Crooked, twisted, but having a great day: BBC Oxford Afternoon Book Buzz

This week we were utterly thrilled to watch as Oxford-based author Frances Hardinge picked up one of the biggest prizes in British publishing - the Costa Book of the Year award.

Frances' books are a bold and imaginative blend of science fiction, fantasy, fairy tales, history and horror for children and young adults. But aside from her exquisite writing, she's a thoroughly lovely and generous person - and when we've taken her into local schools, the children have always been inspired to write themselves.

So we were excited to be able to rave about her Costa-winning book 'The Lie Tree' on BBC Radio Oxford this week. You can listen to the show here (fast-forward to approximately 2 hours 40 minutes).

Here are the books we reviewed:

The Lie Tree – Frances Hardinge (PB, Macmillan, £7.99)
It’s Victorian England, and Faith knows she has no future as a scientist like her father. But when he is found dead under mysterious circumstances, she discovers that a woman in Victorian society can be good at influencing and manipulating behind the scenes, and she sets about trying to uncover the truth, despite no-one believing her. In her father’s belongings, she finds a strange tree that seems to feed off of whispered lies, and the bigger and more believed the lies, the more the tree grows. She decides to experiment with it, but things start to spiral desperately out of control.

This is another brilliantly thought-provoking, imaginative tale that weaves science and fantasy, drawing on deep storytelling and fairy tale themes but totally original. Frances Hardinge is definitely at the cutting edge of YA writing – and now she’s one of our most celebrated authors.

Crooked Heart – Lissa Evans (Black Swan, PB, £7.99)

Where Frances Hardinge has written a book which has plenty of appeal for adult readers, Lissa Evans is an author who writes for children and adults. Lissa’s children’s books are brilliantly imaginative mystery stories and have been shortlisted for just about every children’s award going (here's a review we did in 2011 for 'Small Change for Stuart', one of favourite children's books ever)

In Crooked Heart, we reckon she’ll get plenty more nominations. It’s simply a rollicking good story, told with dark humour, showing how different people, with different skills, can be thrown together and blossom in the confusion of war.

The story is set at the outbreak of World War II, and Noel Bostock - aged ten, with no family - is evacuated from London to escape the Blitz. He winds up in St Albans with Vera Sedge. They seem the polar opposite: where Noel is studious, serious and analytical, Vee is instinctive, opportunistic and always on the make, drowning in debts and always desperate for money.

On her own, Vee’s a disaster, but with Noel, she's a team. But the consequences of their activities start to make them dangerous enemies, and Noel finds evacuation hasn’t exactly made him safer. Funny, original, a wonderful read.

How to Have a Good Day : Think Bigger, Feel Better and Transform Your Working Life – Caroline Webb (Macmillan, PB, £14.99)

Finally, we're big suckers for personal development or ‘how-to’ books (or, as we like to euphemistically call them, ‘success literature’) but in recent years the move has been to back up traditional recommendations of success (positive thinking, positive affirmations and goal settings) with the latest developments in how the brain works.

What we love about Caroline Webb’s ‘How to Have a Good Day’ is how it’s written as a handbook to achieve better outcomes in your life, with a folksy, attractive style which sets nice, achievable steps and contains plenty of real, recent proof that her tips really work.

It’s not grandiose, it’s nicely self-deprecating, and contains all sorts of science-backed, small changes we can make to achieve really desirable outcomes e.g. getting a better night’s sleep, getting along better with work colleagues, feeling fitter and achieving more. What a great way to start the year!

Indoors, Outdoors, Triumph and Murder - BBC Oxford Book reviews for Summer

We've been popping up on BBC Radio Oxford a few times over the last week - with Summer reading recommendations and books which are creating a bit of a buzz in the shop at the moment.

With the libraries in Oxfordshire running a 'Reading Challenge' all Summer, if you have children looking for inspiration and a book to really get their teeth into, the ‘Murder Most Unladylike’ series by Robin Stevens is a really exciting series of mysteries for 9+. They involve two schoolgirls (Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong) and in the third book in the series just out ‘First Class Murder’ the girls investigate a dastardly crime whilst on holiday on the Orient Express in the 1930s. Cleverly inspired by the classics of Agatha Christie, Stevens is an American who grew up in Oxford, and she has great fun with the staples of murder mysteries, with bags of appeal for kids – these books really are addictive and we know from the children coming in eagerly wanting book three how good they are!


