RSSEver wondered what goes on in a little but lovely office where books are born? Welcome to the door that opens into the world of A & B... no need to knock, come right in!
-
Archive
Behind-The-Books Blog
Beyond the simple egg cosy…
Friday, September 3rd, 2010
Finished knitting those booties for your new nephew? Cast off the final row of your new winter scarf? Sitting there clacking the old needles waiting for a new project to get your teeth into?
How about the human brain? Or the digestive system? Click here for more original ideas…
(Personally, I think this one on the right [...]
Wednesday Cover Story: The four covers to Under the Dome
Thursday, September 2nd, 2010
These are the four different covers to the book Under the Dome, by Stephen King - depicting each of the four main characters in the book.
As book covers go, these covers do look odd, with the title and author name pushed to the bottom of the image, almost as though the designer wished he didn’t [...]
In need of a pedicure? Send in the Garra Rufa fish.
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010
You may not be surprised to hear that I’m not much of a pampering girl. I mean there aren’t many beauty treatments that justify a half hour of boredom, in my opinion. You can’t hold a book with tacky nail polish and you can’t have much of a conversation when your face muscles are being [...]
What-ho Blogosphere!
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010
This is the newest member of the Allison & Busby team checking in for my first blog – the writing of a blog being, I was told by Chiara last week, an absolutely vital, unavoidable necessity of my new job. Those may not have been her exact words, but my jubilant id (finally! an excusable [...]
A final farewell…
Friday, August 27th, 2010
Well, it’s my last ever blog for A&B, and I just wanted to use this chance to say thank you to everyone who has made my time at A&B so enjoyable. I’ve got so many good memories of my time here – launch parties, book fairs, author lunches and cups of tea with agents, meals [...]
What a coup!
Thursday, August 26th, 2010
Apparently Jedward’s autobiography has been signed by John Blake. Remember them? The jumpy twins who got their hair styling tips from There’s Something About Mary?
To the top of my must-read list it goes…
Lara Crisp, Managing Editor
Wednesday Cover Story: C is for Creative and Clever Cover
Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
It is an obvious fact that book covers follow certain trends with new books mimicking the look of the current bestsellers. It’s a way of helping readers recognise a similar kind of book, or indeed (for the more cynical of you) a way to encourage them to think “I’m going to be getting something similar [...]
Your language needs you!
Tuesday, August 24th, 2010
We’re all used to hearing news stories every year about the shiny new words that have had the official stamp of acceptance by the English language and have made it into one of the dictionaries. Just the other day, chillax made headlines as it was welcomed into the Oxfrod Dictionary of English (how a word [...]
Blindness and Seeing
Monday, August 23rd, 2010
Last night I watched the film Blindness - about an epidemic that spreads through a city causing people to suddenly go blind. It is a harrowing story that follows a group of people infected with blindness who have been quarantined and abbandoned in an asylum - a place which quickly descends into squallor and where [...]
Crime-writing Short Story Competition
Friday, August 20th, 2010
Lancashire Libraries has been focusing on crime fiction and true crime this year, recommending a variety of books in all crime sub-genres (from classic crime to psychological thrillers), hosting special author events and organising other (legal of course) crime-related activities…
And here’s the latest: Crime-writer Zoë Sharp, author of the hugely acclaimed thrillers featuring female bodyguard [...]
Where did I put my…??
Thursday, August 19th, 2010
Yesterday I left home to go to work, got to Wimbledon station and then realised I’d left my travel card at home, in the pocket of another jacket. Arrrgh! Great start to the day. I am forced to text my colleagues to admit my oversight, letting them know I have to head home again so [...]
Wednesday Cover Story: Innocent
Wednesday, August 18th, 2010
I can’t make my mind up as to whether I like this cover or not.
It is certainly eye-catching and original with the 3D effect of the lettering - it certainly stands out. However, whilst I can appreciate the design concept in itself, I’m not sure I actually like it as a book cover for a [...]
How to Survive a Zombie Apolcalypse at the Fringe
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010
The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is in full swing at the moment and our very own professional zombologist, Dr Dale, is there with his show (the brand new seminar) How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse RELOADED.
I’ve seen the show and thought it was hilarious! But just so you know I’m not biased, this is what [...]
Oh I do like to be beside the seaside
Monday, August 16th, 2010
That’s your lot people, we’re fresh out of summer. According to my mother (obviously your first port of call for a long-range weather forecast) we might even have snow in the next month. So, this weekend wasn’t the best bet for a trip to the seaside, but nevertheless that’s what I found myself doing on [...]
One Foot Wrong and Room - two books, same story?
Friday, August 13th, 2010
Last year we published the uniquely memorable book One Foot Wrong, by Sofie Laguna - a novel both exceedingly dark and exceedingly beautiful, and the kind which lingers with you once you’ve turned the last page. It was (as we never failed to say to anyone we’d speak to about it) unlike anything we’d read [...]
Rediscovering Julia Child
Thursday, August 12th, 2010
Earlier this week, I watched the movie Julie & Julia - in which Meryl Streep brilliantly plays the larger-than-life character and American National Treasure, Julia Child. Being the food-lover that I am, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie - not least because I grew up seeing the Joy of Cooking (mentioned several times in the movie [...]
Wednesday Cover Story: The Very Many Lives of Pi
Wednesday, August 11th, 2010
Not long ago I wandered into Waterstone’s on Gower Street over lunch and lo and behold, who was sitting there merrily signing books, but Life of Pi author Yann Martel. Admittedly, Beatrice and Virgil has not set the publishing world alight, but the author looked unperturbed, happily watching customers stroll past, seemingly unbothered by the [...]
The pleaures of direct customer contact
Tuesday, August 10th, 2010
The People’s Friend magazine recently picked A Moment of Silence as their Book Club choice for July (including a reader offer if the public bought the book direct from us) and we’ve since been bombarded with calls, cheques and online purchases of said book. Besides the obvious thrill of knowing the moment one of our [...]
Interesting public publicity stunts…
Monday, August 9th, 2010
A few stories have caught my eye recently about publicity stunts in public places, many of which were in New York city (co-incidence? You decide.)
First of all, a troupe of improv actors are trying to brighten up everyone’s day by acting out scenes from famous films. Read more here…
I don’t know about anyone else but [...]
The Book Depository Live
Friday, August 6th, 2010
I can almost guarantee that everyone reading this will have done the same at one time or another: peeped over someone’s shoulder to see what book they are reading on the train/in the park/on the beach, or unashamedly gazed at someone’s bookshelves to see what titles they have there. If you’re a book-lover, you can’t [...]
Currently we are...
-
...reading
The Slap , by Christos Tsolkias Lara: An excellent reading group choice as there’s much to discuss. Clever, yes. Would I recommend it? Not so sure. Very interesting subverting of characters but it’s taken me till around the middle of the book to start really getting in to it.
Digg this
Facebook