by Gudrun Bowers | 21, Jan 2016
Longlisted for the Booker prize, this thoughtful and engaging novel, Andrew O’Hagan’s fifth, explores with a fresh voice universal themes of age, memory, war and love. Former documentary photographer Ann lives in sheltered accommodation in Ayrshire, while her grandson Luke serves in Afghanistan encountering in real life the scenarios that he and his war fodder contemporaries relished on Xbox games. When he returns disillusioned and trying to forget the disturbing scenes that he has experienced (robustly described by O’Hagan), he finds himself tasked with helping his grandmother, in contrast, retrieve past memories and long-kept secrets and questions of veracity in image and recall gain an added resonance.
It’s a measure of O’Hagan’s compassion that after balancing these stories of war and family – braving the battlefield and braving the passing of time – the ultimate note is hopeful and almost gentle, of something that seems real and vital. The Guardian
by Gudrun Bowers | 21, Jan 2016
When Ruth Ardingly and her family first drive up from London to view The Well, they are enchanted by a jewel of a place, a farm that appears to offer everything the family are searching for. An opportunity for Ruth. An escape for Mark. A home for their grandson Lucien.
But the beautiful farmstead holds a mystery. While drought stalks the country, The Well’s fields are verdant and heavy with produce, its springs gurgle with water, and the locals begin to suspect foul play. Ruth becomes increasingly isolated as she struggles to explain why her land flourishes whilst her neighbours’ produce withers and dies. As the mystery comes to the attention of the authorities, The Well becomes a place of spiritual pilgrimage, Ruth and Mark become estranged, and Ruth finds herself a reluctant, bewildered spiritual figurehead. Slowly Ruth’s paradise becomes a prison, Mark’s dream a recurring nightmare, and Lucien’s playground a grave.
Catherine Chanter’s brave and unusual novel is written with poetic intensity, and is part-fable, part-thriller, part dystopian-fantasy. Very much recommended for fans of Margaret Atwood’s ‘A Handmaid’s Tale’.
‘I was gripped by Catherine Chanter’s The Well immediately. The beauty of her prose is riveting, the imagery so assured. This is an astonishing debut’ Sarah Winman, author of When God was a Rabbit
‘I loved this book!‘ JESSIE BURTON, author of The Miniaturist.
by Gudrun Bowers | 27, Nov 2015
Another absolutely exquisite book by bookshop favourite Jane Ray, this is a collection of folk and fairy tales from around the world, some familiar, some less so but all about animals of all kinds ‘growling, snorting, spotted and striped, hairy and scaly, with teeth and claws.’ From Brer Rabbit to the Minotaur to the lovely and little-known Singing Ringing Tree, each tale is retold by Jane in clear, evocative prose , and wonderfully illustrated, her trademark lavish style toned down to a limited palette with glorious results.
Suitable for ages 7-10
by Gudrun Bowers | 27, Nov 2015
Every winter, when the first snow falls, Pearl makes a snow girl, a snow sister. It doesn’t bring her real sister back, but for a while, she misses Agnes a little less. This Christmas Eve, a mysterious letter brings the promise of a change in fortune for Pearl’s hard- up family, but a snap decision made by Pearl could jeopardise everything.
A charming story with a suitably Christmassy message.
Suitable for 7-9 year olds
by Gudrun Bowers | 27, Nov 2015
A joyous Christmas story!
As well as being a best-selling writer for adults, Matt Haig is a gifted spinner of yarns for younger readers, and in this charming novel he tells the merry tale of how a young Finnish boy called Nikolas becomes the Father Christmas we know and love, which is sure to enchant even those beginning to question the magic of Santa Claus.
Sprinkled liberally with jokes, and enlivened by Chris Mould’s humorous illustrations, we follow poor Nikolas as he flees his cruel Aunt Carlotta and sets out on a long trek north to find his woodcutter father, who has gone in search of the land of Elves. He is joined on his journey by a reindeer named Blitzen, and a mouse called Miika.