It’s fair to say that – despite his incredible double Tour de France win, the public haven’t warmed to Chris Froome in the same way they have to other recent British Cycling greats. And Froome is definitely one of the greats. So 'The Climb' – written with the help of journalist David Walsh – will go some way to do that. Through Froome’s upbringing in Kenya, his route to Team Sky, the tensions between him and Bradley Wiggins, through to his triumphant first TdF win, this tells the tale of a driven, focused and remarkably ruthless competitor who overcame numerous hurdles to reach the pinnacles of his sport. We are living through a golden age of British cycling, and Froome may just be the greatest of them all...


"There are at least 19 different ways to navigate by tree...everything from the spread of the roots to the lichen and moss on the trunk". So explains Tristan Gooley in 'The Walker’s Guide to Outdoor Clues and Signs'. This endlessly readable, modern-day guidebook which has more than its fair share of ‘oh really?’ moments (lost in the city? Just look for satellite dishes – they all point south-east). It definitely competes for the title of greatest book on natural navigation ever written, and Gooley’s folksy style, as well as his expert blend of human satnav and boy scout makes this fun and enjoyable - whilst you learn.


We love Kate Clanchy – we’ve particularly loved recommending her debut novel ‘Meeting The English’ since a wonderful event we held with her in our courtyard garden last year. But the former Oxford city poet now has a collection of short stories published - 'The Not-Dead and the Saved and Other Stories' - and it’s an utter delight. The title story won the BBC National Short Story Award 2009 and the V. S. Pritchett Memorial Prize, and it is joined in this collection by stories which show the whole range of Kate as one of our most talented and thoughtful writers.

We've also enjoyed recommending ‘Black Rabbit Hall’ by Eve Chase. This is a debut novel from an Oxford-based author that is published by Michael Joseph. It has all the elements of a great holiday read – a Cornish setting, a mystery across the generations and intriguing characters, but it’s the house at the heart of this brilliant debut which really leaves its mark on your imagination. When primary school teacher Lorna discovers the perfect old house for her wedding reception, she becomes obsessed by this strange, rundown place. The story then jumps to the 1960s, when the house was a holiday retreat for the Alton family and their children. But why does time seem to run more slowly here, and what lies behind the mystery of the Alton children? A wonderful, slow-paced, gorgeously written treat.

(You can listen to the show on BBC iPlayer here - just fast-forward to 2 hours and 42 minutes to hear more)

We've a brand new, rebuilt Summer reading table which you'll see immediately on entering the shop - come in for some Summer reading recommends and see what we're getting excited about!

She swoops to conquer: H is for Hawk wins the Costa

A few years ago, we were very honoured to be part of the Costa Awards judging team. In terms of its ambition, scope and bellweather of what's 'hot' in the book world, we feel the Costa is arguably the UK's most important book award - it's certainly insanely ambitious given the sheer number of books that pass through the judges' hands.

Given the collegiate nature of the judging set-up, and the fact that almost invariably the judges won't be able to agree given the sheer range of books, some years you get the feeling that the overall winner is something of a compromise candidate. But not this year.

We felt last year was a strong line-up of finalists, with a worthy overall winner - this year even more so. 'H is for Hawk' is one of those rare books that is genuinely original, because you cannot think of anything quite like it. As you read Helen Macdonald's searingly honest story of how she came to train her Goshawk 'Mabel' - along the way coming to terms with her own grief at the death of her father, and revealing deep truths about our relationship with nature - shadows of other authors and books sometimes rise up: the heart-on-sleeve emotion of Anna Funder's 'Stasiland', the relationship with nature that you get from Roger Deakin's 'Waterlog' or the smack-in-the-chops revelations of Kate Summerscale's 'The Suspicions of Mr Whicher'. Yet it's like none of these books and is entirely original.

Last week we discussed this book on the BBC Radio Oxford Afternoon Bookclub. Fast forward 1 hour and 6 minutes to listen to the show. Despite a somewhat breathless and over-enthusiastic (!) description of the book, the recommendation is just to read it. H is for Heavyweight Winner...

Inspiring Maps and Thinking Caps - BBC Oxford Afternoon Bookclub and Tom Moorhouse at Oxford's Natural History Museum

On Monday, it was the BBC Oxford Afternoon Bookclub, where - amongst many things - we discussed the brilliant 'Maps' by Andrew Janes (see our review here), 'Thinking About It Only Makes It Worse' by David Mitchell (ahead of his Oxfordshire mini-tour on Thursday) and 'What If?' by Randall Munroe.

As always, you can listen again on iPlayer - fast forward to about 1 hour 6 minutes for about 45 minutes of bookish chat and recommends.

