We’ve been out of the office for the past few days, enjoying some sunshine in Kensington Olympia. This year’s London Book Fair was a runaway success, and all of us enjoyed meeting up with authors, agents, publishers and booksellers, as well as saying hello to lots and LOTS of bookworms. It’s always lovely to meet […]
At the risk of appearing to write a politically-motivated blog, which is not my intention, I have decided to share an article featured on the BBC News website this week. It speaks of library books that have received the most complaints, one of the most recent additions being a tale of two male penguins that […]
We hope that we will be seeing some of you at next month’s CrimeFest, in Bristol? CrimeFest is a convention for people who like to read an occasional crime novel as well as for die-hard fanatics. Many of our authors attend each year, as the festivals sees top crime novelists, readers, editors, publishers and reviewers […]
A job advert went viral last week that has to be one of the most enviable in the world: a Police Constable on the Isle of Scilly -where the number of crimes last year was twenty-four. Sergeant Colin Taylor wrote that required attributes would be ‘unflinching confidence’ to know what to do when alerted to […]
I am lucky enough to be starting my bank holiday weekend with Benedict Cumberbatch. On Friday 3rd April, I’m going to see LETTERS LIVE: inspired by Letters of Note, the bestselling anthology compiled by Shaun Usher, and To the Letter by Simon Garfield, LETTERS LIVE is a series of curated, live events that celebrate the […]
This week I read an article in The Guardian that made me think, thank goodness it’s not just me. Yes, the colouring book has made a comeback. Currently topping the Amazon bestseller list, many adults are indulging in an activity that is both relaxing and nostalgic. I first brought the colouring back into my life […]
I was saddened to see the news that the Forest Bookshop in the Forest of Dean will shortly close it’s doors after 40 years of match-making readers and books. In an article in The Bookseller, owner Douglas McLean said ‘the past 40 bookselling years have seen the happiest of times. We’ve had some wonderful events, […]
Bill Naughton’s well-loved classic, Alfie, has been enjoyed in both book and film forms for generations. Whether you’re a Michael Caine or Jude Law fan, the Casanova will charm and amuse you. It’s always great to see our favourite book covers interpreted by other publishers accross the seas. Take a look at the below, which […]
In the last week a controversial app has come to the attention of authors and readers alike: Clean Reader. Its purpose is to find ‘offensive’ language within books and replace these words with a milder alternative. With a scale from ‘clean’ to ‘squeaky clean’ even words such as ‘damn’ or ‘vagina’ can be substituted for […]
The literary world has been in delightful uproar since the news of Harper Lee’s follow up to To Kill a Mockingbird was released. Ahead of the publication in July, jackets have been unveiled for the UK and US covers of Go Set a Watchman: I’m not sure I’m enamoured with either of them. I think […]
On Saturday, in honour of World Poetry Day, one company in Vienna decided to commemorate the occasion by using poetry as currency for the day. Julius Meinl marked this day with a promotion spanning across 23 countries in their 1100 cafes, bars and restaurants. This included the UK! The thinking behind this ingenious idea was the […]
There’s been much talk of stately homes and English heritage in the papers recently, and whilst politicians argue it out over mansion taxes and constitutional reforms across the kingdom, we’re finding a little light relief in remembering Britain’s past through the eyes of Flo Wadlow, in her kitchen maid’s story. Over a Hot Stove is a vivid […]
The Internet was in hysterics this week when a Reddit user, Obvious Plant, printed a few hilarious fake book jackets and stealthily placed them on existing books in a West Hollywood bookstore. The newly jacketed titles in the self-help section include So Your Son is a Centaur, How to Dress Yourself and my personal favourite, […]
As a lover of all things book-related my reaction to discovering this gem of a company cannot be overstated. The Literary Gift Company produces innovative and quirky products from novelty grammar mugs (my personal favourite) to library-style, date-stamped t-shirts. Not only this, but their section ‘Books turned into things’ sees old books wonderfully restored and […]
Do you prefer reading about real, or fictional places? As we learnt the sad news of Terry Pratchett’s death last week, many fans thanked the late author for the world he had created in the legendary Discworld series, and for the magic and escapism it brought to them. But we know from you A&B readers […]
There’s one creative studio that is always a pleasure to be updated on: Obvious State. Based in New York, Evan and Nicole Robertson, began ‘a small project that used snippets of text as a springboard for an original illustration quickly grew into a creative studio renowned for its wordplay and witty design.’ In short, that means they’ve created beautiful, thought-provoking and […]
Many of us may have already taken advantage of the Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Experience with the chance to explore, among other things, such wonders as the Great Hall and the Knight Bus. However, it has recently been announced that a new feature will be added to the already expansive exhibition: the Hogwarts Express! […]
Childhood memories are important to us all and are a topic covered widely in literature. From the happy to the sinister, recollections of sensations, people, places and life-changing events weave in and out of many great stories. Our childhood home holds fond memories for many of us, as Caroline McGhie explored in an article for […]
I’ve seen daffodils this week, which means it’s nearly time to stop wearing my woollies. I’m enjoying being out and about more now that the evenings are getting lighter and the rain has (for now at least) stopped. And so when I spotted these London audio walking tours on the Guardian website, I decided I’m […]
This Thursday welcomes back World Book Day! Many of us will remember being given our £1 book tokens while at school. For me, it is incredibly nostalgic. This year children’s laureate Malorie Blackman, perhaps best known for her ‘Noughts and Crosses’ series is to launch WBD Teenfest (wbdteenfest.com). The site will be live from 4th-5th […]
My weekend was considerably lightened once again by bookish revelations: further Harry Potter secrets are to be revealed by Philip Errington in his comprehensive work J.K. Rowling: A Bibliography 1997-2013. As well as providing up-to-date bibliographic details of all of Rowling’s work, the author also includes fascinating behind-the-scenes information, gathered by interviewing staff at Bloomsbury and accessing […]