A dash of magic ( a ‘drimwick’ or Elf-spell) rescues Nikolas and Blitzen from a snowy death, and they are invited into Elfhelm, the fabled land of the elves … but they find it a sombre place, under the thrall of an evil elf-dictator called Father Vodol, who imprisons the boy. Nikolas and Blirzen encounter a truth-pixie, trolls, and kidnappers on their way to becoming heroes of the Elves, freeing them from the grip of Father Vodol and bringing joy, colour and gingerbread back to Elfhelm!
Full of impossible magic and laughter, this full-length chapter book is absolutely perfect to read aloud to 5-7 year olds, or for 7-10 year olds to read alone, and will bring the magic of Christmas winging into your homes!
by Gudrun Bowers | 6, Nov 2015
A quite extraordinary contemporary take on the ‘apologue’ (a moral fable with animal characters) by a Toronto-based Trinidadian author, ‘Fifteen Dogs’ begins in a bar, like so many strange stories. The gods Hermes and Apollo, drunkenly arguing about what would happen if animals had human intelligence, make a bet that leads them to grant consciousness and language to a group of dogs staying overnight at a veterinary clinic. Suddenly capable of complex thought, the dogs escape and become a pack.
They are torn between those who resist the new ways of thinking, preferring the old ‘dog’ ways, and those who embrace the change. The gods watch from above as the dogs venture into unfamiliar territory, as they become divided among themselves, as each struggles with new thoughts and feelings. Wily Benjy moves from home to home, Prince becomes a poet, and Majnoun forges a relationship with a kind couple that stops even the Fates in their tracks.
Engaging and strange, full of unexpected philosophical insights into human and canine minds, yet moving and with an easy flow, this is the most unusual book you’ll read this year.
by Gudrun Bowers | 6, Nov 2015
The Whitshanks like to think they are special, as families do. They take great pride in their handyman skills, their stories, imagine that others see a close knit clan and wish they were part of it. This may be true, but Anne Tyler’s portrait of a middle-class Baltimore family unerringly skewers its subjects with a cool, humorous yet ultimately sympathetic gaze. Abby and Red love their comfortable family home. Their children have all grown and left, but are still in regular and close contact, except Denny, the problem child, who remains unreliable and secretive. But Red is losing his hearing and Abby is starting to experience disturbing timeslips, and their children agree that they can’t continue to live alone. As family members return to the house and their stories loop back and forth through time, Tyler’s writing acutely and elegantly observes the muddle of family life, the sometimes hilarious tragedy of getting old, the misconceptions and misunderstandings that plague every family, the imitations of human consciousness.
This is Tyler’s 20th novel, and if anything, her writing is more humane, yet piercingly sharp than ever.
by Gudrun Bowers | 6, Nov 2015
A high-octane nitro-fuelled conspiracy thriller for the 10+ age group, from the award-winning author of ‘Trash’ and the ‘Ribblestrop’ series. ‘Liquidator’ follows teenagers Vicky, Ben, and their class-mates as they excitedly embark upon a week of work experience. On her very first day making tea at a high-ranking legal firm, Vicky stumbles upon a sinister cover-up by a global drinks company, who are preparing for the launch of their new energy drink brand, ‘Liquidator’, and who will stop at nothing to protect their brand and prevent the truth about their killer product from emerging.
What follows is a fast-paced thrill ride of ever-escalating tension, as each teenager takes turns to relate their part in the story, a nice structural touch which adds colour and depth. From a Kenyan village to a huge Wembley concert by way of the London sewers and countless brushes with death, the classmates determinedly work together to reveal the truth.
The brilliant and very believable concept of an addictive, dangerous energy drink marketed by a ruthless global brand, and the sheer fizzing energy of this story, make this a fantastic choice for your 10 to 15 year-old boy OR girl – my 12 year old son couldn’t put it down!
by Gudrun Bowers | 6, Nov 2015
There’s a new trend in beautifully and imaginatively illustrated fact books for children. Here are some of our current favourites, mostly with a natural theme. All are hardbacks.
For very young children, One Thousand Things by Anna Kӧvecses (Wide Eyed Editions, £12.99) is a lovely introduction to first words and concepts. With bold, graphic illustrations in lovely colours, it is split into sections such as First Things to Learn, Things to do With You, Things Around the World, and has a cute mouse somewhere on every page.