Later on we were very pleased to be bookselling in the august surroundings of Oxford's Natural History Museum with ecologist and children's author Tom Moorhouse, author of 'The River Singers'.

Tom was giving a talk to the Oxfordshire Mammal Group about his work with Water Voles, and we learned exactly why Water Voles have declined so precipitously (due largely to Mink), how quickly they bounce back when habits are restored and mink removed - and the challenges of choosing just which human traits you have to give water voles to make a great children's story. It was a great evening - and the refurbished Natural History Museum looks fab at night...

Forbidden books, dangerous secrets and a deadly species...it can only be the BBC Radio Oxford Afternoon Bookclub

There was a lot happening in the book world on Monday. A quivering of anticipation about the Booker Shortlist and a national debate about a reading crisis among children. Oh, and the busiest time of year for new titles arriving at bookshops up and down the country.

What better time to step into the fray and recommend a few titles?

As always, you can listen to the show on BBC iPlayer until Monday Sep 15 - fast forward to 1 hour and 7 minutes - there is also a cracking interview with Kate Mosse in which she discusses her writing, and what inspired her to become an author.

Here are some of the books we discussed:

As far as themes go, they don’t get much bigger than the entire history of our species. Yuval Harari’s ‘Sapiens’ is one of those monumental works that gives a dizzying perspective on how we came to rule – and threaten – the entire planet. It starts with the changes in our brain that allowed us to tell stories, imagine alternative scenarios, and out-manoeuvre other species (notably Neanderthals). From there we become farmers, develop religion, invent money, harness technology and threaten widespread extinction – including our own. The writing is superb – never dry, occasionally brazen, at times almost sardonic – and never afraid to come off the fence in areas that are controversial: did we domesticate wheat, or did it domesticate us? Did stockpiling food lay the psychological seeds for consumerism? Are we happier now than *any* of our ancestors? And what is going to replace our species, as surely as we replaced earlier species?

In 'Archie Greene and the Magicians Secret' by DD Everest, Archie receives a mysterious book on his birthday, written in a language he doesn't recognise, and one with a Special Instruction. Archie must then travel to Oxford to return the book to the Museum of Magical Miscellany. The journey leads Archie to discover the world of the Flame Keepers - a community devoted to finding and preserving magical books. But the magical book under Archie's protection is dangerous, and dark spirits hunt it out. With the help of his new-found cousins, Archie must do everything he can to uncover the book's hidden powers and save the Flame Keepers from evil.

Archie’s adventure takes place in an Oxford bookshop (one that sounds nothing like Mostly Books!), full of underground caverns that house the books of dark magic under lock and key, and fantastical creatures and people busy at work keeping magical books in the right conditions. It’s a fabulously imagined and exciting tale, beautifully produced, with a special Oxford flavour!

In terms of suspense, we don't think anything can match Tana French's 'The Secret Place', a journey into the dark heart of loyalties, rivalries and secrets in the intense emotional landscape of teenage lives. A murder at an exclusive girls school gives detective Stephen Moran the chance for his big break - and an open door into the Dublin murder squad. But the suspects he has to crack are a bunch of close-knit girls, to whom friendship is more important than playing by any other rules. Trying to get teenagers to talk is about as impossible as enjoying working with Detective Antoinette Conway - tough, prickly, an outsider - with a background that couldn't be less like the suspects they are trying to win over. Both have a lot at stake and watching them in action is really compelling, particularly in the claustrophobic school setting as they move painfully closer to the truth. A really different, original piece of crime fiction.

To hear all these books - and plenty more (including the latest Martin Amis) click the link and fast forward to 1 hour 7 minutes...

(You'll remember last month we were raving about 'The Bone Clocks' by author David Mitchell? Kat interviewed David on the show yesterday and you can listen to *that* interview here by forwarding to 2 hours and 7 minutes...)

To know the causes of things: the BBC Radio Oxford Afternoon Bookclub with Morpurgo, Mitchell and Diamond

Today's BBC Radio Oxford Afternoon Bookclub had some heavy subject matter - bravery and cowardice in the first world war, century-long conflicts between good and evil, and the - often counter-intuitive and surprising - causes of how the world got into its current state.

Susie Dent was sitting in for Kat Orman, and you can listen to the show by fast-forwarding to 1 hour and 7 minutes here.

The first book we talked about was Michael Morpurgo’s ‘Private Peaceful’. Aside from a compelling and moving read in its own right, Morpurgo's real genius is to have written a children's book that has plenty to offer adults. Morpurgo is a master storyteller - and the book was a fitting one to talk about on the centenary of the start of the first world war.

