Difference between revisions of "Features"

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Check out the full lists of [[:Category: Interviews|interviews]], [[:Category: Lists|top tens]] and [[:Category: Comments|articles]].__NOTOC__<!-- Remove -->
 
 
Check out the full lists of [[:Category: Interviews|interviews]], [[:Category: Lists|top tens]] and [[:Category: Comments|articles]].
 
 
 
 
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|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Peter Gill
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|title=Top Ten Self-Published Books 2023
|summary=We enjoyed Peter Gill's riff on the number 42 - [[42 - Douglas Adams' Amazingly Accurate Answer to Life, the Universe and Everything by Peter Gill|42 - Douglas Adams' Amazingly Accurate Answer to Life, the Universe and Everything]] and the chance to ask him some questions was too good to miss.
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|summary= We've seen some really good self-published books this year: they're up there with the best of traditional publishing.  Here's our top ten, in alphabetical order, by author.
 
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|category=newsletters
 
|title=April 2011 Newsletter
 
|summary=Do you buy books from Tesco? Is your favourite author to be found on the best-selling lists or do you like to search out a wider range of reading matter? In Selling Well Is The Best Revenge, Linda Gillard tells Bookbag why being dropped by her publisher two years ago has turned out to be a positive event. How so? you ask. Well, she published her fourth novel on Amazon for Kindle all by herself - and at a selling price of £1.90 per copy, she is making more than she did from her previous dead tree books. And her book is selling well.
 
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|category=interviews
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Ali McNamara
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|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Jeffrey Dunn
|summary=It takes real skill to write a book like [[From Notting Hill with Love... Actually by Ali McNamara|From Notting Hill with Love... Actually]] that's packed with fun and provides comfortable, easy reading, so the opportunity to ask Ali McNamara a few qestions was too good to miss.
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|summary=Jill enjoyed [[Radio Free Olympia by Jeffrey Dunn|Radio Free Olympia]], a story blending prose and poetry with themes of ecology, folklore, love and loss. She didn't think it was the easiest read, but a rewarding one.
 
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|category=comments
|title=Why is it important to have good and challenging fiction for teens? by Gillian Philip
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|title=How To Write a Fantasy Novel: The Full Guide
|summary=Gillian Philip is one of Bookbag's favourite authors for teens. She can write in any genre and even blends them together sometimes. And she's always real, even when she's writing fantasy. Her latest book, [[The Opposite of Amber by Gillian Philip|The Opposite of Amber]] is a chilling thriller that blends with a realistic story of relationship breakdown and social issues. If anyone can tell us why teens need books to challenge them, it's Gillian. So we thank her for passing by to give us her view - and promise you she is ''nothing'' like as gnarled as Charlie Sheen!
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|summary=Fantasy has always been our way out of the real world's limitations. It's a space where magic is real, mythical creatures roam, and heroes go on epic quests. This genre is loved by people of all ages and backgrounds. It allows us to explore new worlds and face unimaginable challenges, all without leaving our homes.
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But what if you could do more than just visit these magical lands? What if you could create your own? This is the magic of writing a fantasy novel. You have the power to build worlds with your words. You can turn simple ink and paper into landscapes that readers can explore.
|category=comments
 
|title=Selling Well Is The Best Revenge by Linda Gillard
 
|summary=We fell in love with Linda Gillard when we read [[Star Gazing by Linda Gillard|Star Gazing]]. Sue described it as intelligent women's fiction and since then we've searched out and read her back catalogue, but we were getting worried that there wasn't another book for us to read!  Then Linda told us that she was publishing [[House of Silence by Linda Gillard|House of Silence]] as an ebook and she was publishing it herself.  And she's agreed to explain why.
 
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So, get ready for an adventure. This journey is not just about castles and wizards. It's also about the craft of writing. You'll learn to use language and imagination to make a rich, varied story. And who knows what unexplored realms you'll discover along the way?
|category=interviews
 
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Anne O'Brien
 
|summary=We've really enjoyed both [[Virgin Widow by Anne O'Brien|Virgin Widow]] and [[Devil's Consort by Anne O'Brien|Devil's Consort]] so the opportunity to ask Anne O'Brien a few qestions was too good to miss.
 
 
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|category=comments
|title=Celia Rees tells us about the inspiration for The Fool's Girl
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|title=How Can Reading Improve Your Vocabulary: Best Practices
|summary=[[The Fool's Girl by Celia Rees|The Fool's Girl]] is a truly enjoyable mix of Shakespearean characters and historical people and a novel for teens and adults to savour. Here, Celia Rees tells us all about how she came to write it.
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|summary=Reading is one of the most effective ways to improve your vocabulary. Not only does it expose you to new words and their meanings, but it also allows you to see them used in context, which is essential for understanding and using them correctly. With the rise of language learning apps, such as Promova, many people have turned to technology to improve their vocabulary. However, reading remains a tried-and-true method that has been used for centuries.
 
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|category=interviews
 
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Natasha Solomons
 
|summary=We were really impressed by [[The Novel in the Viola by Natasha Solomons|The Novel in the Viola]], published in May 2011, which took us back to Dorset in the war years and we couldn't pass the opportunity to ask author Natasha Solomons a few questions.
 
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|category=comments
 
|category=comments
|title=Research? But it's Only a Romantic Novel! by Sophie Page
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|title=3 Things You Didn't Know About Ghostwriters
|summary=When we finished reading [[To Marry A Prince by Sophie Page|To Marry A Prince]] we started wondering exactly how you did the research for a book like that. I mean - you can't just tag along for a couple of week's work experience, can you?  The book gives a real feel for what the life is like so we asked Sophie to tell us how she did it.
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|summary=How much do you know about ghostwriters? These professionals lurk in the shadows of the publishing industry (both self- and traditional publishing), with most members of the public having only ever heard of them because of the Pierce Brosnan film. Given the awkwardness a lot of people feel toward ghostwriters, it's no surprise that there are a number of misconceptions about what they do, so I'm hoping to clarify three important things in this post.
 
