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Archive
Behind-The-Books Blog
Articles by Louise
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 [...]
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 [...]
Never judge a book by its cover…
Thursday, July 29th, 2010
Last weekend, I found myself at a heavy/death metal gig (as you do), and my first impression on venturing through the door was that everyone looked a bit scary: lots of dark clothes and heavy make-up, tats and piercings everywhere, leather in abundance, long hair and beards, and a variety of skulls on clothes/jewellery/drum kits…
If [...]
Poet Laureate’s The Shirt
Monday, July 19th, 2010
Just as the nation is beginning to get over the shame of our World Cup failure and move on, Carol Anne Duffy, the poet laureate, has stirred those painful memories up again in her new poem, ‘The Shirt’, focusing on the England footballers’ woeful performance and their tendency to blame everything but themselves…
Afterwards, I found [...]
The Hungry Caterpillar v Hamlet…
Tuesday, July 13th, 2010
As a soon-to-be aunty, I’ve already started amassing a small library of children’s books ready to read to the littel one when he/she arrives. My collection (so far) includes: A Bear Called Paddington (by our very own Michael Bond), The Hungry Caterpillar (another must-have classic), Bright Stanley (featuring Stanley the sparkly goldfish and his fishy [...]
To Kill A Mockingbird celebrates its 50 years
Tuesday, July 6th, 2010
This week sees the 50th anniversary of the publication of To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee’s famous novel about racism in the Deep South. So many schoolchildren read this as part of their Literary lessons, but I wonder how many realise the enormous effect it had in helping to quash segregation in America – and [...]
Bookcrossing
Thursday, July 1st, 2010
While out shopping on my lunch break I noticed a little plastic bag left on a table outside a cafe. At first I thought it was one of those free colouring-in packs for children and was about to walk on by when I spotted ‘FREE BOOK’ written in big letters across the front. It turned [...]
The World’s Smallest Library?
Monday, June 21st, 2010
With evermore cuts placing some libraries under threat of closure, and traditional red phone boxes becoming a thing of the past, I was delighted to come across the news of a community in Somerset with a fantastic idea of combining the two…
They clubbed together to buy the phone booth for just £1 and fill it [...]
Father’s Day Treats
Tuesday, June 15th, 2010
With Father’s Day fast approaching, I’ve been wracking my brains trying to think of a suitable present for my lovely dad.
Dad’s always had a bit of a sweet tooth, and recently in Hertford there’s been a bit of excitement about Mr Simms Olde Sweet Shoppe opening, complete with weighing scales, sweets I haven’t seen in [...]
Is fact stranger than fiction?
Tuesday, June 8th, 2010
I wasn’t sure I believed this image when I first saw it – it looked too much like a film poster or an advert for the latest episode of Dr Who (come back David Tennant, please…!), and if I read about it in a book you’d hear me ‘hmm-ing’ as I flicked the page thinking [...]
International Towel Day
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010
Last week, in memory of Douglas Adams and his world-famous book The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (one of my all-time favourites), people all over the globe carried with them ‘the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have’ – in other words, a towel.
Perhaps more useful in outer space than on the Victoria [...]
Going Batty
Thursday, May 27th, 2010
Now the weather’s turned fine, if you’re looking for something different to do on your summer evenings, I can definitely recommend going on a family-friendly bat walk. Over at Tottenham Marshes, Lee Valley Bats, give guided walks alongside the canal, which are well worth checking out.
When I went, after tea and biscuits and a brief [...]
CHIPS with everything!
Friday, May 14th, 2010
Last weekend I started volunteering at a local children’s playgroup, the Children’s Integrated Playscheme, known as CHIPS, which has a branch based at my old secondary school in Hertford and several others across the county.
CHIPS is a playscheme for children aged 3-19 with additional needs, and encourages children of all ages and abilities to play [...]
Supermarket Shakespeare!
Friday, May 7th, 2010
Shakespeare is the order of the day, it seems. Not only is Romeo and Juliet being reenacted for Such Tweet Sorrow on Twitter, but now a cast of actors from Teatro Vivo is performing Shakespeare in the most unlikely of places – various supermarkets across South London.
They are all free events, running from 20th April [...]
May Discounts!
Tuesday, May 4th, 2010
I’m a girl who likes to shop. Unfortunately, I don’t have the budget to match my habit, so I looove looking through the sale rails. There are two great sales on at the moment – over 50% off some items at Next and some huge savings at Debenhams. I’m quite tempted with this cute little [...]
BitBookish.com
Thursday, April 29th, 2010
After the mayhem of last week’s London Book Fair - albeit a much quieter mayhem thanks to the Icelandic ash cloud and the ensuing travel chaos - it’s been nice to be back in the office and to a bit of normality, with fluffy white aeroplane trails once again scoring the sky and fewer beleaguered [...]
Happy St George’s Day!
Friday, April 23rd, 2010
For most of us, Friday 23rd April will just be an ordinary day. No fireworks; no day off; barely any celebratory flags and banners or themed events going on at local pubs; and few – if any – people walking the streets with daft hats on their heads singing the national anthem… Why is it [...]
Such Tweet Sorrow
Thursday, April 15th, 2010
I wonder what Shakespeare would think if he knew his most popular play had become a Twitter phenomenon? A cast of actors from the Royal Shakespeare Company have taken on the roles of Romeo and Juliet, their family and friends, and are acting out the Bard’s best-loved work live, in real-time, in modern Britain (apparently [...]
Momma Cherri’s Key Lime Pie
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010
As we are now officially into British summertime, I’m in the mood for a light and refreshing treat, and Momma Cherri has the answer; here’s the recipe for her gorgeous Key Lime Pie. In ten easy steps, even I should be able to manage it!
1. Crush 250g of ginger nut biscuits by putting them in [...]
Taking the Mick sells
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
Being a bit of a Marmite fan, I can’t help but love Marmite’s latest advertising campaign for the new Marmite cereal bar.
A billboard poster with a gorgeous male model posing with ‘Marmite shower gel’ was bound to catch my attention (and the cute fabric softener and glitzy perfume ads are also great parodies of the [...]
Currently we are...
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...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.
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