I find you don’t realise how much you rely on something until you have to do without it. I’ve been living in my new house since November and I am still without the internet. At first BT had to dig up the road to install fibre optic and it was up and running by the […]
If you’re an avid follower of our blog, you might remember my previous post on the Twitter Revolution that’s been sweeping our office. It made me decide to showcase some of my favourite posters here, so you can all enjoy their 140-character words of wisdom. This week’s Twitter Favourite has another literary theme – it’s […]
Our art editor, Christina, has just put the finishing touches to the cover designs for the upcoming reissues of Margaret Irwin titles. Have a look and swoon… Got a favourite? Chiara Priorelli, Publicity […]
Occasionally I find something on the internet that makes me giddy with excitement and demanding as a spoilt child. It can be books, clothes, make up or something completely random that I have no need or use for. For example, this Sherlock Holmes poster by Spineless Classics: The poster itself is enormous because it shows […]
This week is National Storytelling Week (26 January – 2 February) with plenty of events going on up and down the country to celebrate ‘the most ancient of communicative arts’. So take a moment this week to think about and relish the art of storytelling. We may not be a novelist or a writer of […]
Friday 1st February, 2:30pm GREAT MISSENDEN LIBRARY, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE Join A&B author Catherine Law at Great Missenden Library Open Day, The High Street, Great Missenden, HP16 0AL, where she will be talking about her writing ideas, her inspiration and her latest book, The September Garden. Other activities include a children’s story time, a craft event, a ‘How […]
Point Blank, by Richard Stark (originally published in 1962 under the title The Hunter) first introduced readers to the character of master thief Parker. Parker was then immortalised on film by Lee Marvin in the 1967 film Point Blank. And so ensued a long list of other movies based on the Parker series with different […]
This week’s Stylist is dedicated to holidays for the food obsessed. Which is to say it’s bascially an issue dedicated to me. In fact, if you were to ask me about my holiday (any holiday), my immediate response would involve enthusiastically describing a series of mouth-watering meals, perhaps punctuated by some other minor attractions… Holiday […]
There’s a certain amount of preciousness attached to the sacred words ‘literary classics’ which is understandable considering their longevity . And while I appreciate some of the gorgeous editions that are available (take your pick from any published by the Folio Society for instance), it was great to come across some books that are far from genuflecting […]
Last week I celebrated some of the best literary films out now, but there are many more to look forward to in 2013. There are plenty of bookish films to get us through to spring, especially if you don’t mind watching a bit of teen fantasy. There’ll be zombies in Warm Bodies (8th February) and […]
I’m a just little late coming to this article, but back in 2007 The Washington Post did a little experiment involving world-famous violinist Joshua Bell busking incognito at Washington DC’s L’Enfant Plaza metro station. Bell is a virtuoso and he was playing a Stradivarius for which he reportedly paid $3.5 million. He was recognised by […]
I’ll admit it. There are books I’ve started and haven’t finished. I’m not proud of it, but it’s true. I always try and give a book the benefit of the doubt, attempting the first five chapters before I cast it aside. Some books just move at a slower pace and need more time to pick […]
There are some great things out there in the ether of the inter-google-web and I’m happy to share one blog that ticks two major internet pastimes of mine: books (of course), and pretty things either of the clothing or accessories variety. Fiction to Fashion satisfies that urge you’ve had to dress up in homage to […]
This past weekend I watched Moonrise Kingdom on DVD. I am not a die-hard Wes Anderson fan, but I enjoyed the mix of odd-ball characters and the quirky charm of the plot which features the innocent romance between misfit Suzy Bishop (pictured above) and boy-scout Sam Shakusky as they attempt to run away together one […]
In the A&B office, we’ve been talking about our personal resolutions which range from starting yoga, cooking a new recipe once a week and writing more letters (that’s right, proper letters, with pen and paper and everything), to stop using the Snooze button and using the word ‘discombobulate’ more often. But we’re sure you all […]
Saturday 30th March, 11am BORZOI BOOKS, STOW-ON-THE-WOLD Come and meet A&B crime author Rebecca Tope as she signs copies of her new hardback Shadows in the Cotswolds and her other best selling Cotswold crime titles at The Borzoi Bookshop, Church Street, Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, GL54 1BB. Rebecca has written nearly twenty crime novels in her writing […]
Monday 18th March, 7pm OKEHAMPTON LIBRARY, DEVON Join one of A&B’s best selling crime authors, Rebecca Tope as she chats about her career as a writer and her latest books, The Windermere Witness, Malice in the Cotswolds and the upcoming instalment, Shadows in the Cotswolds. Rebecca is currently the membership secretary of the Crime Writers’ […]
With the cold, dark mornings and the absence of Christmas to make them feel festive, I find there’s not much to get excited about at this time of year. Cinema, however, is one exception. There are some great films out already, and I’m looking forward to even more of them coming soon. And many of […]
Since I work in publishing and I studied English Literature, my housemates seem to think I’ve read every book that’s ever been written, from The Bible to War & Peace to The Hungry Caterpillar. I’m afraid that’s not the case. While I love reading and have read many books, there’s still a world of them […]
It’s January. It’s still ridiculously dark when I emerge from the house each day. And the Christmas decorations have been put away. Boo! To add to my doldrums, a fresh week has brought a fresh announcement of a budget cut. While there are obviously more dire stories out there, the fact that the blue plaque […]
Come and meet best selling crime author Rebecca Tope as she talks about her life in rural Herefordshire, her new Lake District mystery series, and the much loved Cotswold mysteries at the Women’s Institute in Moreton-in-Marsh, Tuesday 14 February, 7.30pm.