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|category=interviews
 
|category=interviews
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Stephen Mark Norman
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|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Conrad Delacroix
|summary=[[:Category:Stephen Mark Norman|Stephen Mark Norman]] is the author of [[Meklyan and the Fourth Piece of the Artefact by Stephen Mark Norman|Meklyan and the Fourth Piece of the Artefact]].  We realised that there was more to the book than met the eye and we couldn't refuse the opportunity to ask him a few questions.
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|summary=Sue really enjoyed [[The Lensky Connection by Conrad Delacroix|The Lensky Connection]], a thriller set primarily in RussiaShe had quite a few questions for author Conrad Delacroix when he popped into Bookbag Towers.
 
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|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Annette Hart
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|title=Top Ten Self-Published Books 2022
|summary=[[:Category:Annette Hart|Annette Hart]] is a teacher, mother of four children and the author of [[Blood and Allegiance by Annette Hart|Blood and Allegiance]], the first of a series of books.  We couldn't resist asking her how she managed to pack so much in to her busy life.
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|summary=We're constantly amazed at the quality of the self-published books which come our way and we've seen some real gems in 2022Here they are, in alphabetical order, by author:
 
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|category=comments
|title=March 2011 Newsletter
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|title=3 Things You Should Know About Literary Agents
|summary=Greetings, fellow booklings. How goes your literary life at the moment? Our cup is overflowing with the great fortune of good books and we've chosen our favourites for March in the Book of the Month section below. Sue has been allowed to take a break from reading, but only so that she could attend an event for, you guessed it, book bloggers. We can't just let her out willy nilly you know - what if she didn't come back? Anyway, a great time was had by all and you can read about it at the Guardian's book blog [http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2011/feb/21/writers-met-bloggers-lunch here], courtesy of the charming Chris Cleaves.
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|summary=If you're all set to publish your novel, it might be time to [https://blog.reedsy.com/how-to-find-a-literary-agent/ get yourself a literary agent]. Since you're essentially picking the person responsible for presenting and marketing your book to the world, this is no easy task. When you've sent your [https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/how-to-write-a-query-letter/ query letters] and started getting responses, these tips will help you choose the right person for you.
 
}}
 
}}
 
 
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|category=comments
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Judy Bartkowiak
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|title=Lolita Book Review: Most Important Things to Know
|summary=[[:Category:Judy Bartkowiak|Judy Bartkowiak]] is an NLP Master Practitioner and has long experience with children, not least having four between the ages of ten and twenty two. She loves working with children and we couldn’t resist the opportunity to ask her a few questions.
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|summary=Lolita, a highly controversial book, is not subject to bans in American schools. Here are the most important things you need to know about it.
 
}}
 
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{{newfeature
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=comments
 
|category=comments
|title=Kate Lord Brown talks about The Real Thing
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|title=Stylish Restaging of The Crucible is All Show and No Substance, According to Reviews
|summary=Here at Bookbag Towers we were converted to our [[Amazon Kindle|Kindles]] with almost indecent haste, but Kate Lord Brown thinks that there are a few points which we should consider before giving up on books completely.
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|summary=The Crucible is a tragedy that’s been debated and discussed for many years. Its current running in theaters has received a rather intriguing review. Keep reading to find out more.
}}
 
 
 
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|category=interviews
 
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Michael Dhillon
 
|summary=Bookbag really enjoyed [[The Cuckoo Parchment and the Dyke by Michael Dhillon|The Cuckoo Parchment and the Dyke]] with its unusual plot and pace. When we had the opportunity to talk to Michael Dhillon we couldn’t resist!
 
 
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|category=comments
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Giles Milton
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|title=How Bar Modeling Makes Word Problems Easy in Singapore Math
|summary=Here at Bookbag we're great admirers of Giles Milton. He writes great [[According to Arnold: A Novel of Love and Mushrooms by Giles Milton|fiction]], wonderful [[Zebedee's Zoo by Giles Milton and Katharine McEwen|children's books]] and we've just enjoyed his latest [[Wolfram: The Boy Who Went To War by Giles Milton|history book]].  The chance to talk to him was just too good to miss.
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|summary=Singapore Mathematics is a unique way of presenting this science. Parents and teachers will be able to understand and explain to children the simplest mathematical processes using images.  
 
}}
 
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|category=comments
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Alma Katsu
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|title=Finding More Time For Reading
|summary=We loved Alma Katsu's novel [[The Taker by Alma Katsu|The Taker]] and couldn't resist the opportunity to ask her how she produced something quite so stunning.
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|summary=If there is one thing that a lot of people could benefit from having more of in their lives, it's [[A Bookbagger's View:What it's like to be a reviewer|literature]]. Plenty of us have gone through this experience of suddenly finding that we are not reading as much as we used to. There are a lot of possible reasons for this, and it's something that you might be able to approach in a number of ways if you want to make sure that you are getting back into reading again. But one of the most important parts of this is probably that you are able to find enough time for reading, and that can be harder than you might initially think.
 
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|category=interviews
 
|category=interviews
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Harry Leslie Smith
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|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Gerry Brown and Randall S Peterson about Disaster in the Boardroom: Six Dysfunctions Everyone Should Understand
|summary=We thought that the first volume of Harry's autobiography [[1923: A Memoir by Harry Leslie Smith|1923: A Memoir]] was a remarkable piece of writing and the opportunity to ask Harry some questions was just too good to miss.
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|summary=Sue was absolutely riveted to [[Disaster in the Boardroom: Six Dysfunctions Everyone Should Understand by Gerry Brown and Randall S Peterson]].  It's brilliantly readable but rather frightening: people's lives and livelihoods could be in the hands of company boards which are dysfunctional.  Sue wanted to know more.
 
