Elementary, In Trouble - and Off The Leash: Our Mother's Day Book Selection 2016

At Mostly Books, we try to resist stereotypes, and let's face it, 'Mother's Day' can be full of them: cue lots of images of immaculately dressed elegance, 1950s throwbacks and Von Trapp-style children. But where's the frazzled, barely holding-things-together, 'technically-it's-not-drinking-alone-if-the-kids-are-in-the-house' reality?

Still, we reckon that buying Mum a book is a good bet whatever the reality.

Buying a book as a gift conjures up the promise of unplugging from the world (at least for a while) and opening a door onto a wider world. These things go down extremely well (along with the flowers, chocolates, cups of tea and inexpertly-made breakfasts in bed of course). And reading is officially very good for you.

We're here to help you give Mum the day she deserves - so here is this year's Mostly Books Mother's Day recommends from everyone at the shop (several of whom are mothers themselves, and hence know about these sort of things).

'How It Works: The Mum' is another brilliantly-written, subversive spoof Ladybird title from the team behind 'How It Works: The Wife' and 'How It Works: The Husband'.

With the genius combination of nostalgic original artwork from the genuine Ladybird books, and sardonic observations on modern life that worked in earlier titles, this is definitely going to generate a laugh or two on Mother's Day, and will tide you over until the eagerly-awaited 'How It Works: The Student' is published this Autumn...

Continuing on the subversive, satirical theme, 'The Trouble with Women' by Jacky Fleming is an illustrated gem of a book that tells an alternative history of the ‘women history wrote out’. From 'Fallen Woman' (those that strayed outside their Domestic Bubble) to the men who have proved womens ‘puny’ intelligence, this is subversive, genuinely eye-opening, and very funny with plenty of historically-significant mothers (many with tell-tale ‘genius hair’...).

There's loads of new fiction out at the moment, and here are a few of our favourites which we think make extra-special Mother's Day choices.

One of Nicki's favourite children's authors, Meg Rosoff, has written her first book for adults - 'Jonathan Unleashed' - and it's a total joy.

New Yorker Jonathan has got a job, an apartment, a girlfriend - what more could he want? But when suddenly he also has two dogs, his life starts to painfully and hilariously unravel. Jonathan starts to see his life differently and feels perhaps there should be more...

A smart, funny book and beautifully written book about modern relationships (and dogs). For anyone who loved the quirky humour of 'The Rosie Project', it's a book that will surprise and go straight to the heart.

Mrs Hudson’s role in the Sherlock Holmes books was always being the woman whose main role in life was bringing Sherlock Holmes tea. Well, what if she is secretly covering up another brilliant mind, listening in to all Sherlock’s cases and longing to be a detective herself? That's the premise behind 'The House At Baker Street' by Michelle Birkby.

When Holmes dismisses a case of blackmail, Mrs Hudson, with the help of Mary Watson leaps in, determined to finally fulfil her dream and solve a case of her own. There is plenty of Sherlock-inspired fiction at the moment, but this is a triumph of imagination, exciting and thoroughly satisfying as a mystery in its own right.

Like Meg Rosoff, Lissa Evans made the leap from children's to adult books, although she was already an accomplished television director and producer. 'Crooked Heart' is a delightfully quirky story about the relationship between a struggling wartime widow and the evacuee she doesn't really want.

Vee reckons everyone is doing well out of the War, but she just keeps getting caught out. She takes in evacuee Noel, feeling there are opportunities to exploit his limp. They form a deep and touching relationship that survives both treachery and bombings in this heart-warming drama infused with both charm and moments of laugh-out-loud comedy.

In 'A Year of Marvellous Ways', 89 year old Marvellous Ways is waiting. She’s not entirely sure what she’s waiting for - but she knows it’s coming. Then Francis Drake arrives, a soldier fresh from war, and she sets out to use the power of stories to help him heal his past. Sarah Winman's tale is full of magical realism which gives the book a hint of ‘fairytaleness’. All in all it’s a book that will definitely whisk the reader away.

A good book cries out for a associated beverage, and if it's a lovely cup of tea then why not consider one of our range of mugs? Our bookish range from Scribbelicious have books on one side and quotes on the other.

It’s the perfect way to sink into a drink. And a book.

Some people may not agree with them being relaxing, but we have a collection of jigsaws at the moment (see 'Mother and Child' at left). What better to make, either alone, or with the ‘help’ of a son or daughter?

And do take a look at our pop-up 'flower' cards - the perfect way to send flowers through the post when you can't send flowers through the post!

A perfect present from a child? Try the following:

In 'My Mum is a Supermum' a wonderful, imaginative story celebrates mothers everywhere, written by Angela McAllister and illustrated by 'Claude' author and illustrator Alex T Smith. 

Does your mother have eyes in the back of her head? How about X-ray vision? Milo’s definitely does, since how else would she always know what he was doing?