The story is about a soldier called Thomas "Tommo" Peaceful, who is looking back on his life from the trenches of World War I in Belgium. We start with his upbringing, how he looks out for his older brother, ‘Big Joe’, who has learning difficulties, and his relationship with his brother Charlie, and their shared love for a girl, Molly.

Structurally, each chapter of the book brings the reader closer to the present until the story turns to present tense. Private Peaceful epitomizes the devastatingly unfair treatment soldiers were given and the unjust ending many brave soldiers had to face. It is also a story about the friendship between the two brothers and the undying bond of trust between soldiers in the trenches.

This Summer, Private Peaceful is an ‘Abingdon Big Read’ – through an initiative with Our Lady’s Abingdon, and the town’s bookshops, everyone is being encouraging to read ‘Private Peaceful’ and then tweet or give their feedback to us or the school about their experience. On September 24, there will be a special showing of the 2012 film of Private Peaceful, and a talk by its producer at OLA.

Although not yet published, David Mitchell's 'The Bone Clocks' has made it onto the Book Longlist - and we were lucky enough to blag a proof copy ahead of publication. It is utterly remarkable, easily one of our books of the year.

It starts in 1984, and follows a fifteen year old girl, Holly Sykes, running away from home after a relationship goes wrong and she can’t bear to face her parents. We learn that Holly used to have voices in her head (who she dubbed ‘The Radio People’) and was visited by a Miss Constantin, who sat on her bed and seemed to be able to influence events in Holly’s life. Her mother takes her to a ‘Dr Marinus’ who seems to cure Holly of her voices, and though she still has the occasional terrifying ‘Daymare’ all seems to return to normal. That is until her younger brother disappears, and Holly is thrust into a new nightmare. What follows is an accelerating, and increasingly complex story, that advances in leaps and bounds to the present – and then far into the future. Holly’s life unfolds, and a dark conspiracy emerges: a battle between good and evil that has been going on long before Holly was even born...

This is bold and brilliant storytelling that takes huge risks, bringing in characters and themes from Mitchell’s earlier books, and one that has plenty to say about everything from the war on terror to the state of modern novel writing. But at its heart is a good old-fashioned story to lose yourself in – breathtaking and a book we will be placing forcefully into the hands of our customers come September...

Finally, we’re celebrating a Vintage Summer at Mostly Books, so selfishly picked a favourite Vintage Classic: Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond. This is one of those tour-de-force, history of everything books – but in this instance Jared really does go back to the basics to show how the world evolved and came to be the complex place we see today.

Diamond takes a socractic rerum cognoscere causas ('to know the causes of things') approach, starting with a simple question: why did Spanish conquistadors arrive in South America, and not the other way around? It turns out that there are compelling – and simple – reasons as to why farming emerged in the Middle East (and never in Australia) and why the Incas or Chinese did not build empires like the Europeans. You’ll understand why Diamond won a Pullitzer when this was originally published in 1997.

(You can listen to the whole show here - fast forward to 1 hour and 7 minutes.)

Chasing the past, a stolen child, and shadows in Sherwood Forest - the BBC Radio Oxford Afternoon Bookclub

My three picks for today's BBC Oxford Afternoon Bookclub were three books with strong local connections (authors or publishers), all by significant publishers, all with strong, bold or innovative covers.

This is the whole jacket laid out -
front and back mirror the different points of view.

 'Mother Island' by Bethan Roberts (Vintage, HB, £14.99) has two storylines and two voices - but one child. Controlling, career-minded new mother Nula employs her contrasting cousin, Maggie, to look after her baby. When their childcare approaches clash too much, Maggie decides to take the child. But has she misread how much Nula will care? A dissection of motherhood and how the lasting subliminal effects of your own parents can have on your approach to your own children.

Bethan - born and raised in Abingdon, now living in Brighton - is sublime in subtly showing how love can bring out the worst in people. But she also shows how it can act as a force for reconciliation and healing. We loved Bethan's previous book as well - 'My Policeman' - inspired in part by the personal life of EM Forster, and the lives of two people - one male, pne female - fighting over the same man.

'After I Left You' by Abingdon author Alison Mercer (Transworld, PB, £6.99) is another absorbing and powerful novel of love, friendship and secrets, following her critically acclaimed debut 'Stop The Clock'.