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|category=lists
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Jon Mayhew
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|title=Top Ten Self-Published Books 2021
|summary=We loved [[The Demon Collector by Jon Mayhew]], his follow-up to [[Mortlock by Jon Mayhew|Mortlock]].  We couldn't resist the opportunity to ask him some questions.
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|summary= We thought that 2020 was a strange year but 2021 has been equally so. Once again we've been amazed by the quality of self-published books which have come our way. Last year's top ten consisted of eleven books (maths never was our strong point...) but this year we're going to have to make it a baker's dozen as we really couldn't split them apart. Here they are, in alphabetical order, by author...
 
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{{newfeature
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|category=comments
|title=February 2011 Newsletter
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|title=How to Write a Standout Book Review in a Saturated Market
|summary=Hello! Happy February!
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|summary=Book reviews are a crucial tool for the reading community — it’s via these that opinions are exchanged, ideas discussed, and recommendations found. But though the growth of book review sites is promising for readers, a saturated market also means that it’s getting increasingly difficult to make your mark as a book reviewer.
 
 
What do we think to library closures then? Are we not too worried? After all, people are able to buy books for a penny at Amazon and tuppence or threepence at The Book People these days. And anyway, we'll all be reading via download soon, won't we? Why do we still need libraries? That's the argument, isn't it?
 
  
Unsurprisingly, we at Bookbag don't agree.  
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If you’re looking for ways to freshen your voice and make a stronger impression, I’ve got a few tips that might help. As an avid reader of book reviews, I’ve noticed that the ones that stay with me usually follow these three guidelines.
 
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{{newfeature
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=interviews
 
|category=interviews
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Melissa Wareham
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|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Gerry Brown, Andrew Kakabadse and Filipe Morais about The Independent Director in Society|summary=Sue was an enthusiastic reader of [[The Independent Director in Society: Our current crisis of governance and what to do by Gerry Brown, Andrew Kakabadse and Filipe Morais|The Independent Director in Society: Our current crisis of governance and what to do]] and she had several points she wanted to discuss with the authors when they popped into Bookbag Towers.
|summary=We loved [[Take Me Home: Tales of Battersea Dogs by Melissa Wareham]], her stories of what life in Battersea Dogs is really like, especially adapted for children.  We couldn't resist the opportunity to ask her some questions.
 
 
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|category=comments
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Malcolm Fawbert and Asa Jones
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|title=Comic Books Where the Bad Guys Won
|summary=Malcolm Fawbert has just published his [[Tales from Thimble Hall: Mrs Stopper's Bottle by Malcolm Fawbert|first children's book]] whilst under the name of Asa Jones he's brought out his [[The Illustrated Mind of Mike Reeves by Asa Jones|first novel for adults]]. We couldn't resist the opportunity to get both his alter egos into one room and ask them a few questions!
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|summary=Comic books and movies, in general, have been given the portrayal of good; always winning and saving the day. however, thanks to the creativity of writers, we have a few writers of comics who have managed to alter this unsaid rule, 'evil wins at the end of the day'. While it may not be a great thought to bear in mind, it is still something a bit fascinating to dwell on. And, we believe that it is a breath of fresh air to discover that we have something different from the cliché where the hero always emerges as the victor.
 
}}
 
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{{newfeature
 
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|category=interviews
 
|category=interviews
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Victoria L Thompson
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|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Gerry Brown About Making a Difference: Leadership, Change and Giving Back the Independent Director Way
|summary=Victoria L Thompson's [[Midnight Mischief by Victoria L Thompson and Ben The Illustrator|Midnight Mischief]] is a fun romp through space, to rescue Pluto from those pesky aliens. It's got strong rhymes throughout and engaging illustrations. We couldn't wait to interview Victoria!
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|summary=Gerry Brown is so keen to see people geting involved that there's a free digital [https://www.degruyter.com/view/title/580618 download] of this £42 book.
 
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{{newfeature
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|title=January 2011 Newsletter
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|title=Top Ten Self-Published Books 2020
|summary=Hello! Happy New Year!
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|summary= In this strangest of years we've been delighted by the self-published books we've read and they're all books which compare well with traditionally-published books in the same genres. We really couldn't narrow the choice down any further - so this year's top ten consists of eleven books and here they are, in alphabetical order by author...
 
 
How was your Christmas? We had rather marvellous ones, helped along by our new Kindles. We're all used to this new reading experience now, and we're feeling very positive about ebooks. Although we are still miffed about them being VAT-able. Still, you can't have everything.
 
 
 
We also broke out the bubbly when some kindly soul became our 4,000th Twitter follower. It's very gratifying to think that more than 4,000 people are interested in what we have to say. Perhaps they're just being kind! If you'd like site updates more often than once a month via this newsletter, then why not join the throng?
 
 
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{{newfeature
 
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|category=interviews
 
|category=interviews
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Dan Abnett
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|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Olga Kokshagina and Allen Alexander
|summary=Dan Abnett's [[Primeval: Extinction Event by Dan Abnett|Primeval: Extinction Event]] is a perfect tie-in novel with lots of Cretaceous critters for fans, and a very good action fantasy for anyone else. We couldn't wait to interview him!
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|summary=Sue was so impressed by [[The Radical Innovation Playbook: A Practical Guide for Harnessing New, Novel or Game-Changing Breakthroughs by Olga Kokshagina and Allen Alexander]] that she wished that she had a good business idea of her own so that she could use the book.  Perhaps that was what she was talking about when Olga and Allen popped into Bookbag Towers to chat to us.
 
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{{newfeature
 
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|category=interviews
 
|category=interviews
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Savita Kalhan
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|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Andrew Hampshire
|summary=Savita Kalhan's [[The Long Weekend by Savita Kalhan|The Long Weekend]] is an incredibly tense thriller with a really important message about 'stranger danger'. We leapt at the opportunity to interview her.
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|summary=Technology can seem frightening to people who don't have the background. In [[Creating Value Through Technology: Discover the Tech that Can Transform Your Business by Andrew Hampshire|Creating Value Through Technology: Discover the Tech that Can Transform Your Business]] Andrew Hampshire discusses the tech that can add quantifiable value to your business and how to get the most out of it.  He and Sue had a lot to chat about when he dropped into Bookbag Towers.
 
