I found out today that Audrey Niffenegger is currently writing a sequel to her bestselling novel, The Time Traveller’s Wife. As a great fan of the first book, I can only wait expectantly, and somewhat anxiously, for the next one. There’s something a little nerve-wracking about the prospect of a sequel to a beloved book. What if I don’t […]
A&B author Lawrence Scott, author of the wonderful Aelred’s Sin (out in Ebook this month) recently visited La Foce, to learn about the intriguing Iris Origo. Whilst there, Lawrence penned poems about his surroundings and we’re delighted to share one with you, below. Isn’t it beautiful? We’re dreaming of La Dolce Vita… The time was […]
We’ve got our hands on the Indian edition of three June Thomson, Sherlock Holmes books – don’t they look great? A very different take than the A&B covers, but dark alleyways and shadowy figures… exactly what we like in a good detective book. My favourite’s The Secret Journals cover (far left). It looks like it has […]
With the arrival of the Kindle, we thought that we’d finally solved the problem of bulky bags full of holiday reads, costing an arm and a leg to check in. But isn’t it true that some of us miss the sand between the pages experience of holding an actual book? Fear not traditionalists, because there’s […]
Do you remember Pong, the world’s first arcade video game from the 70s? Try playing it now that we’re used to much more sophisticated software. It’s hard! Don’t believe me? Head down to The Digital Revolution exhibition at the Barbican and have a go on the clunky dials yourself. From Pong to Apple’s huge range […]
Chuck Wendig’s Blackbirds is a quite horrible book; that said I loved it. Not for the faint hearted this novel is a graphically detailed tale of gore, carved out with a scalpel-like precision and acerbic wit. The protagonist Miriam Black is reminiscent of Stieg Larsson’s Lisbeth Salander, damaged but definitely able to take care of […]
‘As booksellers around the world continue to feel the pinch of trying to do business in an online retail climate, the French Parliament has taken action that at least intends to protect bookshops in some small way. The government has now made it illegal to offer free shipping on books in the country.’ Could UK […]
We’re very excited to be publishing L C Tyler at A&B next month and could not wait to show you this fab new Crooked Herring cover – hot off the press! I’m a great fan of this one – it reminds me of weekend trips in the countryside in my Dads’ Volvo. Those rolling, grey […]
I was sad to learn this morning that Robin Williams was found dead in his Californian home from what appears to be suicide. I grew up watching him and loved everything from Good Will Hunting to his stand-up shows. Not just a great comic, he was an immeasurable acting talent. Nearly every year or so, my […]
It seems that Marvel are continuing their love for all things girl power, and have announced that they may be expanding Spider-Man’s filmic universe. A new film would feature a female protagonist, either Spider-Woman, Spider-Girl, Silver Sable, Black Cat, Stunner or Firestar. It will reportedly also have a female screenwriter. This follows Marvel’s announcement that […]
The internet is a place where you can find just about anything. And today I found an igloo made of books. Yes, that’s right. The sculpture installation, called Home, is by Colombian artist Miler Lagos. He used carefully stacked books to create a compact dome that is entirely self-supporting. Now how cool would that look in your living […]
It doesn’t take much to guess which part of the world I was lucky enough to spend a few days in last week . . . Yes, Jo Nesbo and Jorn Lier Horst dominate the bestseller shelves in their homeland Norway with a shelf to spare for Danish author Jussi Alder-Olsen too. Locally-based crime fiction […]
It’s that time of year again, the time you’ve all been waiting for. The countdown has begun-The Man Booker Prize Longlist has been released! The undeniable highlight of all our calendars has come around again-move over X-Factor; we have the Booker. Make ready your calendars (as if you didn’t already have the dates circled in […]
We all have favourite books and cherished covers but what if someone re-imagined those beloved jackets? That’s exactly what the Re-Covered Book contest aims to do: ‘A creative contest which asks readers to push the limits of book design‘. Everything from Jane Eyre to Harry Potter has been re-covered in this creative, remarkable competition. It’s […]
Few insects seem as friendly and well-loved as the bee. Sartorially snappy in stripes, B rivals other mini-beasts in the garden and is far from bumbling as she floats elegantly from plant to plant. Commonly associated with honey and flowers; it’s no wonder she has such an excellent reputation. When we add to this the […]
We’re finally having that global-warming-induced fabulous summer. The sun is beaming down and a mirage appears: you’re reclining by the pool with a large glass of perfectly chilled rosé, a tantalizing book within your beautifully bronzed hands. Whether you’re enjoying the sunshine at home or traveling abroad, a good book is essential to the summer […]
We’ve spotted a recent Twitter trend that we’re enjoying even more than this… or indeed this… You already know that the trend for ‘Selfies’ has lead to the noun being announced as the word of 2013, by the Oxford Dictionary – but did you know that the #sHelfie may soon be joining it’s ranks – recently […]
The “Summer Read” has come to refer to trashy, ‘chick-lit’, easy reads. The Fifty-Shades phenomenon (which coincidentally was followed by a massive increase in the popularity of the discreet eBook) cemented this genre of the ‘holiday-read’ as guilty-pleasures, not ‘proper’ books. But this is a myth! The holidays are the perfect time to read books […]
Everyone loves an excuse for fancy dress – as proved by the thousands that turned up for London Comic Convention last weekend (read Lydia’s blog here) and by the recent smattering of authors dressing up as their favourite book characters – my favourite is Neil Gaiman as Badger from Wind in The Willows. It does seem unfair that once […]
Q. The novel is set at the time of World War 1. What sparked your interest in the Great War? My father and all his (older) six brothers all served throughout what was later called the Great War. They were all rifle and bayonet infantrymen and amazingly they all survived, albeit with various wounds. Uncle Ernest […]
Yesterday Marvel comics announced a new era for the Norse superhero Thor – the character will become a woman. The publisher hopes that recasting Thor as female will attract more woman and girls to comic books and graphic novels. ‘The inscription on Thor’s hammer reads “Whosoever holds this hammer, if HE be worthy, shall possess the power […]