Baker's Dozen - twelve titles for Mother's Day 2013

This year, thanks to Easter being so early, it may have escaped your notice that Mother's Day (or Mothering Sunday) is almost upon us this Sunday. But fear not. It's our (completely unbiased) opinion that a book might be a lovely gift for Mum, so if you are looking to buy something special, we’ve put together some suggestions from the shop to inspire you (and not just books).

This year it’s difficult to move for baking and cook books. But our top pick is woman-of-the-hour, bake-off supremo Mary Berry. Her book 'Mary Berry at Home' is an imaginative collection of her favourite dishes that she cooks everyday for her family and friends. Over 150 simply prepared, delicious, reliable recipes for lunch, dinner and parties as well as mouth-watering, foolproof bakes. Mary invites you to enjoy afternoon tea, with an array of delicious cakes, traybakes and treats. 

Perhaps your mum might prefer the 'Fabulous Baker Brothers' (looking mean 'n moody as they lean against their little Morris Van on the cover there), or a rather splendid reissue of 'Delia’s Cakes'. But if you're looking for something a little different amongst a batch of top titles, how about Lynn Hill’s 'The Clandestine Cake Club' - a club which meets once a month at a secret location only revealed a few days before the event.

They bake a cake on a specified theme and then try a bit of each others’. In this book Lynn Hill (creator of the club) has collected together their favourite recipes in this great book. With everything from traditional Victoria Sandwich to Shirley Temple Mocktail Cake, it’s a great, quirky baking book gift.

If the Mum you are buying for is more into brand new fiction – and a nice, gifty hardback to boot – then we can definitely help!

First is the ever-readable Maggie O’Farrell, whose ‘Instructions for a Heatwave’ is a definite change of direction for the author of ‘The Hand That First Held Mine’ and ‘The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox’. Set in London during the unending heatwave of 1976 (does Mum remember that?) it’s the tale of an Irish family’s meeting after their father disappears, with a gradual unravelling of tales of sibling rivalries, religious guilt, shame and secrets. The characters are really brought to life and draw you in to their hopes and disappointments as the story moves from London, to New York – and eventually back to Ireland. 

A new book by Margaret Forster is a perfect treat for Mother's Day and 'The Unknown Bridesmaid' is vintage Forster territory. An observant writer, she writes about ordinary lives, but in a captivating way that makes even the unexceptional seem anything less than ordinary.  'The Unknown Bridesmaid' is full of compassion about the disintegrating life of Julia, a child psychologist, whose own troubled past is coming back to haunt her.

Barbara Kingsolver is an author with legions of fans, and ‘Flight Behaviour’ is a gripping, absorbing tale with similarities to her much-loved ‘The Poisonwood Bible’. Anyone who loved this book will recognise the brilliant way Kingsolver conveys blind belief and the inability to face up to reality.

Dellarobia Turnbow thinks she has seen a miracle. Her life is soon part of a media circus and scientists with reputations to make clamouring for the story. She was witness to the unexpected migration of the monarch butterfly, but why has it suddenly become erratic? Dellarobia ekes out a living in the Bible Belt – a life dependent on the seasons and where unpredictable and unreliable seasons are already making her precarious existence more perilous and leaving her son with no future. The explanation is there for everyone to see, but still everyone seems to grapple with the evidence. An absorbing and entertaining story as well as a timely novel that deals with the subject of climate change.
  

'Sweet Girl' by Annabel Lyon is a strong and intriguing historical novel that follows an intelligent and educated young woman's life in Ancient Greece and her struggle to find her place in society and empower herself at the same time. It's a moving and absorbing story that shows us both the life of the wealthy and the more seedy underbelly of Athenian life. With beautiful, sparse prose, the story unfolds at a wonderful pace with some astute observations on the challenges women faced in this society.  

Just out is Jess Richards’ 'Snake Ropes', a skillfully written debut novel in the vein of Angela Carter and Margaret Atwood. It’s a terrific and evocative story in which Jess Richards vividly creates a remarkable island community for us; from their ancient myths and their subtle creole, to the harsh and self-sufficient lifestyle they lead and their isolation from the mainland and their fear of the ‘tall men’ that they trade with. According to Ellie “It is quite magical and a beautiful novel that follows two girls living on the island and the mysterious disappearances of local boys whenever the tall men visit. An enthralling and original debut novel.” 

Another gift idea is a classic from children’s laureate Anthony Browne. Publisher Random House have produced a special mother’s day version of the classic ‘My Mum’ – and it even contains a mother’s day card! Here’s what Julia in the shop thinks: “A beautiful celebration of what it is to be a mum with fantastic illustrations and a free mothers day card. Perfect for mummies, mothers and mums!”

And while talking of gifts, have you seen our new range of mugs by Urban Graphic (who also design some of our most popular greetings cards): 'Where There’s Tea There’s Hope' and 'If The Music Is Too Loud, You’re Too Old' A stylish alternative to a book...