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|category=comments
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To John Saunders
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|title=Stand Up to Bullying With a Pulitzer Prize Winner
|summary=John Saunders' [[The Vernham Chronicles by John Saunders|The Vernham Chronicles]] is set in the beautiful countryside of Vernbury Vale. There you'll meet the villagers of Vernham. They're distinctly odd but we promise that you'll like them. We were delighted to interview John about his humorous stories.
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|summary=In every generation, there are kids who become bullies. They bully their siblings, neighbor kids, and their classmates. They seem to believe that other kids look up to them and respect them. That is self-delusion, as most adults are aware, but kids don't have the experience to properly judge what is respect and what is merely fear.
 
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|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Richard Denning
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|title=From Sci Fi to Reality: How Dreams Turn Into Innovations
|summary=Richard Denning's [[Tomorrow's Guardian by Richard Denning|Tomorrow's Guardian]] is an action-filled children's story about the quest to save two universes, that will really appeal to many younger readers, especially if they're interested in history. We couldn't wait to interview him!
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|summary=The gap between sci-fi and reality is not so big anymore. You don’t have to go that far back in time to see huge developments in technology. For example, the smartphone has been around for over 10 years now, but if you don’t have one in today’s society, you’d either be seen as crazy or just out of touch.
 
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|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Philip Threadneedle
 
|summary=[[The Astronaut's Apprentice by Philip Threadneedle]] is a hoot of a jaunt through space for tweens with Grandpa, Bradley and Headlice. We couldn't resist the opportunity to ask Philip Threadneedle some questions.
 
}}
 
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=newsletters
 
|title=November 2010 Newsletter
 
|summary=Hello! It's that time of year. You know the one. The obsessive time during which you simply cannot find a space free of festive features. The time of relentless commercialism disguising the season's real message of goodwill to all men. We're not sure where one finds all this goodwill amongst the adverts, are you? Or is that too cynical? There is goodwill, of course, but it does tend to get buried under the flurries of suggestions for things to buy. Well, Bookbag's no different.
 
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{{newfeature
 
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|category=comments
 
|category=comments
|title=Amazon Kindle
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|title=5 Great AI books to read in 2020
|summary=Are ebooks the future of books? Is it the right time to get an ebook reader? We thought about it long and hard. Yes we did. We don't often think about things this long or this hard, because it hurts. But sometimes, cogitations are necessary. We wouldn't be here at Bookbag if we didn't love books but we knew that more and more people were enjoying ebooks. It was time to find out what it was really like to have up to 3,500 books in your pocket or your bag. 3,500! Yikes!
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|summary=Artificial intelligence (AI) has expanded into one of the most important technologies in human history. It comes with so many benefits, from improving the efficiency of simple, basic tasks to helping to solve advanced problems by quickly analyzing large data sets.
 
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|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Mary E Martin
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|title=A Baker's Dozen of Books to Keep the Kids Occupied When They Can't Go Out
|summary=[[The Drawing Lesson: The First in the Trilogy of Remembrance by Mary E Martin|The Drawing Lesson]] is the first book in Mary E Martin's Trilogy of Remembrance.  We thoroughly enjoyed the book and took the opportunity to ask Mary some questions.
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|summary= Are you running out of inspiration for what to do with the kids when they can't go out?  We've come up with a baker's dozen of books to give you some brilliant ideas.
 
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{{newfeature
 
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|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To H A Goodman
 
|summary=[[Logic of Demons: The Quest for Nadine's Soul by H A Goodman]] is a helterskelter ride through the afterlife that asks the reader to think about the consequences - intended and unintended - of their actions. It's a highly imaginative, sometimes touching, story, told with great pace and enthusiasm. We couldn't resist the opportunity to ask H A Goodman some questions.
 
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{{newfeature
 
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|category=lists
|title=Top Ten Historical Novels of 2010
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|title=Top Ten Self-Published Books 2019
|summary=We love a bit of historical fiction here at Bookbag. It's a wide genre, ranging from a bit of escapist reading to serious social comment. And the past often has a great deal to tell us about the present, so it can be instructive too. Here are our favourite historical novels from 2010. Why not [mailto:sue@thebookbag.co.uk tell us] about yours?
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|summary= We've seen some cracking self-published books this year and they're all books which compare well with traditionally-published books in the same genres. We really couldn't narrow the choice down any further - so this year's top ten consists of eleven books and here they are, in alphabetical order by author...
 
}}
 
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{{newfeature
 
{{newfeature
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|category=comments
|title=Top Ten Teen Books of 2010
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|title=Desiree Villena Talks To Bookbag About 5 Key Tips for Writing a Critical-Yet-Fair Book Review
|summary=Actually, that title should read ''Top Ten Teen Books Jill Read in 2010''. And she's read a few. These are her favouritest of favourites and it was a tough choice. She's discounted books that were part of a series - perhaps a bit tough, but otherwise she'd still be choosing. Why not [mailto:sue@thebookbag.co.uk tell us] about yours?
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|summary=Writing a book review isn't difficult, you know, but there are a few things you need to keep us in mind. Desiree Villena gives us five tips.
 
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{{newfeature
 
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|category=interviews
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Marcus Chown
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|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Melanie Martin
|summary=We've always enjoyed Marcus Chown's work, from [[Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You by Marcus Chown|Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You]] to his children's book [[Felicity Frobisher and the Three-headed Aldebaran Dust Devil by Marcus Chown|Felicity Frobisher and the Three-headed Aldebaran Dust Devil]]. After devouring [[We Need To Talk About Kelvin by Marcus Chown|We Need To Talk About Kelvin]], we leapt at the opportunity to ask Marcus some questions.
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|summary=|summary=In [[War and Love: A family's testament of anguish, endurance and devotion in occupied Amsterdam by Melanie Martin|War and Love: A family's testament of anguish, endurance and devotion in occupied Amsterdam]] Melanie Martin reconstructs what happened to her family in occupied Amsterdam in WWII.  It's a highly compelling if occasionally shocking read.  Days after she finished the book Sue could not stop thinking about what she had read and was delighted when the author agreed to chat with her.
 