Creaturepedia by Adrienne Barman (Wide Eyed Editions £14.99) is for slightly older children (4-7) and has charming and often amusing illustrations of animals accompanied by facts relevant to the categories they have been divided into. The categories themselves are an interesting and imaginative way of looking at the natural world, and include The Liliputians, The Homebodies, The Masters of Camouflage, The Champion Breathholders, The Big Mouths!
Small and Tall Tales of Extinct Animals by Hélène Rajcak and Damien Laverdunt (Gecko Press £14.99) is the most thought-provoking of these titles. Moving across the world by continent, it takes a fascinating look at the enormous, tiny, and strange animals now lost,
by Gudrun Bowers | 6, Nov 2015
What a treat! A Mitchell-esque take on haunted-house Gothic Horror, to be published just before Hallowe’en!
‘Slade House’ inhabits the same universe as David Mitchell’s previous novel ‘The Bone Clocks’, but works perfectly well as a stand-alone novel for those of you yet to fall under the spell of his sublimely-crafted sentences and soul-sucking atemporal time-travellers. This slender novel centres around Slade House, a decaying mansion tucked away in a tatty North London suburb, and each of its 5 chapters features a different character. The house mysteriously appears once every 9 years, and at each ‘opening’, one carefully chosen visitor is let in, beginning with teenaged Nathan, who is invited in October 1976. Like ‘Hotel California’, this is one house you may enter, but never leave, and so we romp through a succession of vividly-imagined, wonderfully nuanced narrators, taking us from 1976 through to 2015, each of whom meets a deeply unpleasant end. Each decade is lovingly and nostalgically evoked with delightfully British detail – the beauty of Mitchell’s writing for me is in the way that, like Haruki Murakami, his stories are rooted in the humdrum modern world of Pritt-stick and Shredded-Wheat, yet spiral off into quantum alternate-realities.
‘Slade House’ becomes increasingly dark as the horror of its occupants, the sinister Grayer twins, is revealed, and the reader becomes ever-more desperate for a heroic survivor to emerge – I was gulping the novel down by the end, which I will not reveal, save to say Mitchell fans will applaud the re-appearance of Dr Marinus.
A hugely enjoyable Hallowe’en read, with tricks AND treats galore!
Gudrun
by Gudrun Bowers | 10, Sep 2015
Dr Ally Moberley-Cavendish is a newly qualified female doctor. Which is a difficult and impressive thing in the 1880s. Recently married and living in Cornwall, she has taken a job in Truro asylum, giving medical attention to the inmates. Her husband, Tom, an engineer, is sent to Japan for work and their stories unfurl in the parallel narratives of their professional trials. As Tom becomes more and more absorbed by Japanese culture, Ally finds herself haunted by the sadness and anxiety of her upbringing, in particular, her difficult relationship with her mother, and the foundations of their brief marriage begin to slip.
Signs for Lost Children picks up from Moss’s previous novel, the excellent Bodies of Light, although it can also stand alone, and continues her beautifully written and controlled exploration into family dynamics, particularly complex mother/child relationships (Ally’s mother Elizabeth is an admirable monster) and whether there is any possibility of escaping the repeating patterns of successive generations. It is also about madness and sanity, loneliness and determination, written with great precision, clarity and emotional resonance.
Sarah Moss has long been a bookshop favourite, and is now even more so after her recent visit to the shop, when she impressed us with her wit, erudition and niceness. She has had much critical acclaim and deserves to be more widely read as she is a writer of great talent, whose powers are increasing with each book. Buy it!
Alice
And I’ve just read Night Waking, Sarah’s second novel and the book written before Bodies of Light and loosely linked to the other two. It’s set in the present day in the Hebrides where mother of two Anna wrestles with childcare and her doctoral thesis in an isolated cottage while her husband counts puffins, but it introduces us to one of the Moberley family through some old letters found in an attic. It is an interesting and satisfying read – witty, thoughtful and will strike a chord with all those who have paced the floor with a child whose body clock is obstinately out of sync with the rest of the family, but as Alice says, each of Sarah’s novels gains in strength….