The story follows Anna, who has not been back to Oxford since her last summer at university, seventeen years ago. She tries not to think about her time there, or the tightly knit group of friends she once thought would be hers forever. She has almost forgotten the fierce sting of betrayal, and the secret she carries around with her, the last night she spent with them all. A chance meeting on a rainy day in London means Anna is forced to remember the events of that summer and the people she left behind.

(You can listen to Bethan Roberts at Mostly Books, at an event on July 31 - and Alison Mercer will be launching the paperback of 'After I Left You' at the shop on Thursday Aug 7.)

Finally, in 'The Shadow of the Wolf' by Tim Hall (David Fickling Books, HB, £10.99) you'll be forgiven for thinking you know nothing about Robin Hood, in this dark and dramatic re-imagining of a legend. This is an exciting debut by the newly-independent David Fickling Books, and reflects their aim to publish ambitious children’s books that have a strong appeal to adults as well.

Robin Loxley’s parents disappear when he is seven years old. Learning to fend for himself, and living on the outskirts of his village, he strikes up a deep and intense relationship with the Maid Marion – and then events wrench her from his life. Following an ever darker path in Sherwood Forest, his experiences there transform him, and the legend of Robin Hood emerges…

Nigel's choices included YA book 'Replica' by Jack Heath, Emma Chapman's 'How To Be A Good Wife' and a brilliant new voice from the wonderful Serpent's Tail 'After Me Comes the Flood' by Sarah Perry.

Click on the link, and fast-forward 1 hour 7 and a half minutes to listen to the show.

(If you start four minutes earlier, you'll hear Gerry Rafferty's 'Baker Street'. Coincidentally, this was a song inspired by a book: 'The Outsider' by Colin Wilson)

Tigers, Rats and Reading Dangerously - the BBC Radio Oxford Afternoon Bookclub

The bookclub on Monday was unashamedly about Father's Day and the inevitable approach of THE SUMMER. There was also a book about the ownership of cheese, which was as subversive a children's picture book as you will ever read, by the brilliant Alexis Deacon and Viviane Schwarz...

We talked about Andy Miller's riotously funny zero-tolerance approach to 'not having read the classics' in 'The Year of Reading Dangerously', Tom Moore's 'Gironimo' and duking it our with Suggs' book to be crowned 'finest music memoir of the year' is 'Live At The Brixton Academy' by Simon Parkes.

There is also a fine interview with Nick Harkaway ahead of our event with him on Wednesday June 11.

There was a few naughty moment and a lot more sniggering than usual (I have to say) during this particular show, and you can listen to it here until Monday June 16.

Fast forward to about 1 hour 8 minutes to listen to the show in its entirety - Nick Harkaway's interview is at 1 hour 35 minutes...

Holding Out for a Hero: Tigerman, Pilgrim and Jin-Sung Jang - the BBC Radio Oxford Afternoon Bookclub

When we are collecting together reviews of books, we often try to find a common theme (you can write catchier titles for your blog posts, if nothing else). And sometimes trying to find a theme between books is a fool's errand: hey, they're just different, get over it.

But for this Monday's BBC Radio Oxford Afternoon Bookclub the theme was easy: heroism. Six different books, all of them about featuring (and in one case, written by) heroes, young and old, classic and anti-.

You can listen to the programme until 19 May 2014 here - fast-forward to approximately 1 hour and 9 minutes (although, if you want to grab your hairbrush and air guitar, start the show a few minutes earlier, and rock out to Boston's 'More Than A Feeling'. to get you in the mood).

We're reviewing Terry Hayes' 'I Am Pilgrim', Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's sublime 'Americanah', the explosive expose of the North Korea leadership in 'Dear Leader' by Jin-Sung Jang, Holly Goldberg-Sloan's quirky yet powerful 'Counting by 7s' and European publishing sensation 'The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair' by Joel Dicker.

I'm also raving about my favourite book of the year so far, 'Tigerman' by Nick Harkaway. Nick is coming to Abingdon on June 11 for an event with Mostly Books which we are officially announcing tomorrow, but in the meantime, listen to what I have to say about this blisteringly original contemporary novel at about 1 hour and 41 minutes...

(And if this link has expired, take a look at our reviews of 'I Am Pilgrim' and Joel Dicker's novel on our 3-4-Friday spot a couple of week's ago.)

From page to pane: creating a bookshop window, with a little help from Suzanne Barton, The Dawn Chorus, and Peep

Ah Spring. Season of new life and fresh starts, so when we were offered the chance of a window make-over by a talented new author and illustrator by publisher Bloomsbury - we jumped at the chance.