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{{newfeature
 
{{newfeature
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|category=comments
|title=October 2010 Newsletter
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|title=Framing the Brexit narrative: immigration, myths and public perception
|summary=Right. This month we are avoiding all talk of politics and spending cuts. Now the Chilean miners have been rescued - did you cry? We did - what we need is a good book to take our minds off all the cuts doom and gloom, which has been going on since forever and a day. Just do it already!
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|summary=Loobna Joomun looks at how Brexit is likely to affect the publishing industry - and the wider country.
 
 
Have you heard of the British Library's web archive? It's a thing we've been meaning to tell you about for a long time and failed miserably in getting around to. Basically, it's a collection sites of cultural, historical and political importance to the UK and you can have a look at it here. Part of the plan is to keep a record of how the web has evolved over the years by taking 6-monthly snapshots of a selection of cultural websites. And guess what? Bookbag is included in the blog section - are we a blog? - and snapshots of our site have been archived for posterity since 2008. It tickles us pink to think that we've been included. Take a look - the whole website is just fascinating! 
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
 
{{newfeature
 
{{newfeature
|category=interviews
+
|category=comments
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Lorraine Jenkin
+
|title=8 ways to motivate yourself to write, right NOW by Jessica Jarlvi
|summary=Lorraine Jenkin has long been one of our favourite authors here at Bookbag Towers and we couldn't resist the opportunity to ask her a few questions.
+
|summary=Ever felt that you've hit a brick wall with your writing? Jessica Jarlvi has eight tips yo get you writing again.
 
}}
 
}}
 
 
{{newfeature
 
{{newfeature
|category=lists
+
|category=comments
|title=Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2010
+
|title=Greg Hickey Talks To Bookbag About The Old Guard of Dystopian Fiction
|summary=Following hot on the footsteps of [[Guardian Children's Fiction Prize 2009|last year's]] winner, [[Exposure by Mal Peet]], comes another wonderful selection of children's books in the 2010 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize.
+
|summary=Where do you go when you move beyond classics like ''1984'' and ''Brave New World''?
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=interviews
 
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Mick O'Hare
 
|summary=The New Scientist's annual books of answers to tantalising questions have always entertained and educated us here at Bookbag, so the opportunity to interview Mick O'Hare about this year's offering - [[Why Can't Elephants Jump? by Mick O'Hare|Why Can't Elephants Jump?]] was too good to miss.
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newfeature
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=lists
 
|category=lists
|title=Man Booker Prize 2010
+
|title=Top Ten Self-Published Books 2018
|summary=We ''know'' that the judges are going to have a difficult time in choosing a winner - we wouldn't like to have their job!
+
|summary= Choosing the top ten self-published books we read in 2018 was difficult as we're constantly surprised at just how good some self-published books are.  Here's our final top ten in alphabetical order by author...
 
}}
 
}}
 
 
{{newfeature
 
{{newfeature
|category=interviews
+
|category=comments
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To L A Weatherly
+
|title=James Donald Talks To Bookbag About The Death Of Norman Breyfogle
|summary=If you're into that whole paranormal romance thing, you're going to love [[Angel by L A Weatherly]]. It's a breathtaking helter-skelter of a story in which two young people learn to trust in and love one another as they battle predatory angels. L A Weatherly is doing the rounds on a blog tour and she kindly called in on Bookbag. We persuaded her to tell us all about ''Angel'' and how she came to write it. Oh, and if you've happened along before the closing date (31 October 2010), hurry over to the [[Angel by L A Weatherly|review page]], because you could win yourself a copy!
+
|summary=One of the finest storytellers you've never heard of, who died in September 2018 at the age of 58.
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=newsletters
 
|title=September 2010 Newsletter
 
|summary=Have you bought a Kindle or another e-reader or an iPad? We Bookbaggers haven't - yet. It's not that we're Luddites. We're waiting until things settle down, everyone's stopped arguing and we can see the lie of the land. There's much to tempt us in electronic books and a lighter suitcase when we go on holiday is only the beginning. Imagine the richness possible. Imagine the convenience. And - hopefully - imagine the better prices we're all going to get. Well, we are, aren't we?
 
 
But let's face it. We readers might be ready, but is the product? Too many electronic books are badly designed, little more than a scan of the print version. What a waste. The publishers do need to catch up. And what's going to happen with DRM? Will we have to stop passing our books on to friends and family? And as web publishers, what about our review copies? The finished ones? Will we have to stop donating them to school libraries? Has anybody thought this through?
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newfeature
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=interviews
 
|category=interviews
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Andy Mulligan
+
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Melissa Leet
|summary=You will probably know Andy Mulligan best for [[Ribblestrop by Andy Mulligan|Ribblestrop]], his wonderfully absurdist comedy set in a boarding school. Now he's turned his attention to social issues and mystery adventures in [[Trash by Andy Mulligan|Trash]], a gorgeous fable that is bound to win awards. You shouldn't miss it. Andy was kind enough to have a chat with us.
+
|summary=Sue was impressed when she read [[Landslide by Melissa Leet|Landslide]] by Melissa Leet and was surprised to find that it was a debut novel. She had quite a few questions for Melissa when she popped into Bookbag Towers.
 