Sara
by Gudrun Bowers | 10, Sep 2015
The latest book from vet turned children’s writer Gill Lewis, author of the best-selling animal novels ‘Sky Hawk’, ‘White Dolphin’ and ‘Moon Bear’, widens her scope with an ambitious and moving story set in the rainforests of the Congo. It follows the plight of two children, Imara and Bobo, held captive by a group of rebel soldiers who have set up an illegal mineral mine in a National Park area. The rebels have also captured a baby gorilla, who Imara nurses back to health and forms a strong bond with. When Bobo and Imara learn that the gorilla is destined to be sold into captivity, they vow to return him to the wild before it’s too late. But the consequences of betraying the rebel soldiers are grim. Will they have the courage to carry out their plan, and will Bobo find out what happened to his park-ranger father?
So far, so earnest – but this is an exciting read, with really engaging characters, which manages to be very informative about the troubles faced by African rainforests being ‘blood-mined’ for minerals like coltan (used in mobile phones), without being ‘preachy’. With sympathetic, plucky boy and girl characters and a story which is moving without being sentimental, this is a really great, consciousness-raising read for readers of both genders, aged 9-14.
by my_admin | 3, Jul 2015
Another rip-roaring adventure from Ruth Eastham, the author of the SGS book awards short-listed ‘Arrowhead’, who recently visited Steyning Grammar School and gave a great presentation to Year 7.
The Jaguar Trials is a fast-paced adventure set in the Amazon, following brave Ben as he sets out on an expedition with his archaeologist father to seek the fabled lost city of gold, El Dorado. After their boat is sabotaged and wrecked, Ben and his friend Raffie set out on a quest to find Ben’s father. Soon Ben discovers he bears the ‘Mark of the Jaguar’ and must survive the mysterious ‘Jaguar Trials’ before he can be reunited with his father. Along the way Ben and Raffie encounter a sinister professor, tribal shamans, the ‘unquiet spirits’ of long gone tribes wiped out by the Spanish conquistadors, and a feisty young Amazon Indian girl who helps them as they venture further into the jungle on their terrifying quest.
Perfect summer-holiday reading for your 8-13 year child of either gender!
by my_admin | 3, Jul 2015
Owen Sheers is a Welsh author, poet and playwright, and is Professor of Creativity at Swansea University. ‘I Saw a Man’ is his third novel, following his debut ‘Resistance’, which he also adapted into a feature film, and his novella ‘White Ravens’. He has also published several volumes of poetry.
A sensitive and moving character-driven novel of great emotional depth, ‘I Saw a Man’ follows the story of Michael Turner, who, after the loss of his wife, moves to London and develops a close bond with the Nelson family next door. Josh, Samantha and their two young children seem to represent everything Michael fears he may now never have: intimacy, children, stability and a family home.
But something that begins as a casual friendship changes dramatically and leads to tragic consequences. This interestingly constructed novel spans continents, from London and Wales to New York and the Nevada deserts. Drawn from the start into the characters’ disturbing secrets and lies, the reader is kept guessing on many levels about them and what drives them, until the big reveal.
Owen Sheers has written a gripping and classy moral thriller, but much more than that too. It is beautifully written and a great read.
Gill
by my_admin | 3, Jul 2015
The Bees – Laline Paull– 4th Estate £8.99
As astonishing debut novel, deservedly garnering critical acclaim and award shortlist nominations, from British playwright Laline Paull, who resides in East Sussex.
Flora 717 is born into the lowest ‘kin’ (caste) of her Hive. However her abnormally large size and ability to speak, when the rest of her kin are mute, singles her out for the attention of her Hive’s priestesses. She is permitted to rise through the ranks of the Hive’s hierarchies to become a ‘forager’, even being admitted to serve the exalted Queen, and ultimately becoming both saviour and challenger of her Hive’s fanatically controlled regime.
‘The Bees’ is both a meditation on totalitarian regimes, bringing to mind Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ in its portrayal of a female-led society in which only the chosen may breed, and a fascinating insight into the hive mentality and the chemical, pheromone-soaked world of insect society. It is quite incredible how lyrically yet precisely Laline Paull renders the essential ‘bee-ness’ of scent-based communication, and immerses the reader so deeply in what is essentially an alien consciousness.
A timely subject, given the present peril of our bee populations.