So on Tuesday, we welcomed Suzanne Barton (and just a few family and friends 'helpers'!) who set out to transform the shop...

Suzanne Barton is an Oxford-based author and illustrator, who began making picture books after finishing an MA in Children’s Book Illustration at the Cambridge School of Art.

Her first picture book is the story of a small bird called Peep, and what happens when he endeavours to join the wonderful 'dawn chorus'...

Mark appeared on BBC Radio Oxford on Monday talking about the book with broadcasting legend Sybil Ruscoe as part of the Afternoon Bookclub - click on the link and fast-forward to 1 hour 10 minutes to get a feel for the how special the book is.

We wanted to involve as many of our customers as possible, so for the past few weeks, we'd been handing out some custom-made bird templates for children to decorate - and on Tuesday, children brought them in or made them in the shop... 

They were able to meet the author and get copies signed...

...whilst all the time we were adding their creations to an impressive growing flock in the window:

The finished result is - we have to say - breathtaking and delightful...

Huge thanks to Suzanne - and her team - for working incredibly hard the whole day on Tuesday.

Thanks also to Bloomsbury for making it happen - and being so supportive throughout the day.

We took the opportunity to ask Suzanne a few quick questions about her writing life. So we'll leave you with these, and a few more stunning pictures...

Five questions with...Suzanne Barton's Writing (and Drawing) Life

1.    What are you working on at the moment? 

I’m working on my next book for Bloomsbury. (on being pressed for more details) Can’t say too much about it at the moment, but it might feature another bird character…

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

Can I do an illustration tip? When I first started out as an illustrator, I thought ‘I can’t be an illustrator because I can’t draw everything from memory’. And then I learned that to draw things you need to observe things from real-life, you need to absorb information and get inspiration from things around you to be able to get your ‘version’ of whatever it is you are drawing. And that version may not bear any resemblance to the things you’ve seen. I learned that you need to put something in to get something out – does that make sense?

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

The best thing is doing what I love. I can't believe I get to do a job where you stick and draw. The worst thing? Nope, can't think of one...

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

My cat! She’s usually there, drinking out of the water, often sitting in a drawer. Once she’s there, I can begin work!

5.    What was your biggest breakthrough?

Doing my MA in children’s illustration at Cambridge – lots of breakthroughs came after that. Then it was having my first book at Bologna. 

Discover much more about Suzanne, the book - and have a chance of winning one of her drawings - over on the Space On The Bookshelf blog...

Wartime Secrets and below the stairs at Darcy's House - the BBC Radio Oxford Afternoon Bookclub

The bookselling year has its own rhythms, and after the intensity of Christmas comes the opportunity for fresh starts and new directions in January. During the first BBC Oxford Afternoon Bookclub of 2014, we discussed what happens in the bookshop during January, and looked at a crop of books old and new.

Click on the link and fast-forward to approximately 1 hour 7 minutes. You'll have 30 seconds of Lionel Richie to deal with, but it''ll be worth it - promise!

Included is Nicholas Shakespeare's 'Priscilla', a fabulous piece of detective work and soul-searching by the acclaimed novelist, uncovering (as near as possible) the truth behind his mother's half-sister, and her experiences living in wartime France (buy and download the eBook here).

Also we discuss Pamela Butchart's 'Baby Aliens Got My Teacher' and the triumph that is Longbourn, the story of Pride and Prejudice, told simply from the servants below stairs. You think 'fan fiction' is a modern phenomenon? Writers throughout the ages have found Austen irresistible - and Jo Baker's clever spin on the classic is a wonderful treat...

(You can also buy and download Longbourn as an eBook here).

Letters of Note, Bookish Cures and a Santa Hat - the BBC Radio Oxford Afternoon Bookclub

The BBC Radio Oxford Afternoon Bookclub is always a lot of fun, but today's was more fun than usual. Perhaps it was the distinctly festive air (this is the last show we'll do this year after all), perhaps it was the selection of books, but it could have just been the general pantomime atmosphere...and a santa hat or two:

Together with Kat and Nigel of Coles Bookstore, you can might have spotted 'The Goldfinch' there (easily one of our favourite books of the year), and also 'Maps' by the wonderful Aleksandra and Daniel Mizieliński. But we also discussed Shaun Usher's sublime collection of 'Letters of Note', guitar-strumming astronaut-hero Chris Hadfield's 'An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth', and some 'Ant and Bee'.