Finally, Moleskine have gone all colourful this year with their fabulous large hardback notebooks now in colour (available in pink, blue, green and yellow)! Perfect for someone who needs to keep plenty of notes, plus likes a bit of style (Mum).

And if you can't totally move over to an electronic notebook, we love the Moleskine Folio Smart Phone Cover, in a set complete with a Volant Notebook (it fits phones such as iPhone 3G/3GS and a Sony Xperia) and gives you space to write things down the old fashioned way!

That’s a whole dozen choices for you! If you’re still after ideas though, just ask a member of staff who will happily recommend other great titles for the perfect gift this Mother’s Day.

And if you are in the shop for browsing on Saturday we’ll also be having a baking celebration of our own and offering cupcakes! So why not join us?

"You only enter a dark room if you think you can light the way out": Alan Gibbons at the Abingdon Joint Schools Author Event 2013

Last year it was The 2 Steves. Before that it was Julia Golding and in 2010 Marcus Sedgwick. This year over 400 children from five Abingdon secondary schools came together to welcome Alan Gibbons for the annual Abingdon Joint Schools Author Event - easily one of the highlights of our school's event year.

Officially, Alan Gibbons is 'a Blue Peter Award-Winning Children's Author'. Unofficially he's a hyperactive bundle of subversive ideas and creative energy who by turns gripped and entertained his audience over two sessions last Thursday. Those lucky enough to be on the end of his fizzing, rapid-fire romp through his writing life didn't just discover about his books - they got tips on a whole host of important life lessons, ranging from what to read and why, to the correct application of foundation, and 'where to put your nose when kissing'.

Alan is the author of over fifty books, and he has been unafraid to tackle often dark and disturbing themes which at times makes his writing challenging - but he's such a natural and optimistic storyteller that readers inevitably emerge on the other side of his books, changed - but full of hope.

Alan was talking about his latest title - 'An Act of Love' - but he also took students through other books he has written. He estimates he does nearly 200 school events a year, not just in the UK, but around the world.

He won the Blue Peter Award in 2000, and if you had to draw up a more intimidating list of authors to have been against, then I challenge you to pick a line-up better than Jacqueline Wilson, JK Rowling, Michael Morpurgo and David Almond (a sort of 'Real Madrid' of children's authors if you like).

As an ex-teacher (and one with some serious firebrand pedigree – he once jumped up on stage, grabbed the microphone from Keith Joseph and was ‘helped’ offstage by security) he’s both vociferous and uncompromising when it comes to children and learning. Believing that children shouldn't do comprehension ("children should read 'Of Mice and Men' for example, then write what they think as a result, with no rules...and that’s it") he nevertheless had a great tip for any budding writer to improve their writing.

With a book that you like, where you respect and admire the author, take a chapter that you particularly liked and read it through again very carefully. Try to tease out those elements which work well. Learn from the masters...

His own recommendations of classic children's literature included 'Emil and the Detectives', 'Treasure Island', 'Danny, The Champion of the World' to 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and 'Jane Eyre'.

There were some great questions from the audience, including "How old were you when you first started writing?" (37), "How many books have you written?" (53) and "If you had a hamster, what would it be called?" (Darth). My personal favourite – which character in literature would you have wanted to have been. The answer: Rochester from Jane Eyre ("gets to marry Jane Eyre") but not Heathcliff ("far too destructive").

He signed books after both sessions, and we naturally tried to pin him down with five questions about his writing life...

Five questions with...Alan Gibbons' Writing Life

1.    What are you working on at the moment? 

My next book is called 'Raining Fire', it's now written and is going to be published on March 7th. It's about gun crime and gangs in the North of England. The book I'm currently working on is 'Hate Crime' which is a novelisation of the real-life murder of Sophie Lancaster, killed for wearing alternative clothing. However, I'm already planning my next novel, and (although my publisher doesn't know it yet!) it's an alien invasion story which is an allegory of the war in Iraq. So I'm keeping busy, writing lots of stuff really.

2.    What is the best writing tip you’ve ever been given?

Do it a lot! You learn to write by writing, and also making mistakes.

3.    What’s the best thing and the worst thing about being a children’s writer?

The best thing about writing for children is that most kids are charming, and therefore school visits are the absolute highlight of my writing life. The worst thing is that there are not that many kids around, so you don't get as many sales. But that's not a problem, I love what I do and I'm totally committed to children's education and literacy.

4.    Do you have a writer’s survival kit, eg a place, thing of snack essential before you can start work?

No, not really. I write anywhere, I'm a complete writing traveller. Give me a laptop, I'll write anywhere, hotel rooms, on the stairs...

5.    What was your biggest breakthrough?

'Shadow of the Minotaur' which won the Blue Peter Book of the Year. Winning that award, when I was up against Michael Morpurgo, JK Rowling, Jacqueline Wilson and David Almond it was (laughs)...I still don't know quite how it happened. That book went on to sell 100,000 copies, more than all my other books put together at the time...