Mind-blowingly imaginative, gripping and unique – my first absolute must-read this year!
Gudrun
by my_admin | 1, Jun 2015
The Midnight Dress by Karen Foxlee
Hot Key Books £7.99
Another story that adds to the dramatic tension by starting at the end. This book was originally ordered by us for a customer who wanted to check whether it was suitable for her 10 year old daughter, who had loved the very enjoyable Ophelia and the Marvellous Boy, also by this author. It wasn’t, but it is a wonderful read for teenagers from age 13 or 14. Set near Cairns, the novel follows the progress of 15 year old Rose Lovell who lives a wandering and dislocated life travelling with her father, an artist with a drink problem. Turning up at the aptly named Paradise Bay with their ramshackle caravan as her father goes through a rare dry period, she is reluctantly drawn into friendship with relentlessly and volubly friendly school beauty Pearl. Rose even finds herself joining in with the annual search for the most beautiful dress to wear at the Harvest Parade and encounters an odd and story-filled old woman who helps her sew a magical and stunning midnight blue dress. The novel is lyrical in its superb evocation of the natural world and the mysteries of love, and humorous in its treatment of sardonic young Rose, but there is also a dark undercurrent indicated from the start, so be warned, handkerchiefs at the ready!
Also a warning for parents. It does contain a little bad language, but not an inordinate amount and it does not detract from the general beauty of the writing.
Sara
by my_admin | 1, Jun 2015
Missing Microbes by Martin Blaser. One World Publications £8.99
A terrifying and timely examination of antibiotic resistance and what can be done to halt it. In 2014 the World Health Organization issued the grim warning that we are on the cusp of a ‘post-antibiotic era’, and Martin Blaser guides us through the science behind this modern crisis. Crisply argued, accessible and beautifully written, his arguments focus not on antibiotic resistant ‘superbugs’, but on the damage being done to the teeming ecosystems within each one of us, and he calmly sets out a sensible plan for reclaiming our microbial balance. Essential reading for doctors, scientists and laymen alike.
Gudrun
by my_admin | 1, Jun 2015
Flood of Fire
Amitav Ghosh
John Murray £20
It is 1839, and in British India, there are fortunes to be made by exporting Indian opium to China. But tensions are mounting as the Chinese Emperor realises the damage that the drug is doing to the population. With hostilities mounting, the colonial government declares war, and British ships start sailing east from Bengal into the middle of the first Opium War. The Hind is one of the vessels requisitioned, and aboard are a motley group of travellers. Kesri Singh, a sepoy in the East India Company, leading his men, Zachary Reid, a young American sailor in search of wealth and his lost love and Shireen Modi, a widow risking her reputation to travel to China alone to find the truth about her husband’s death and recover his possessions. On the voyage, connections are come to light, and the travellers’ pasts are revealed to be as tangled together as their futures.
This is the third of Amitav Ghosh’s Booker nominated Ibis trilogy set in India and China before and during the Opium Wars, and it is as enthralling and all-consuming as the first two novels.
by my_admin | 1, Jun 2015
At Hawthorn Time by Melissa Harrison pub Bloomsbury £16.99
This story begins at the end with a scene showing a long straight road running through the fields to a little village called Lodeshill. On the road two cars lie wrecked – one wheel, upturned, still spins.
A couple have recently moved to Lodeshill from London, their marriage in difficulties. A young lad who has lived in the village all his life dreams of leaving it behind and a vagrant farm worker in flight from a bail hostel arrives on foot in the village. Their lives become intertwined. All four of them are trying to find ways to belong in the modern countryside.
Throughout the book Melissa Harrison accurately and charmingly describes the natural world and our need to belong. The suspense increases towards the end of the story as you become concerned about each of the characters you have met. Each time somebody gets into a car you wonder if they are the victims of the tragic car crash described at the beginning of the book. This is an unsentimental story of loss and love. Gill.
by my_admin | 1, Jun 2015
Breakfast – Morning, Noon & Night by Fern Green. Hardie Grant £18.99
We are spoilt for choice with new cookery books this month, with delicious looking Asian and Thai recipe books just in, but this one has to take the crumpet!