But we kicked off with Ella Berthoud and Susan Elderkin's 'A Novel Cure'. This is a masterfully put together list of bookish cures for a whole range of ailments. From being 'too busy' to suffering from man-flu, listen in to what therapeutic reading the authors have on offer...

The BBC Radio Oxford Afternoon Bookclub - fast-forward to 1 hour 9 minutes for bookish inspiration for Christmas...

3 4 Friday - Eloquence and Englishness...and Elves

Once a year (about now), we send out a special Bumper Christmas recommends newsletter, jam-packed full of recommendations for young and old of all the best (in our humble opinion) books available for Christmas.

Believe it or not, planning for this marathon recommend-a-thon starts in July (you gotta love retail) when we try to spot some early favourites. Then in August, when everyone else is enjoying a well-earned Summer break, we draw up the 'longlist' and start the process of writing reviews.

No, no, that's not a snowman. move along...

Come September, as books start coming in, and there are 'oohs' and 'aahhs' from staff, we throw half of what we've written out, and then engage in bouts of grown-up discussions and measured debate about what should stay in.

This lasts for about 10 minutes, and then we resort to lot-drawing or arm-wrestling to resolve differences of opinion. Egos need to be smoothed. Sometimes cash changes hands.

October and November is then a mad whirlwind of reading, review-writing and getting the formatting to work. (I'm also notorious for slipping in something at the last minute without telling anyone. This doesn't help anyone's stress levels, I can tell you).

Anyway, we hope you like it. Something for everyone, including the tricky 'gift for someone who doesn't like books'...

Copies are now available in the shop to pick up - but a PDF copy is available here to download, or alternatively take a look at all our recommends on one big web page here.

In the meantime, as part of our 3-4-Friday 'FridayReads, here are three books taken from the selection.

First up is Mark Forsyth's sublime work of genius that is The Elements of Eloquence. Having unexpectedly topped the Christmas bestseller charts for the last two years with The Etymologicon and The Horologicon, Mark is back with a book on the rules of rhetoric.

Or as he cheerfully writes 'In an age unhealthily obsessed with substance, this is a book on the importance of pure style".

Rhetoric is a huge subject, and strictly speaking Mark reveals the forgotten ‘figures of rhetoric’, the hidden tricks of writing to make phrases powerful and memorable. Along the way, in his own whimsical but deliciously subversive style, he reveals why Shakespeare was not a genius, why Yoda is the master of the Anadiplosis - and the real reason why ‘The name's Bond...James Bond’ sticks in the mind (why didn't he just say ''My name is James Bond"?)

Mark visited Abingdon School the week before last, and spoke to the boys there about rhetoric and the art of turning the perfect English phrase.

One of the worries from the audience was that, if the book sells well, there is a risk of everyone suddenly injecting a bit of hyperbaton or diacope into their writing.

Will that happen? Will that happen? We'll just have to see if it does.

In the meantime, if you would like to listen to an extract from the book, we discussed it on this week's BBC Oxford Afternoon Bookclub. If you are listening before Nov 19, simply click on the link and fast-forward to approximately 1 hour 19 minutes to learn more...

With his dapper appearance and huge collection of dictionaries lining bookshelves, Mark would probably be just the man to appear in The English Room.

It's a celebration of the favourite spaces, public or private, of many beloved personalities, and these represent a truly opulent collection. Personal insights as well as beautiful photography make this a book to dip into and to share with others.

With contributions from Stephen Fry, PD James and, yes, the dashing Mr Cumberbatch, this might be a guilty pleasure for many over the festive period. Not to mention providing a few interior design tips...

Finally (and also discussed on the show on Monday) we have the wonderful Winter's Child by Angela McAllister and illustrator Grahame Baker Smith. His artwork for the book FArTHER (which won the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2011) is a combination illustration and photographic montage, and is both striking and memorable.

In Winter's Child, when Tom wishes winter would never end, he meets another boy who shares his love of snow and ice. Playing together every day, Tom hardly notices that spring doesn't come - until he realises the terrible effect the delay is having on the countryside and his sick grandma. His friend is Winter's child, and for the seasons to go on the friends must say goodbye until next year.

This is a heartwarming story with the most amazing illustrations. A perfect gift for boy or girl this Christmas.

In the mood for more Christmas recommends? Then click here...

Spies, Spooks and Giant Slaying - The BBC Radio Oxford Afternoon Bookclub

Another fun Afternoon Bookclub in the company of Kat Orman and Nigel French from Coles Bookstore. Click on the link and fast-forward to about 1 hour and 9 minutes to listen (available on iPlayer until 14 October).

