The Archers an Unofficial Companion is by Rosie Dillon and it is a must have Christmas present for anyone who is even vaguely interested in The Archers!
The book is exceptionally well-researched and equally well-written.
It will remind the reader of stuff they knew (an example is when Pat and Tony Archer took the then brave decision to go organic) and stuff they either did not know, or had forgotten. Or had happened before they started to listen.
There are regular quiz night at the Bull sections which ask the reader questions about all sorts of facts, some of them very quirky indeed!
My grandfather -who used to help run the family farm in Warwickshire, before ill-health brought about by a particularly bad case of shellshock and a post World War 1 agricultural recession forced him from the land- always insisted on everyone listening to The Archers and as the author Rosie Dillon lives in rural Warwickshire, I feel there is a kindred spirit there!
The book contains biographies of key characters, famous people who played themselves, potted histories of some of the key locations in The Archers and the love lives of some of the faithful and feckless people who have inhabited Ambridge and surrounding locations since it all began in 1950.
It touches on their triumphs and their tragedies and the ordinary, day-to-day lives of Midland countryfolks.
It is available in hardback at £9.99, and can be bought through the That's Books Amazon book shop on this site.
The ISBN is 978-1-84953-178-8.
www.summersdale.com
Book review blog site, with some entertainment material from time-to-time.
Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label christmas. Show all posts
Sunday, 4 December 2011
Badger the Mystical Mutt
Badger the Mystical Mutt is a special dog. A very special dog indeed. He is magical, though his magic doesn't always work out in quite the way Badger intends.
Badger is aided in his magical shenanigans by his red and white spotted neckerchief which is very magical indeed. And is known as chief.
Badger has a thing about towers of freshly buttered toasted bread (EDITOR: I am warming to Badger already, I have a thing about towers of freshly buttered toasted bread, too!) and helping other people with his magic.
The book begins with some prose that is rather magical in itself: "It was a quarter past midsummer."
Pet Idol has come to the town in which Badger lives. And the favourite to be the winner is Hamish, who is a floppy-eared spaniel. But this brings attention to the lane and this is attention that is most unwelcome to Top Dog, who is the leader of a gang of stray dogs. They blame Hamish for the fact that the Dog Catcher is hunting them down.
And then, Badger the Mystical Mutt steps in to save the day. Can Badger and his uncertain magic save Hamish from Top Dog and his gang? Can he help ensure that Hamish becomes Pet Idol?
But what is the significance of the crystal cave and what they see inside it? What is the meaning of the scruffy toy unicorn? Can the dogs be saved from the Dog Catcher?
This book is very well written and it is filled with magical, wild events and will be ideal for parents to read with their children. It is MUST HAVE Christmas present. It is a moving and joyful story and did warm the heart of this cynical old journalist. Was there a slight tear of joy towards the end of the book? Maybe this old, cynical journalist is younger at heart than he realised and not nearly as cynical as he thought!
This book is written by Lyn McNichol and Laura Cameron Jackson and is published by the Lunicorn Press in paperback at £5.99. (An extremely low price for such a fantastic book to my mind, but then, what do I know?!) The ISBN is 978-0-9569640-0-7. This book can be ordered through the That's Books Amazon Shop.
You can find out more at www.badgerthemysticalmutt.com
And please check out these videos!
You can find out more at www.badgerthemysticalmutt.com
Badger is aided in his magical shenanigans by his red and white spotted neckerchief which is very magical indeed. And is known as chief.
Badger has a thing about towers of freshly buttered toasted bread (EDITOR: I am warming to Badger already, I have a thing about towers of freshly buttered toasted bread, too!) and helping other people with his magic.
The book begins with some prose that is rather magical in itself: "It was a quarter past midsummer."
Pet Idol has come to the town in which Badger lives. And the favourite to be the winner is Hamish, who is a floppy-eared spaniel. But this brings attention to the lane and this is attention that is most unwelcome to Top Dog, who is the leader of a gang of stray dogs. They blame Hamish for the fact that the Dog Catcher is hunting them down.
And then, Badger the Mystical Mutt steps in to save the day. Can Badger and his uncertain magic save Hamish from Top Dog and his gang? Can he help ensure that Hamish becomes Pet Idol?
But what is the significance of the crystal cave and what they see inside it? What is the meaning of the scruffy toy unicorn? Can the dogs be saved from the Dog Catcher?
This book is very well written and it is filled with magical, wild events and will be ideal for parents to read with their children. It is MUST HAVE Christmas present. It is a moving and joyful story and did warm the heart of this cynical old journalist. Was there a slight tear of joy towards the end of the book? Maybe this old, cynical journalist is younger at heart than he realised and not nearly as cynical as he thought!
