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By the estimation of award-winning author Donal Ryan, there are times when 300 sales might be enough to make a chart topper – the bestseller mantle tends to have more promotional than monetary value. Of course there are the literary blockbusters — titles like Harry Potter and The Da Vinci Code — books that ship hundreds of millions of copies. But combine the sales of JK Rowling and Dan Brown, even throw in John Grisham, and you’re still lagging behind the sales figures of the world’s true bestselling author — James Patterson.
April 18, 2017
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If you're a fantasy lover, you'll know how great mythical creatures can be. They can be menace or hero, evil or saintly. And they are so cool. They have fascinating histories and many variations, and it's always interesting to see how authors bring them to life in their stories.
February 21, 2017
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Watching a great period drama is one of my favourite ways to unwind. I’ve seen almost all of them – from Shakespearean drama to Life on Mars. Whether it’s pure fiction or based on real historical events, I love escaping into another time period for a bit. The only downside is the inevitable period drama hangover: that horrible time after its finished when all I want to do is jump back into that world again. Thankfully, that’s where books come in!
January 23, 2017
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It’s an all too rare occurrence that I find myself sacrificing sleep to keep the characters in my ears. The Goldfinch was such a book and, despite what I considered an all-too-soap-box-y ending, I thought it was wonderful. Two things happen when I enjoy a book to that extent. One, I insist everyone around me get a copy. (If too much resistance is shown, copies are procured as gifts). Two, I’m ravenous to pursue the author’s other works. To devour their back catalogue, to feel all shaken and entranced once again.
November 28, 2016
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The more you find out about the history of disability and the associated language used, the more eye-opening it becomes. It wasn't so long ago that 'special' was widely used - a patronising euphemism now best avoided - and we are still left with the remains of so many other words that cast disabilities and impairments in a negative light.
November 22, 2016
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It's Hug a Bear Day! If you've read the blog before, you might have caught that I'm a huge Winnie-the-Pooh fan. Well, I'll confess to you now, that whilst Winnie-the-Pooh might be my favourite literary bear, I love a lot of bears. By which I mean fictional bears, and cuddly bears, and fictional bears that you'd really like to cuddle.
November 7, 2016
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What do ghosts do for fun? They listen to audio-BOO-ks! Okay, so we’re not going to win any prizes for our jokes. What we can do, though, is recommend some fang-tastic books for you to get your teeth into this Halloween! (Sorry, I really will stop with the puns now). Whether you’re looking for scary fiction, frighteningly real crime, or just something to make you laugh, this selection will have a book for you!
October 31, 2016
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Bill Bryson has written over twenty non-fiction books covering topics as diverse as history, travel, science and Shakespeare. Holly Newson spoke to Bill about family, the inspiration behind his writing, and his changing perspective on the United Kingdom.
July 5, 2016
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If bookshop window displays are any indication, millennials are reading differently. The front shelves of YA dystopian novels are making room for more memoirs and essay collections. On the covers are not historical figures or seasoned actors, but fresh-faced internet personalities.
June 27, 2016
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This week is National School Sport Week. It's here to encourage school children to participate more in PE and sport. Sometimes we can all do with a little inspiration to get involved with sport, so we've picked out some books for a variety of ages to get you sweating... or thinking about sweating at least!
June 20, 2016
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