}}
 
}}
 
 
{{newfeature
 
{{newfeature
|category=interviews
+
|category=comments
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Leigh Hodgkinson
+
|title=Faiz Kermani talks to Bookbag about how a blue frog is helping Malawi's vulnerable children to live safe, healthy and happy lives
|summary=Bookbag has long loved Leigh Hodgkinson's work with its unique design and great sense of humour. When [[Limelight Larry by Leigh Hodgkinson|Limelight Larry]] and [[Scrummy! by Leigh Hodgkinson|Scrummy!]] were both released in close proximity, we couldn't resist the opportunity to ask her a few questions.
+
|summary=Every child has a right to medical care
 
}}
 
}}
 
 
{{newfeature
 
{{newfeature
|category=interviews
+
|category=comments
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Ken Howard
+
|title=Abi Silver Talks To The Bookbag About A Few Of Her Favourite Things
|summary=Ken Howard's [[The Young Chieftain by Ken Howard|The Young Chieftain]] is a really unusual story about an American boy who finds himself on a remote Scottish island in the middle of a clan conflict. It's easy to read, but with several layers to peel back. We loved the mix of modernity and tradition and jumped at the chance to ask Ken some questions about writing it.
+
|summary=''We could definitely make a flying car – but that's not the hard part. The hard part is, how do you make a flying car that's super safe and quiet?'': Elon Musk
 
}}
 
}}
 
 
{{newfeature
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=interviews
 
|category=interviews
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Rebecca Elliott
+
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Daniel Peltz
|summary=Bookbag really enjoyed [[Milo's Pet Egg by Rebecca Elliott|Milo's Pet Egg]] and jumped at the chance to ask Rebecca Elliott some questions. We're delighted we did as she's provided some fascinating responses! We've subsequently read [[Just Because by Rebecca Elliott|Just Because]] which we loved all the more, and [[Cub's First Winter by Rebecca Elliott|Cub's First Winter]] which also really charmed us.
+
|summary=Sue wasn't expecting to enjoy a novel about a ''building'', but was surprised by just how compelling she found [[The Indomitable Chiesa di Santa Maria by Daniel Peltz|The Indomitable Chiesa di Santa Maria]].  There was a lot to chat about when author Daniel Peltz popped into Bookbag Towers.
 
}}
 
}}
 
 
{{newfeature
 
{{newfeature
|category=newsletters
+
|category=lists
|title=August 2010 Newsletter
+
|title=Top Ten Self-Published Books 2017
|summary=Hello! How are you? We're all good here at Bookbag Towers. Jill is dealing with a glut of runner beans. Sue is enjoying her new office. Keith is making new pals in deepest Wales. And we're all reading lots and lots of lovely books.
+
|summary= Choosing the top ten self-published books we read in 2017 was one of the toughest jobs we did all year and involved a great deal of discussion. Here's our final top ten in alphabetical order by author...
 
 
As we now have more than four thousand reviews on the site, we were wondering how you prefer to navigate them, and so we thought we'd tell you about our [[Recommendations|recommendations]] page this month. It gives some good options for finding a book you'd really like to read. If you're into all things new, you can check out the [[:Category:New Reviews|newest reviews sorted by category]]. If it's themes you're looking for, try our extensive list of [[:Category:Lists|top tens]]. The [[Highest Rated Reviews By Genre|highest rated reviews by genre]] are the creme de la creme, although if you like browsing a bit more broadly, then you'll enjoy rummaging through all the [[:Category:5 Star Reviews|5 star reviews]]. On the other hand, if you're feeling lucky, you can just read a [[Special:Random|random review]].
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
 
{{newfeature
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=interviews
 
|category=interviews
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Alan Durant
+
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Chit Dubey
|summary=Bookbag fell head over heels in love with [[Unfortunately by Alan Durant and Simon Rickerty]] - unfortunately we can't stop reading it, but fortunately it's super. We leapt at the opportunity to ask Alan Durant some questions.
+
|summary=Sue was quietly impressed when she read [[21 Doors to Happiness: Life Through Travel Experiences and Meditation by Chit Dubey]] as it chimed with her personal view of life. She was delighted when Chit Dubey popped into Bookbag Towers to chat to us.
 
}}
 
}}
 
 
{{newfeature
 
{{newfeature
|category=newsletters
+
|category=comments
|title=July 2010 Newsletter
+
|title=Melita Thomas Talks To Bookbag About The King's Pearl: Henry VIII and his Daughter Mary
|summary=It's windy and rainy today, here at Bookbag Towers. What's going on? Where's our sunshine? Do we have to leave the shores of this sceptr'd isle to catch some rays, always, every single time? Sometimes, it sure does feel like it. Jill doesn't mind: she's swanning off to Tuscany for a fortnight, and it's bound to be hot there, right? Right?!
+
|summary= Melita Thomas tell us that Mary was a true Renaissance Princess
 
 
We've been taking stock this month. We're not far away from a site containing five thousand book reviews and approaching that milestone has pulled us up short. At Bookbag's birth five years ago, if you'd told us
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=interviews
 
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To David Gatward
 
|summary=Bookbag thought [[The Dead (The Dark) by David Gatward|The Dark]], a book of zombie horror positioning itself firmly in the Darren Shan market, provided strong characters, an interesting premise and a wonderful sufficiency of gore. So, naaturally, we enjoyed asking David Gatward all about writing it.
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=interviews
 
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Melanie Welsh
 
|summary=Bookbag thought [[Mistress of the Storm by Melanie Welsh|Mistress of the Storm]] was full of seafaring adventure, mystery and intrigue. Naturally, we jumped at the chance to shiver some timbers and buckle some swash with her. This is what we talked about!
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=interviews
 
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Heather Gudenkauf
 
|summary=Bookbag found [[The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf|The Weight of Silence]] to be an impressive debut with plenty of suspense and unexpected twists. We were delighted by the opportunity to ask Heather Gudenkauf some questions about it.
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=newsletters
 
|title=June 2010 Newsletter
 
|summary=Vuvuzelas, eh? Who'd 'ave 'em? Personally, here at Bookbag Towers, we prefer vuvuzelas to the World Cup but even we know that's a sacrilegious remark and so we shall say no more about it...
 
 
... ahem.
 