This book is written by Lyn McNichol and Laura Cameron Jackson and is published by the Lunicorn Press in paperback at £5.99. (An extremely low price for such a fantastic book to my mind, but then, what do I know?!) The ISBN is 978-0-9569640-0-7. This book can be ordered through the That's Books Amazon Shop.
You can find out more at www.badgerthemysticalmutt.com
And please check out these videos!
Historical Tweets
What if Tweets had been available to our ancestors? What if famous people of long ago had been able to send messages of no more than 140 characters?
Alan Beard and Alec McNayr took this wild and somewhat wacky proposition and have turned it into a hilarious and sometimes eye-opening book which will make a fantastic Chirstmas stocking filler!
What would Plato have had to say in 140 characters or less? Merlin? Henry VIII? Gandhi? Shakespeare? Billy the Kid? Oscar Wilde? Albert Einstein? Marie Curie? Marilyn Monroe?
Sometimes funny, sometimes insightful, sometimes both, this will keep the recipient chuckling or LOLing for many happy hours!
It is published by Summersdale at £9.99 in hardback and the ISBN is 978 1 84953 232 7.
Available from the That's Books Amazon Store at a discounted price.
Alan Beard and Alec McNayr took this wild and somewhat wacky proposition and have turned it into a hilarious and sometimes eye-opening book which will make a fantastic Chirstmas stocking filler!
What would Plato have had to say in 140 characters or less? Merlin? Henry VIII? Gandhi? Shakespeare? Billy the Kid? Oscar Wilde? Albert Einstein? Marie Curie? Marilyn Monroe?
Sometimes funny, sometimes insightful, sometimes both, this will keep the recipient chuckling or LOLing for many happy hours!
It is published by Summersdale at £9.99 in hardback and the ISBN is 978 1 84953 232 7.
Available from the That's Books Amazon Store at a discounted price.
Sunday, 27 November 2011
Rabbitwood
If you travel beyond the seven mountains, traverse through many enchanted valleys, make your way over or around a variety of lakes and rivers, you will, eventually, find yourself on the very edge of a large, ancient woodland.
Here, you will find Rabbitwood. Which is the home of the oldest rabbit family in the entire world.
It is the Hobblestones. Tobbit of Hobblestone is the eldest member of the clan. And Tobbit has a very special desire, he wishes to ride like the wind through the very forest itself, even as swiftly as the humans do on their mighty horses!
Whilst he is searching for a suitable steed, he meets and befriends a tiny fox. But foxes and rabbits can never be friends! Surely their natural instincts will take over? Or must that always be the way?
Read this beautiful book to discover for yourself!
An ideal Christmas present as it is perfect for reading to the little ones and has some splendid illustrations. It is published by Far, Far Away Books at £12.99. www.farfarawaybooks.com
Here, you will find Rabbitwood. Which is the home of the oldest rabbit family in the entire world.
It is the Hobblestones. Tobbit of Hobblestone is the eldest member of the clan. And Tobbit has a very special desire, he wishes to ride like the wind through the very forest itself, even as swiftly as the humans do on their mighty horses!
Whilst he is searching for a suitable steed, he meets and befriends a tiny fox. But foxes and rabbits can never be friends! Surely their natural instincts will take over? Or must that always be the way?
Read this beautiful book to discover for yourself!
An ideal Christmas present as it is perfect for reading to the little ones and has some splendid illustrations. It is published by Far, Far Away Books at £12.99. www.farfarawaybooks.com
The Forest of Kings
The Forest of Kings is a large and well-illustrated tale. Appropriately it is published by Far Far Away Books, as it is a story set in a time of long, long ago.
It is set in France in 1468. It is a story of love and of loss, of valiant knights of the old Royal Court of France.
It is also a story of friendships and of duties, of honour of kings and the love of a little boy and his friend, the fox.
It is a story for reading to your little ones and will make a wonderful Christmas present. Visit www.farfarawaybooks.com for details.
It is set in France in 1468. It is a story of love and of loss, of valiant knights of the old Royal Court of France.
It is also a story of friendships and of duties, of honour of kings and the love of a little boy and his friend, the fox.
It is a story for reading to your little ones and will make a wonderful Christmas present. Visit www.farfarawaybooks.com for details.
Findus at Chirstmas by Sven Nordqvist
It's Chirstmas Eve Eve, you know, the day before Christmas Eve?
It's a very busy time for Pettson and Findus his talking cat.
But when Pettson has an accident and sprains his ankle, what will Findus and Pettson do now?
How would they be able to celebrate a traditional Christmas? Because without a tree, without any ham and without any meatballs and without any gingerbread, they could have no Christmas!
The normally resourceful pair are close to giving up the idea of any Christmas celebrations of any kind at all, when something truly remarkable begins to happen.
