their […]
A surprising new literary voice…
26 February, 2013
I have an on-off relationship with poetry. I disliked it for most of my school days, thinking it was a bit stuffy and pretentious. Then I discovered the right poems and devoured as much as I could in my sixth form and university days. Now, though, I must confess that my poetry reading is in […]
Follow the Bitter Greens Blog Tour
25 February, 2013
Today marks the launch of Bitter Greens, by Kate Forsyth – a captivating novel that weaves together history and fairy tale in a unique retelling of the story of Rapunzel. The hardback is so beautiful, you may be tempted just to stare at it. But open the cover and you’ll delve into a world of […]
Friday Lunch with Authors
22 February, 2013
This week we’ve had some lovely author visits. Yesterday we enjoyed a lovely tea with Emily Winslow and today we had the pleasure of an office lunch with authors Judith Cutler and Edward Marston. Conversation covered all manner of topics from cricket to cruises to capital punishment, as well as the new BBC documentary Penguins […]
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