 
Possibly a more constructive topic is holiday reading. Do you pack books? Or do you rely on airport potboilers? Or stick to newspapers and magazines? We Bookbaggers obviously have a separate piece of luggage just for our books, and we carry it everywhere we go, no matter how heavy it gets. Fancy being stuck on holiday with nothing to read! Now that '''is''' sacrilege!
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newfeature
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=interviews
 
|category=interviews
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Joel Stewart
+
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Elizabeth Fox and Martin le Comte
|summary=Bookbag has really enjoyed Joel Stewart's recent work, including [[Dexter Bexley And The Big Blue Beastie On The Road by Joel Stewart|Dexter Bexley And The Big Blue Beastie On The Road]] and [[Have You Ever Seen A Sneep? by Tasha Pym and Joel Stewart|Have You Ever Seen A Sneep?]] We were delighted when he agreed to answer some of our questions.
+
|summary=Peter thought that [[The Ten Golden Rules of Leadership by Elizabeth Fox and Martin le Comte|The Ten Golden Rules of Leadership]] was the best book on leadership he'd ever read and he couldn't resist asking authors Elizabeth Fox and Martin le Comte quite a few questions when they came to Bookbag Towers to chat to us.
 
}}
 
}}
 
 
{{newfeature
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=interviews
 
|category=interviews
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Anthony Browne
+
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Gabe Riggs
|summary=Bookbag has long loved Anthony Browne's work - particularly [[Little Beauty by Anthony Browne|Little Beauty]]. After being enthralled by the Children's Laureate's latest offering, [[Me and You by Anthony Browne|Me and You]], we jumped at the chance to ask him some questions.
+
|summary=Luke thought that [[Punk Love Foucault by Gabe Riggs]] was an intense, emotional and visceral read that illuminates and educates with a strong voice and clear, capable prose.  There was a lot to talk about when Gabe popped into Bookbag Towers to chat to us.
 
}}
 
}}
 
 
{{newfeature
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=interviews
 
|category=interviews
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Joanne Owen
+
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Sandra Aragona
|summary=Bookbag was really intrigued by [[The Alchemist and the Angel by Joanne Owen]]. It's a rather unique historical fantasy, well-researched and bursting with fascinating detail. Those with a taste for colourful and slightly gothic folklore will love it, and Bookbag was delighted to ask Joanne Owen some questions.
+
|summary=Sue loved Sandra Aragona's lightly-fictionalised [[Sorting the Priorities: Ambassadress and Beagle Survive Diplomacy by Sandra Aragona|autobiography]] of life as a diplomatic spouse. There was a lot that she wanted to ask about when Sandra popped into Bookbag Towers.
 
}}
 
}}
 
 
{{newfeature
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=interviews
 
|category=interviews
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Pete Johnson
+
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To K J Lawrence
|summary=Bookbag really enjoyed [[The Vampire Blog by Pete Johnson]], with its one liners and a horror element at a level perfect for late primary school readers. We jumped at the opportunity to interview Pete Johnson, and are glad we did: there's an exclusive revelation about a sequel!
+
|summary=Sue was delighted when she read [[The Cossack by K J Lawrence|The Cossack]] as it restored her faith in the thriller genre. When the author, K J Lawrence, popped into Bookbag Towers to chat to us, Sue had quite a few questions ready!
 
}}
 
}}
 
 
{{newfeature
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=interviews
 
|category=interviews
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Mavis Cheek
+
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Stuart Burrell
|summary=We thought that Mavis Cheek's [[Truth to Tell by Mavis Cheek|Truth to Tell]] was a good story, thought-provoking, beautifully written and laugh out loud funny in placesWe wondered what more we could want and decided that we couldn't resist the opportunity to ask Mavis a few questions.
+
|summary=Sue found Start Burrell's book [[Twelve Times To The Max: One Man's Journey to, and Recollections of, Setting Twelve Verified World Records by Stuart Burrell|Twelve Times To The Max: One Man's Journey to, and Recollections of, Setting Twelve Verified World Records]] an inspiring, feel-good readShe wanted to know more when Stuart popped into Bookbag Towers to chat to us.
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=newsletters
 
|title=May 2010 Newsletter
 
|summary=The good: huzzah! The sun has finally come out.
 
 
The bad: spending cuts are upon us.
 
 
The ugly: there's worse in the offing.
 
 
But fret ye not: there is a silver lining in every cloud and we at Bookbag Towers see a good book as the best response to all of the above. Books don't cost a great deal of money and most of us can afford to buy them, even in these straitened times. And even if we can't, we can always go to the library. And what better way to spend an afternoon than reading a good book in a sunny garden? You see? A good book. The answer to everything. And there's plenty to choose from on the site at the moment, so if you haven't paid us a visit lately, do come along and have a look. We've reviewed 84 books this month alone.
 
}}
 
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=lists
 
|title=Carnegie Medal Shortlist 2010
 
|summary=We ''know'' that the judges are going to have a difficult time in choosing a winner - we wouldn't like to have their job!
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newfeature
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=interviews
 
|category=interviews
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Gregory Hughes
+
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Wes Stuart
|summary=Gregory Hughes's [[Unhooking the Moon by Gregory Hughes|Unhooking the Moon]] came straight at us of leftfield and is one of our favourite books of the year so far. It's a bittersweet road trip of a novel, featuring a loyal brother, a street hustler, a cigar smuggler, a chart-topping rapper, some goddamn paedophiles, and the most entrancing central character you're ever likely to meet. Unsurprisingly, we jumped at the chance of asking Gregory a few questions.
+
|summary=Luke enjoyed the combination of compellingly-written science fiction which blends themes of innocence and growth with some well depicted moments of horror in [[My Name is Sam by Wes Stuart|My Name is Sam]] and he had quite a few questions for author Wes Stuart when he popped into Bookbag Towers to chat to us.
}}
 
 
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=newsletters
 
|title=April 2010 Newsletter
 
|summary=We've been reading like crazy this month as the books have been pouring in - and there have been some very positive reviews from very satisfied reviewers, so do come visit. There's bound to be something you like. Overall, we're feeling rather happy here at Bookbag Towers. We have good books to read. The sun has come out. We weren't abroad when the volcanic ash cloud hit and we didn't know anybody that was, either - although we did feel very sorry for the poor people who were. Volcanos, eh? Who'd 'ave 'em?
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
 
