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21st August 2023

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Lucky Dip

Katharine Orton – Q&A
Spicy Mushroom and Lentil Sauce
Wayland Babes
Reviews vs. Ratings
Kate and Liz Corr – Q&A
Around the World in 80 Trees
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big.bearded.bookseller

Could have (should have?) been a bookshop, but gla

Could have (should have?) been a bookshop, but glad something’s filled the space that had been empty for so long

Double decker front seat on the way to work, simpl

Double decker front seat on the way to work, simple pleasures

This weeks newsletter sees me coughing and splutte

This weeks newsletter sees me coughing and spluttering but getting better, updating some lists, news about a publishing journey talk, and mentioning a publisher now on hiatus

https://open.substack.com/pub/bigbeardedbookseller/p/big-bearded-bookseller-5d8

Alan Garner. HarperCollins. (240p) ISBN 9780007127

Alan Garner. HarperCollins. (240p) ISBN 9780007127894

The Owl Service

A children’s classic that has passed me by, along with so many others.

It was reading Bookworm by Lucy Mangan that I’ve realised I have such a huge hole in my reading, classic children’s fiction and I’m now trying to catch up on this now.

The Owl Service is set in a house owned by an English family in a Welsh valley. It explores Welsh mythology, family dynamics, class, and service in a changing world.

A power is set loose gradually which starts to dominate the personalities of the main characters in the story, making them repeat a story that has been happening in the valley for centuries. Alan Garner threads this through the story with a fine hand, letting the characters off the reins of the power occasionally to allow them to discover that this has happened before.

The heavy use of dialogue did have me working hard to keep up with the story at the beginning but it suited the idea of a local mythology being orally transmitted and I eventually got into the rhythm of the story.

The pace of the dialogue got faster as the story neared its ending, and the ending was so fast that it did require rereading to set it clearer.

A great start to filling the gaps in my reading.

Karen M. McManus. Penguin Random House. (336p) ISB

Karen M. McManus. Penguin Random House. (336p) ISBN 9780141375656

Two Can Keep a Secret

I’m not a big reader of mysteries or thrillers, the ones I’ve read in the past have seemed to rely on body horror and shock to progress the story line.

So it was with some trepidation I approached Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M McManus, though I knew her first book had great reviews and this did make it easier.

Set in a small town, Echo Ridge. The Corcoran twins have arrived to the potential renewal of a prom queen serial killer.

I really enjoyed following the mystery as it unfolded and got fooled by every red herring that were skill fully placed throughout. I was certain about half way through who I thought the killers were, but I was so wrong.

A masterfully crafted mystery, full of thrills and great characters. The tropes of small town mysteries are there but are done so well that they feel fresh; jocks, prom queens, town drunks, new friends, people fresh to the town… all these are down with such skill that I want to reread it now.

Get this as soon as you can, I’ve now dug out her first book ‘One Of Us Is Lying’ so I can read that very soon.

In St Cuthbert’s Darlington listening to the Roy

In St Cuthbert’s Darlington listening to the Royal Northern Sinfonia.

Cultured me

I’m stopping asking for arcs and proofs from the

I’m stopping asking for arcs and proofs from the New Year as I’ve no capacity for lots of reading anymore, but there will be one series I’ll always be happy to get an ARC of.

This is Sunbringer, the second in @hanfrankan Godkiller series my favourite #fantasy read this year (and for a long time) this will be seeing me through a long weekend of long commutes and cheering me up

Michael Jordan. Aurum Press. (160p) ISBN 978178131

Michael Jordan. Aurum Press. (160p) ISBN 9781781317419

Urban Arboreal

I absolutely love books about nature, especially about trees, and when the opportunity arose that I could get a review copy of this book I jumped at it.

Last year I had read ‘Around the World in 80 Trees’ and this is a similar concept, though only looking at trees that share our urban environment.

Each tree surveyed in Urban Arboreal has a couple of pages, one for some text and the other for beautiful illustrations. These illustrations aren’t scientific and give a feeling of the tree rather than a pure visual index and are all the better for it.

The text, though brief due to the format, is interesting and informative. Letting you know the history of the tree and whereabout in the city is the best place to still find striking examples of the species.

Overall a lovely little book which has found it’s place onto my shelves with my other nature books.

Fred Uhlman. Vintage Publishing. (96p) ISBN 978186

Fred Uhlman. Vintage Publishing. (96p) ISBN 9781860463655

Reunion

For such a small book it packs a large punch.

I only discovered Reunion recently when I saw someone reading it on a train and the cover intrigued me enough that I searched it out.

Set in 30s Germany with the rise of Nazism as the background, two boys who were both outsiders start a friendship that has difficulties even outside the scope of the historical backdrop.