There’s also 'Just Like My Mum' (now available in a board book as well as paperback). It's an extremely cute story all about a little lion cub and how he wants to be just like her - all drawn with the warmth and charm of Hugless Douglas creator David Melling.

Whoever you are buying for, just come into the shop and let us find the perfect gift!

Mother's Day 2014 - we recommend twelve top titles for a special Mum

Last year, our 'Baker's Dozen' of twelve titles for Mother's Day seemed to go down extremely well, so we've raised the bar again for Mum this year. All the staff have pitched in with suggestions for a special gift for Mum this Sunday, and as usual the selection is a mix of things you might expect, and quirky stuff that you get from an indie bookshop.

All you need to do is clear a decent amount of space in the diary for her to enjoy her gift...here we go...

In 'The Road to Middlemarch', writer Rebecca Mead writes passionately about her relationship to this remarkable, much-loved Victorian novel, and shows how we can live richer and more fulfilling lives through our profound engagement with great literary works. Investigating George Eliot's unconventional, inspiring life, Mead reflects on her own youth, relationships and marriage.

This is a gift for every lover of literature who cares about why we read books and how they read us.

You might think 'the last thing Mum needs is another cook book' but please take a look at 'The Ginger & White Cookbook' by food stylist Tonia George. A cookery writer for eight years, and former editor of Waitrose Food magazine, Tonia has taken inspiration from the famous Hampstead cafe, and you can now bring bring some Ginger & White magic into your own kitchen.

There are recipes for four puff pastry tarts, a range of modern cakes and lunches (lots of tasty gluten-free ideas as well - a real bonus). With 80 super-simple yet indulgent recipes for salads, soups, sandwiches, cakes and more, you can enjoy their Roasted Portobello Mushrooms with Garlic Mayo on Potato Sourdough, famous Stem Ginger Loaf, and best-ever Lemon Polenta Drizzle Cake at home.

(No, we're not sure what a 'food stylist' is either, but it sounds a lot of fun, and Tonia George is extremely good at it!)

Journaling is gaining popularity around the world, as people seek to escape from the digitization of their lives, and instead document their thoughts and experiences (and express themselves artistically) through a journal. We stock the Moleskine 'Japanese Albums' which allow you to get artistic and creative, but Canadian author Keri Smith takes an altogether more extreme view with Wreck This Journal.

Described as an anarchist's 'Artist's Way', this books is for anyone who has ever wanted to journal, but had trouble keepping going (or starting, for that matter). It's a super-subversive collection of suggestions, and challenges readers to muster up their best mistakes, and mess-making abilities to fill the pages of the book (and destroy them). Inspirational, mad and totally unique for the creative Mum.

A superb reimagining of 'Northanger Abbey' by top crime writer Val McDermid is our next pick. The wonderful McDermid ups the menace, suspense and the secrets in the second of 'The Austen Project' contemporary reworkings of Jane Austen's novels.

Unworldy Cat Morland is charmed by Henry Tilney and is thrilled to be invited to his gothic pile 'Northanger Abbey'. But are there secrets among the crumbling stonework and sinister empty rooms? Or is it simply Cat's imagination, sparked by too much romantic reading and a sheltered life? A great way into Jane Austen for teens, or simply a new way to enjoy the novels, it follows the successful 'Sense & Sensibility' by Joanna Trollope last year.

We already featured 'The Rosie Project' by Graeme Simpson in our Valentine's Day picks last month, but it's such a funny, original and uplifting read we've picked it again for Mother's Day.

Scientist Don thinks he can take a scientific approach to everything – from time management, calorie intake, work and exercise. He’s not so hot at the social skills, however, so he devises a Wife Questionnaire he thinks will help him find the perfect partner. But when Rosie (who would answer all the wrong questions) seeks his help, he’s thrust into a chaotic, madcap world. Will his world ever recover?  And will he find the perfect wife? Definitely the most fun rom-com of the year, and now out in paperback.

Good writing makes even the quirkiest subject matter a delight to read, and we reckon 'Love Nina' by Nina Stibbe deserves to be a modern classic. Stibbe was nanny to LRB editor Mary-Kay Wilmers's children in the 1980s. Her letters from Wilmers's house at 55 Gloucester Crescent - witty, irreverent and brilliantly observed - provide a fascinating glimpse into 80s literary London.

Frequent visitors included Alan Bennett, Michael Frayn, Jonathan Miller and Deborah Moggach (amongst many others) but it's the dialogue and interplay with the children that is this book's core delight - and laugh-out-loud-funny.

'Mary Berry at Home' featured on last year's list, but this year we're recommending her autobiography 'Recipe for Life' as an unashamed treat for any of her legion of fans.

Packed with photos, interspersed with recipes from a very British childhood, Berry's autobiography is the story of a life of juggling that working mums everywhere will recognise. It's a warm, engaging story, told honestly, and proving that you can be a style icon and at the pinnacle of your career in your 70s.

