Feline Fiction

8 June, 2015

I spotted this article, discussing the lack of animals in adult fiction, on BookRiot, today. It’s an interesting time to stumble upon it, as we’re gearing up for the publication of the first in Mandy Morton’s delightful The No. 2 Feline Detective Series, next month. Following in the tradition of Watership Down, Black Beauty and the author’s favourite, Wind […]

Word On The Water

5 June, 2015

I’d heard about Word on the Water – the London Bookbarge bringing you a great selection of second-hand books to buy – long before I saw them. The barge travels along the canal, which runs from west London to Hackney and east London – and so finding them isn’t always easy (although if you are more […]

Buy One, Get One Free on Early Summer Reads

1 June, 2015

Despite the chill still lingering in the air, Summer is on its way. We’d like to set you up with some holiday reading, with a buy one get one free offer on a range of titles. Choose from: Kingdom Lock, Point Blank, Daughter of Catalonia, Songs of Willow Frost, The Mystery of Tunnel 51 and […]

Reading on the Road

29 May, 2015

Our author Emily Winslow told me, last week, about a brilliant and dedicated group of book lovers – ‘Books Afoot’. The Books Afoot group are part of the Book Group at Minnesota Women’s Press. They believe, quite rightly, that literature and travel make a rewarding combination. Reading the literature from a place illuminates your exploration of it, and […]

CrimeFest Bristol: A Roundup

18 May, 2015

Susie and I have just returned from a trip to Bristol, for this year’s CrimeFest. It was a weekend of celebration as Catherine Aird was announced as the recipient of this year’s lifetime achievement, ‘Diamond Dagger Award’, and L C Tyler collected the Goldsboro Last Laugh Award, for Elsie and Elthered mystery, Crooked Herring. There were also […]

Laurie Aaaarrrrgggghhhh! King and the Pirates

15 May, 2015

If you’re lucky enough to have a ticket to ENO’s Pirates of Penzance, on at the Coliseum at the moment, we’re VERY jealous. Directed by the wonderful Mike Leigh, the production runs until the 4th July. A&B favourite, Laurie R King’s book Pirate King is set around the set of a film by the same title, […]

Sharing Suzette A. Hill at Gladstone Library Talk

11 May, 2015

Back in February, Suzette A. Hill gave a talk about her books and her writing to a lucky few at Gladstone Library – did you manage to catch it?! For those who weren’t able to head along, we’d like to share a recording of Suzette’s talk – via this link. The author of A Little […]

Katharine Moore

6 May, 2015

We’re very proud of the reissues of three Katharine Moore titles, in e-book format this year – Summer at the Haven, Moving House and The Lotus House were all made available in March. And as we look forward to a three generation, literary celebration (in June Katharine’s daughter, the poet Jane Kingshill, will be joined […]

Wednesday Cover Story: Alternative Alanna

22 April, 2015

We recently requested some old editions from our author, Alanna Knight, for scanning, and just look what we received… These editions from the late 70’s really show how covers change over time! I quite like them actually, they remind me of surreal anime books, and I’ve decided the one on the far left looks a […]

Looking forward to a CrimeFest

13 April, 2015

We hope that we will be seeing some of you at next month’s CrimeFest, in Bristol? CrimeFest is a convention for people who like to read an occasional crime novel as well as for die-hard fanatics. Many of our authors attend each year, as the festivals sees top crime novelists, readers, editors, publishers and reviewers […]

Another One (sadly) Bites the Dust

6 April, 2015

I was saddened to see the news that the Forest Bookshop in the Forest of Dean will shortly close it’s doors after 40 years of match-making readers and books. In an article in The Bookseller, owner Douglas McLean said ‘the past 40 bookselling years have seen the happiest of times. We’ve had some wonderful events, […]

Wednesday Cover Story: Alfie Across the Sea

1 April, 2015

Bill Naughton’s well-loved classic, Alfie, has been enjoyed in both book and film forms for generations. Whether you’re a Michael Caine or Jude Law fan, the Casanova will charm and amuse you. It’s always great to see our favourite book covers interpreted by other publishers accross the seas. Take a look at the below, which […]

Worlds Apart

16 March, 2015

Do you prefer reading about real, or fictional places? As we learnt the sad news of Terry Pratchett’s death last week, many fans thanked the late author for the world he had created in the legendary Discworld series, and for the magic and escapism it brought to them. But we know from you A&B readers […]

Childhood Memories

9 March, 2015

Childhood memories are important to us all and are a topic covered widely in literature. From the happy to the sinister, recollections of sensations, people, places and life-changing events weave in and out of many great stories. Our childhood home holds fond memories for many of us, as Caroline McGhie explored in an article for […]

Spring in your Step

6 March, 2015

I’ve seen daffodils this week, which means it’s nearly time to stop wearing my woollies. I’m enjoying being out and about more now that the evenings are getting lighter and the rain has (for now at least) stopped. And so when I spotted these London audio walking tours on the Guardian website, I decided I’m […]

The Bookshop Band

27 February, 2015

How great are these guys! Combining a love of music and books – two things no one ever minds combining – they’ve been performing literary-inspired songs together, for five years.  Titles including For an Ending (based on A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness) and How not to Woo a Woman (based on the Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry). […]

Rereading Anthony Burgess

25 February, 2015

Did anyone see the article on Anthony Burgess in last weekend’s Guardian? It reminded us here at A&B HQ, that this brilliant author was not only the creator of two of our favourite fiction titles – ‘Nothing Like the Sun‘ and ‘Kingdom of the Wicked‘, but that somewhere on our archive was a book that […]

Checking out A&B talent

16 February, 2015

Lists released by the British Library’s Public Lending Right reveal Allison & Busby authors’ books are some of the most borrowed in the UK! Superstar, Anna Jacobs was the sixth most borrowed author (adult fiction) of 2013-14, with Heir to Greyladies a top title. Take a look at the full series here and keep an eye out […]

Reading in Rude Health

9 February, 2015

The University of Liverpool has conducted a study that shows people who read regularly for pleasure have greater levels of self-esteem, are less stressed, and can cope better with difficult situations than lapsed or non-readers. After reading about this, I came across the below infographic comparing reading and other stress-relieving activities. I was quite surprised […]

Alice Gets A Makeover

2 February, 2015

All time favourite children’s book, the bonkers and brilliant Alice in Wonderland is to celebrate it’s 150th Anniversary this year. The festivities are already underway and include a BBC documentary exploring the life and imagination of Lewis Carroll, a postal stamp set, featuring ten scenes from the book and – my favourite – a 150th […]

Slow and steady…

19 January, 2015

It’s the perfect weather to be tucked up inside with a book at the moment and yet I don’t seem to be getting through any of the three reads I have on the go with much pace. But there’s a new reading craze that tells me I’m not alone in this and neither should I […]