Because suddenly, there is a knock at the door. And with that simple knock at the door starts a really heart-warming story of how Christmas can really bring out the best in cats and people!
Sven Nordqvist is one of the most popular children's authors and illustrators in Sweden, with over 6 million copies of his books sold, having been translated into 44 languages.
Having read Findus at Christmas, it is easy to see why. It is a magical and enchanting book and at £10.99 it should grace the stockings of many young children this Christmas.
It is part of the Findus and Pettson Series of books and is published by the Hawthorn Press.
This book is guaranteed to put a smile on your face and perhaps a tear to your eyes, as it is such a beautiful story.
It's a very busy time for Pettson and Findus his talking cat.
But when Pettson has an accident and sprains his ankle, what will Findus and Pettson do now?
How would they be able to celebrate a traditional Christmas? Because without a tree, without any ham and without any meatballs and without any gingerbread, they could have no Christmas!
The normally resourceful pair are close to giving up the idea of any Christmas celebrations of any kind at all, when something truly remarkable begins to happen.
Because suddenly, there is a knock at the door. And with that simple knock at the door starts a really heart-warming story of how Christmas can really bring out the best in cats and people!
Sven Nordqvist is one of the most popular children's authors and illustrators in Sweden, with over 6 million copies of his books sold, having been translated into 44 languages.
Having read Findus at Christmas, it is easy to see why. It is a magical and enchanting book and at £10.99 it should grace the stockings of many young children this Christmas.
It is part of the Findus and Pettson Series of books and is published by the Hawthorn Press.
This book is guaranteed to put a smile on your face and perhaps a tear to your eyes, as it is such a beautiful story.
Saturday, 26 November 2011
The Man who Planted Trees
The Man Who Planted Trees is a thoroughly enchanting book by Jean Giono. The book is charmingly illustrated by Vanessa Capela.
Who was Jean Giono? He was born in 1895 to an ordinary family of somewhat modest means in Manosque, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence in France.
He started working in a bank when he became 16, but he continued with his deep and abiding passion for reading the great classical works of literature.
At the outbreak of the Great War he left the bank as he was called up for military duty.
The dreadful suffering he witnessed during his time during that terrible war turned him into a life-long pacifist.
A year after the end of the war, 1919, he returned to his duties at the bank. Within a year he had married a childhood sweetheart and together they had two children.
Success as a novelist came to him when, in 1929, he published his first novel, Colline. A year later he left the bank, this time for good, concentrating on writing full-time.
He went on to write 30 novels, numerous stories and essays.
The book for which he is probably best known for outside his native France is this book, The Man Who Planted Trees.
It's a charming, optimistic and hopeful story which relates how a man brings a deserted valley back to life by simply planting trees in it.
It reflects the lifelong love that he had of the natural world and his concerns pre-date the fashionable green movement by many decades.
This book is a masterpiece of storytelling. It is another book I shall recommend as a Christmas present.
You simply must read this book. As for me? I think I shall plant a tree, or three... In fact, if your buy this book, a tree has already been planted for you.
It is published by Far Away books www.farfarawaybooks.com
Who was Jean Giono? He was born in 1895 to an ordinary family of somewhat modest means in Manosque, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence in France.
He started working in a bank when he became 16, but he continued with his deep and abiding passion for reading the great classical works of literature.
At the outbreak of the Great War he left the bank as he was called up for military duty.
The dreadful suffering he witnessed during his time during that terrible war turned him into a life-long pacifist.
A year after the end of the war, 1919, he returned to his duties at the bank. Within a year he had married a childhood sweetheart and together they had two children.
Success as a novelist came to him when, in 1929, he published his first novel, Colline. A year later he left the bank, this time for good, concentrating on writing full-time.
He went on to write 30 novels, numerous stories and essays.
The book for which he is probably best known for outside his native France is this book, The Man Who Planted Trees.
It's a charming, optimistic and hopeful story which relates how a man brings a deserted valley back to life by simply planting trees in it.
It reflects the lifelong love that he had of the natural world and his concerns pre-date the fashionable green movement by many decades.
This book is a masterpiece of storytelling. It is another book I shall recommend as a Christmas present.
You simply must read this book. As for me? I think I shall plant a tree, or three... In fact, if your buy this book, a tree has already been planted for you.
It is published by Far Away books www.farfarawaybooks.com
The Three Little Pigs, retold
The Three Little Pigs is here retold and illustrated by Little Red Riding Hood.
See The Three Little Pigs as you have probably never quite envisioned them, as they meet the challenges from the Big Bad Wolf who wants to eat the three little pigs all up!