'Me and My Mummy' is a wonderful little box set of four picture books to share each one about the love between Mums and their children, ‘Little Bears Special Wish’, ‘My Mummy and Me’, ‘The Most Precious Thing’ and ‘Big Bear Little Bear’ in a nice little slipcase.. It also has a lovely Mothers Day card and some stickers to decorate it with so is overall a perfect gift for that special day (and a hint for anyone buying on behalf of a little one!)

We always try to get one 'business' book into the selection, and - admittedly - this isn't what might immediately spring to mind. But 'Toast and Marmalade' by Emma Bridgewater is both a celebration of her distinctive pottery and designs, and also a heartfelt and extremely moving story of how she came to be one of our best-loved designers.

Packed with photos and stories, this is one for both fans and anyone who appreciates the global success of this particularly English brand.

'Mrs Sinclair’s Suitcase' by Louise Walters is a beautifully told tale with a dual-time narrative that will appeal to lovers of historical fiction who will also appreciate the modern storyline.

Working in a bookshop, Roberta discovers, among some donated books, a letter written by her grandfather. This contradicts the fact that he died in 1940 and Roberta, intrigued, sets about investigating. She uncovers a secret long buried by her grandmother, and its discovery will have ramifications in the present. It's a story of loss, missed chances and enduring love that is charmingly told – and there are wonderful descriptions of the joy of handling books.

'Americanah' is the latest novel (now out in paperback) by acclaimed Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It's the story of two Nigerian sweethearts: one goes to America, the other heads for Britain, in the search for opportunity. It’s an epic tale that takes in modern attitudes to race, and is a richly told story of love and expectation set in today’s globalized world.

This is Adichie's third and most ambitious novel – her first, Purple Hibiscus, was longlisted for the Booker prize and her second, Half a Yellow Sun, won the Orange prize. A highly acclaimed 2009 collection of short stories, The Thing Around Your Neck, cemented her position as one of the most promising African writers of her generation. She was awarded a prestigious MacArthur "Genius" grant and in 2010, the New Yorker featured her in its list of the 20 best authors under the age of 40.

Letter writing seems to be seeing a resurgence (and not just ex-president Jimmy Carter who writes by hand 'to stop being spied on'). A hand-written note or a heartfelt letter can have a huge impact in our electronic, ephemeral age - and we have some beautiful Letter Sets now in stock by the fabulous Roger La Borde.

With a gorgeous butterfly design in a beautiful wallet, they are a lovely gift for just £6.99.

Finally - and yes, it's a baker's dozen again - if you are buying a gift for a gardening Mum, we can recommend 'Of Rhubarb and Roses', the Telegraph Book of the Garden.

Writer, historian and Telegraph columnist Tim Richardson has dug through the gardening archives of the newspaper to put together this eminently dip-in-and-out-able collection on subject as diverse as box hedges, foreign gardens, extreme weather and large vegetables. Contributors include Sarah Raven, Bunny Guinness, Sir Roy Strong and Germaine Greer.

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?

Mostly Cupcakes

If you've been in the shop recently you may have noticed an unusually large amount of pink, paint, not to say a great smell of cake, among our usual bookish and serious activities - and wondered what it was all for.

Well, the sign next to the heater saying 'beware wet paint' wasn't anything to do with a bit of springtime DIY, but was the pièce de résistance of our secret Cupcake Window, which we can now unveil.

The twin celebrations of it being Mother's Day - and a new book from those folk at the Hummingbird Bakery - was too much to resist and we wanted to share our new window which went up today! Many thanks to Ellie and Karen for all their hard work.

Ellie's three-tier cupcake stand is the stunning centrepiece of our cupcake window. (The photo doesn't do it justice - I may have to try another tomorrow.)

Even if you've yet to be won over by the wonder of cupcakes, surely everyone likes a bit of celebratory cake.

The Hummingbird Bakery has been at the forefront of the baking trend and was the first American cupcake bakery in the UK. Their new book 'Cake Days', is a beautiful, highly photographic book packed with easy, fun cakes that are focused on those events and celebrations when people love to bake.

And our Mother's Day special offer will give you £5 off the book.

 If you look closely in the bottom right-hand corner you can see Ellie's homemade cupcakes, complete with tiny hummingbird designs.

Ellie's creativity wasn't just about cupcakes - this is her home made three tier cake (book) stand, which is the feature point in our window. As you can't really tell now it is covered with books just how wonderful it is luckily I took a picture when it was still a work in progress.

Finally - if all of this has made you feel hungry for some, erm, cake - drop in on Saturday - while you are browsing for a perfect Mother's Day gift and card you can sample some of our favourite recipes as we will be serving cupcakes all day (while stocks last). And believe us, we have tried a lot of recipes over the last few weeks to find our favourite and our best!