Hans is Jewish and the son of a doctor, very middle class. Konradin is a member of the von Hohenfels family, aristocrats.

The tension builds throughout the book, showing so many similarities between the boys, but at times throwing the class hierarchies into stark relief. There are several excellent scenes where this is shown, one is Hans’ fathers reaction to first meeting Konradin, he becomes very rigid and formal and relies on his military service to give him status with the young aristocrat.

The real world eventually comes to a head and Hans has to leave Germany. I won’t give away the ending which was surprising.

A beautifully written relationship, consumed the whole thing in one sitting.

Kassia St Clair. John Murray Press. (336p) ISBN 97

Kassia St Clair. John Murray Press. (336p) ISBN 9781473630833

The Secret Lives of Colour

I bought The Secret Lives of Colour as I loved the cover and I’ve already got a couple of book on the science and psychology of colour.

The book begins with a survey of the history of colour, it socioeconomic and political uses and limitations, existing information that is nicely wrapped up and gives a good introduction to the central part of the book which is to follow individual colours through time, development and use.

Colours are grouped in general families, browns, reds, etc. then several shades of the colour are chosen to be written about.

The thing I loved about this book was how it’s the perfect bedside book, dipping into a chapter each night before sleep catches up with me. Each chapter is fascinating and as vivid as the colours being described.

This is another keeper for me which I keep dipping back into now and again.

Greg Howard. Penguin Random House. (256p) ISBN 978

Greg Howard. Penguin Random House. (256p) ISBN 9780241367087

The Whispers

I received an advanced copy of this from Penguin and was so happy when it arrived.

I had been hearing whispers (…) of this book on Book Twitter for a while and wanted to see for myself what it was about.

We follow Riley James through what at first seems like a sci-fi/fantasy story with old mysteries of the local wood hanging heavily over everything.

As we go through the story we find that Riley’s mum is missing and he will do anything to find her, including giving a tribute to the mysterious creatures who live in the woods.

We also explore Riley’s sexuality and this is done in a gentle way, gradually being introduced as a ‘condition’ that God despises.

A wonderful book full of surprises, twists and turns. Exploring loss, wonder, belief, homosexuality in rural USA, and grief.

There was many a time I was in tears but just couldn’t look away from The Whispers.

A blackberry and coconut oat bake and some fresh b

A blackberry and coconut oat bake and some fresh bread #cooking #kitchen #lovelysmell #aroma

It is different from last night, honest A spicy b

It is different from last night, honest

A spicy bean stew, lots of olives and roasted red peppers with cannellini and red kidney beans #cooking #vegetarian #vegan #stew #beanstew

Sarah Ann Juckes. Penguin Random House. (288p) ISB

Sarah Ann Juckes. Penguin Random House. (288p) ISBN 9780241330753

Outside

Ele lives Inside with The Others and is visited by Him, but dreams of The Outside which she only knows from a few books that are in The Tower with them.

A tale of abuse, horror, fear, and redemption. Sarah Ann Juckes takes this tale into dark places that made it very difficult to read at times but Ele is such a strong character with a unique voice, I had to keep returning to it to find out what she did yet.

Ele sees The Outside through completely naive eyes and approaches everything with an innocent wonder that you begin to see our world through her eyes afresh.

Compelling story telling with a completely unexpected plot twist at the end.

Don’t miss out on this if you liked ‘Room’.

Thibaud Herem. Orion Publishing. (144p) ISBN 97817

Thibaud Herem. Orion Publishing. (144p) ISBN 9781786273222

The Maze

Whenever there is a Laurence King book available as a reading copy I jump at it, as their products are always beautiful and so readable, and The Maze was no exception.

I’ve always been fascinated by mazes and labyrinth from the moment I read the Theseus and the Minotaur story and would insist on visiting one whenever we had the opportunity (and still do).

This collection, beautifully illustrated by Thibaud Hérem and written and researched by Angus Hyland and Kendra Wilson, fascinated me from the moment I opened the book.

Each maze has a sketch of its outline and given its dimensions, then there are some other drawings throughout the book to support the text of structures in or near the maze.

The text hands out lovely bits of information about the maze and those who designed or commissioned it, plus the history of the types of maze there are and which one this is.

Another lovely book for my shelves and I’m looking forward to another great book from Laurence King soon.

Pretty but my lungs wouldn't thank me if I went ou

Pretty but my lungs wouldn't thank me if I went out in it...

Just about to tuck in #fishsoup #paprika #homecook

Just about to tuck in #fishsoup #paprika #homecooking #cooking

I am looking forward to the #fallout tv series, bu

I am looking forward to the #fallout tv series, but you know it won’t follow some of the more important mysteries that were never explained in game

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