Breakfast, that sorely neglected meal, is the focus of this beautifully-presented and mouth-watering recipe book. With sections dedicated to ‘on toast’, ‘hungover’, ‘indulgent’, ‘baked’ and ‘for a crowd’ and featuring adventurous recipes like ‘smoked trout, ricotta and new potato rolled omelette’, sweet treats like ‘spiced Granny Smith fritters’ and global imports such as ‘Moroccan Eggs’ the owner of this wonderful book will have no excuse to reach for the cereal ever again!
by my_admin | 1, Jun 2015
The Wolf Border by Sarah Hall
Faber £14.99
Rachel Caine is returning to home to Cumbria from her job monitoring wolves in Idaho for the first time in six years. The Earl of Annerdale, rich and eccentric, is determined to have the country’s best wolf expert working on his pet project. And her mother is dying. The Earl offers her a job overseeing the reintroduction of grey wolves to his estate but she initially refuses. Her resistance is soon overcome, however, and Rachel soon finds herself back in the landscape of her childhood, trying to negotiate the oddities of, and protests against, the wolf project and her own uneasy relationship with her brother and the shade of her mother.
It is a tale of returning and of borders. The wolves return to their ancestral home and to their place in our imaginations. In returning to the landscape of her childhood, Rachel is able to begin to rebuild her connection to her brother, and to start to make sense of her relationship with her mother. Borders are everywhere, from the wolf border of the title, to the border between England and Scotland at a time of upheaval, and as in all Hall’s work, the thin, sometimes permeable line between human, animal and landscape.
For fans of Angela Carter, Ted Hughes, Kathleen Jamie.
by my_admin | 12, May 2015
Patrick Barkham is a nature writer and Guardian journalist, and is the author of two previous critically acclaimed books, ‘The Butterfly Isles’ and ‘Badgerlands’. ‘Coastlines’ traces the story of the most beautiful areas of the British coast, preserved for us by the National Trust, and the struggle to protect this natural heritage from human destruction and tidal erosion.
Patrick proves a most engaging and knowledgeable companion, as he walks 742 miles of beaches and coastal paths, and reflects on what it means for us to live in a country which is ‘more edge than middle’. Mixing chatty personal recollections and fascinating historical nuggets with evocative, lyrical passages on natural history and geology, ‘Coastlines’ is an enjoyably eloquent read, and I cannot wait to hear more coastal tales when Patrick appears at our Sussex Produce Company Author Supper in Steyning on April 15th. Gudrun
by my_admin | 12, Apr 2015
We LOVE Jonny Duddle and his pirate tales which are perfect for 4-6 year olds! This is the second chapter-book instalment about the eccentric pirate family, the Jolley-Rogers, following on from the best-selling picture books ‘The Pirate-Cruncher’ and ‘The Pirates Next Door’.
While the Jolley-Rogers are enjoying a day at the beach, little sister Nugget toddles into a cave. When she doesn’t come out again, Mum goes in to find her. And, when Mum doesn’t return, Dad follows.
Jim Lad is suspicious and sends Bones the dog to Dull-on-Sea to find Matilda before he too ventures in to the cave. Jim Lad soon discovers a magical haul of treasure inside the cave has bewitched his family. Will the cave’s spooky inhabitant, a sinister sea witch, keep them prisoner forever, or can Matilda and Bones come to the Jolley-Rogers’ rescue?
Perfect as a first read-aloud chapter book for 4-5 year olds, or for 6-7 year olds making their first forays into independent reading. Gudrun.
by my_admin | 12, Mar 2015
This beautifully recounted story tells of a young orphaned Russian Jewish girl’s incredible bravery as she fights to save two rare horses from extermination by the Nazis when German troops arrive at a former wildlife reserve in the Ukraine, home to the almost extinct Przewalski’s horses. In the midst of a freezing winter, Max, the devoted caretaker of the reserve, finds himself first helping to hide young Kalinka and the two remaining horses and then sending them on a perilous journey through the frozen Ukrainian forest to escape. Intensely gripping and at times heart-rending in its depiction of the suffering in war-torn Russia, it’s an absolute must for horse-loving children who need more substantial stories than tales about gymkhanas! Ideal for ages 10 – 14. Sara.