Books discussed this week included:

• An Officer And A Spy - Robert Harris (HB, Random House, £18.99)
  Robert Harris is the master of intelligent thrillers and here he has written something very special indeed – a fictionalised account of one of the greatest political scandals of all time - ‘The Dreyfuss Affair’ – which reads like an edge-of-your-seat thriller with a very contemporary feel. With its heady mix of scandal, intrigue, dodgy intelligence dossiers, public hysteria and press collusion – it’s a tale with a very modern feel…
• Lockwood & Co: The Screaming Staircase - Jonathan Stroud (HB, Doubleday, £12.99)
  My pick for Hallowe’en – a brilliantly written, hairs-stand-up-on-neck ghost story with a twist. Appropriate for middle grade (8-12) and a first-class chill-ride in a world strangely different from our own...
• David & Goliath – Malcolm Gladwell (HB, Penguin, £16.99)
  I'm a big fan of Malcolm Gladwell, a brilliant writer who takes often complex ideas and research, teasing out the human stories to compel us to look at the world differently - even if we don't always agree with him. David and Goliath revisits issues of crime in society from earlier books, looks at the limits of power and even how smaller school class sizes may not necessarily be better. Superb stuff.

Spies, spaceships and stiff upper lips - the BBC Oxford Afternoon Bookclub Father's Day Special

Abingdon businesses took over BBC Radio Oxford's Afternoon Show yesterday - Fabulous Flowers for the first hour, and then Mostly Books - together with Coles Bookstore - for the second half. Some great Father's Day books discussed - including The English - A Field Guide by Matt Rudd, as well as a 20th anniversary edition of a genuinely genre-creating book...

We recommended Father's Day books from this year's Father's Day Collection - but you can listen to us having a great deal of fun with broadcasting legend Sybil Ruscoe on iPlayer until 17 June - fast forward to 1 hour and 8 minutes...

Just another Manic Monday (and Tuesday) - 48 hours in the life of a bookshop

Monday saw the BBC Oxford Book Afternoon Bookclub with Kat Orman - discussing The Great Gatsby, Chris Bradford's 'Bodyguard: Hostage' and Simon Rae's 'Keras' (Kat liked this book so much that she bought my copy during the show - now that was a first!).

Click here to listen to the show and fast forward to 1 hour 10 minutes (the link stays on iPlayer until May 20 - enjoy!).

Next was a trip to the Bookseller Industry Awards in London Monday night - we were there as a guest of Barefoot Books (shortlisted for Children's Independent Bookseller of the Year).

It was an extremely glamorous evening, and huge congratulations to fellow indies Lingham Booksellers (who won indie of the year) and newbie Octavia's Bookshop in Cirencester for children's Indie of the Year.

Yesterday Karen, Ellie and Julia transformed the window to celebrate Usborne's 40th birthday. 

Look very closely, you might a spot a few interesting readers in the window...

...and finally, last night we celebrated the launch of a new children's history book of Abingdon: 'Sixty spooky, strange and suprising stories about Abingdon'. Written by Brother Cedric, a 14th century monk who haunts Abingdon library (albeit ghost-written by local author Judy Stubley) we felt very honoured to host the launch party.

Judy is joined by the extremely talented young illustrator Molly Padbury, who did the illustrations for the book (and who also read an extract on the night). A proper write-up of the event to follow - but for now see what the Abingdon blog has to say about the event...

BBC Radio Oxford Afternoon Bookclub for March - and a Face Like Glass

Following on from World Book Day last week, here are two sessions on the BBC Oxford Afternoon show - the first is the regular monthly afternoon bookgroup that took place today (Monday March 11 - and which will be on BBC iPlayer for the next 7 days).

So get yourself a hot beverage, and indulge yourself in some bookish discussions...

Together with Nigel French of Coles Bookshop, we discussed some new titles - including Katherine Rundell's 'Rooftoppers' and John Ashdown-Hill's book 'The Last Days of Richard III' as well as discussing 'Red Bones' by Ann Cleeves, the book which inspired 'Shetland'.

Click on the link here and fast forward to approximately 1 hour and 9 minutes (or slightly earlier if you fancy a bit of Belinda Carlisle). The full list of books discussed can be found here.

On World Book Day itself we did an event with Frances Hardinge at Chandlings School - here are some of the children with copies of Frances' books:

Click to listen here and fast forward to approximately 2 hours 9 minutes. It's a fascinating interview with an author who was shaped by books, was addicted to books and stories from an early age, and can't imagine a life not writing...