It's all here, the foolish pig, who builds a house of straw, the not particularly smart little pig who builds a house of sticks and the rather clever little pig who builds a far more substantial house of bricks.
It is published (piglished?) in hardback by Far Far Away Books the ISBN is 978-989-8441-00-3.
The book is part of the Plant for the Planet series a Billion Tree Campaign aided by the UN Environment Programme. So when you buy this book, you are planting a tree.
www.farfarawaybooks.com
The cost quoted on the website is $15.00 + $3.00 postage.
See The Three Little Pigs as you have probably never quite envisioned them, as they meet the challenges from the Big Bad Wolf who wants to eat the three little pigs all up!
It's all here, the foolish pig, who builds a house of straw, the not particularly smart little pig who builds a house of sticks and the rather clever little pig who builds a far more substantial house of bricks.
It is published (piglished?) in hardback by Far Far Away Books the ISBN is 978-989-8441-00-3.
The book is part of the Plant for the Planet series a Billion Tree Campaign aided by the UN Environment Programme. So when you buy this book, you are planting a tree.
www.farfarawaybooks.com
The cost quoted on the website is $15.00 + $3.00 postage.
Matilda's Secret
Matilda's Secret is a novel by Sandra Goldbacher and it is a part of the "A Girl for all Time Book" series.
Matilda Marchmont is thirteen, she comes from Norfolk. Her life is pleasant, but it must be admitted, a little dull, at times. She rides her horse, is allowed to mix medicines for her family (she likes to pretend to herself that she is a witch!) and writing in her secret diary. In fact she wrote "Nothing exciting will ever happen to me."
She longed for something exciting to happen. She felt somewhat envious of the life of glamour and excitement enjoyed by her cousin Katherine Howard. Because Katherine lived at court, Katherine was really, really fashionable! Oh, how she longed to be more like her lucky, fortunate cousin!
Then, one fateful night, something exciting, something quite unthinkable happens to Matilda! She is despatched to live at the Royal Court, too. She is to become a lady-in-waiting, but she will be more than a 'mere' lady-in-waiting. For she is to become a spy in a potentially dangerous mission to help further the chances of her cousin becoming the wife of King Henry VIII!
Matilda does become drawn into the kind of glittering, glamorous lifestyle that she had longed and craved for. But at what cost to herself? For as well as the glamour and the friendships, she finds herself facing great dangers that she could never have imagined deep in the rural Norfolk of 1540!
Her journey takes her from Hampton Court Palace to what was probably the most dangerous place in the whole of the British Isles at that time, the Bloody Tower itself!
The book is very well written and captures what it must have been like to live in the turbulent times of King Henry VIII.
Matilda is the first in the A Girl For All Time series of dolls, novels and keepsake books, and will make fantastic Christmas gifts for little girls all over the world!
The next book is about Amelia Elliot, a young Victorian girl. And at age thirteen, Amelia is about to inherit something very interesting. Matilda's trunk, that is filled with treasures that will change young Amelia's life!
The book costs £6.99 ISBN 978-0-9567200-0-9
Matilda Marchmont is thirteen, she comes from Norfolk. Her life is pleasant, but it must be admitted, a little dull, at times. She rides her horse, is allowed to mix medicines for her family (she likes to pretend to herself that she is a witch!) and writing in her secret diary. In fact she wrote "Nothing exciting will ever happen to me."
She longed for something exciting to happen. She felt somewhat envious of the life of glamour and excitement enjoyed by her cousin Katherine Howard. Because Katherine lived at court, Katherine was really, really fashionable! Oh, how she longed to be more like her lucky, fortunate cousin!
Then, one fateful night, something exciting, something quite unthinkable happens to Matilda! She is despatched to live at the Royal Court, too. She is to become a lady-in-waiting, but she will be more than a 'mere' lady-in-waiting. For she is to become a spy in a potentially dangerous mission to help further the chances of her cousin becoming the wife of King Henry VIII!
Matilda does become drawn into the kind of glittering, glamorous lifestyle that she had longed and craved for. But at what cost to herself? For as well as the glamour and the friendships, she finds herself facing great dangers that she could never have imagined deep in the rural Norfolk of 1540!
Her journey takes her from Hampton Court Palace to what was probably the most dangerous place in the whole of the British Isles at that time, the Bloody Tower itself!
The book is very well written and captures what it must have been like to live in the turbulent times of King Henry VIII.
Matilda is the first in the A Girl For All Time series of dolls, novels and keepsake books, and will make fantastic Christmas gifts for little girls all over the world!
The next book is about Amelia Elliot, a young Victorian girl. And at age thirteen, Amelia is about to inherit something very interesting. Matilda's trunk, that is filled with treasures that will change young Amelia's life!
The book costs £6.99 ISBN 978-0-9567200-0-9
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