{{newfeature
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=interviews
 
|category=interviews
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Anthony McGowan
+
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To B C R Fegan
|summary=Bookbag has always loved Anthony McGowan's work, including [[The Knife That Killed Me by Anthony McGowan|The Knife That Killed Me]] and [[Henry Tumour by Anthony McGowan|Henry Tumour]]. After laughing throughout his latest work ([[Einstein's Underpants - And How They Saved The World by Anthony McGowan|Einstein's Underpants - And How They Saved The World]]) we couldn't resist the opportunity to ask him some questions.
+
|summary=Sue giggled like a child when she read [[Henry and the Hidden Treasure by B C R Fegan and Lenny Wen]]: it's a good story with some valuable lessons.  It was a real pleasure to chat to writer B C R Fegan when he popped into Bookbag Towers.
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=newsletters
 
|title=March 2010 Newsletter
 
|summary=Looking forward to the Easter break? We certainly are - and if someone doesn't buy Jill an egg from Montezuma's  this year, her nearest and dearest are going to be very, very sorry. We have been busy fund-raising for Sport Relief, gadding about in London meeting publicists and going to birthday parties, and helping our heirs to plan gap year expeditions to Borneo - interestingly, we've also read two gap year novels recently, [[In the Trees by Pauline Fisk]] and [[The Island by Sarah Singleton]]. They're very different books, but they're both great.
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newfeature
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=interviews
 
|category=interviews
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Julie Cohen
+
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Annie Ingram
|summary=Julie Cohen's [[Nina Jones and the Temple of Gloom by Julie Cohen|Nina Jones and the Temple of Gloom]] is funny, quirky, compelling and intelligent - chick lit at its best - so we jumped at the opportunity to interview her.
+
|summary=Very few people believe that dogs can talk so it was something of a relief when Sue met author, Annie Ingram.  She has lengthy conversations with her cocker spaniel Kammie and has shared them with us in her [[Conversations with Kammie by Annie Ingram|book]].  There was a lot to talk about when she popped into Bookbag Towers to chat to us.
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=newsletters
 
|title=February 2010 Newsletter
 
|summary=Hello, hello, hello! How are you? Less snowy than when we last spoke? Good, so are we. It's fun for a day or so, that white stuff, isn't it? After that though, it just becomes a slog. We at Bookbag are clinging to the hope that the fabled barbeque summer comes a year late, and 2010 will be a scorcher. A little bit of snow and a lot of sunshine, that's what we like.
 
}}
 
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=interviews
 
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Ellie Sandall
 
|summary=Ellie Sandall's [[Birdsong by Ellie Sandall|Birdsong]] features a superb rhyme woven around lots of different bird calls. It's a picture book that any young book fan will love, so we jumped at the opportunity to interview her.
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newfeature
 
{{newfeature
 
|category=interviews
 
|category=interviews
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Gary Blackwood
+
|title=The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Stephan Santiago
|summary=Bookbag devoured Gary Blackwood's [[Mysterious Messages - A History of Codes and Ciphers by Gary Blackwood|Mysterious Messages - A History of Codes and Ciphers]] and couldn't resist the opportunity to ask him a few questions.
+
|summary=Ani was quietly moved by [[Returning Home by Stephan Santiago|Returning Home]] and there were several points she wanted to discuss with author Stephan Santiago when he popped into Bookbag Towers to chat to us.
 
}}
 
}}
  
{{newfeature
+
Move to [[Recommended Resources]]
|category=newsletters
 
|title=November 2009 Newsletter
 
|summary=Firstly, an apology: if you have visited us and had problems over the last few weeks, then we are very sorry. We had some problems (you might even call them arguments) with our hosting company and we have now moved to a home that is much more welcoming. It's more suited to our needs and we're sure there won't be any more of that nasty downtime getting in your way of a good book recommendation or two.
 
}}
 
 
 
See [[Features page 2|older features]].
 
 
 
 
[[Category:Features|*]]
 
[[Category:Features|*]]

Latest revision as of 12:01, 29 December 2023

Check out the full lists of interviews, top tens and articles.

Booklists.jpg Top Ten Self-Published Books 2023

We've seen some really good self-published books this year: they're up there with the best of traditional publishing. Here's our top ten, in alphabetical order, by author. Read more...

Bookinterviews.jpg The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Jeffrey Dunn

Jill enjoyed Radio Free Olympia, a story blending prose and poetry with themes of ecology, folklore, love and loss. She didn't think it was the easiest read, but a rewarding one. Read more...

Bookcomments.jpg How To Write a Fantasy Novel: The Full Guide

Fantasy has always been our way out of the real world's limitations. It's a space where magic is real, mythical creatures roam, and heroes go on epic quests. This genre is loved by people of all ages and backgrounds. It allows us to explore new worlds and face unimaginable challenges, all without leaving our homes.

But what if you could do more than just visit these magical lands? What if you could create your own? This is the magic of writing a fantasy novel. You have the power to build worlds with your words. You can turn simple ink and paper into landscapes that readers can explore.

So, get ready for an adventure. This journey is not just about castles and wizards. It's also about the craft of writing. You'll learn to use language and imagination to make a rich, varied story. And who knows what unexplored realms you'll discover along the way? Read more...

Bookcomments.jpg How Can Reading Improve Your Vocabulary: Best Practices

Reading is one of the most effective ways to improve your vocabulary. Not only does it expose you to new words and their meanings, but it also allows you to see them used in context, which is essential for understanding and using them correctly. With the rise of language learning apps, such as Promova, many people have turned to technology to improve their vocabulary. However, reading remains a tried-and-true method that has been used for centuries. Read more...

Bookcomments.jpg 3 Things You Didn't Know About Ghostwriters

How much do you know about ghostwriters? These professionals lurk in the shadows of the publishing industry (both self- and traditional publishing), with most members of the public having only ever heard of them because of the Pierce Brosnan film. Given the awkwardness a lot of people feel toward ghostwriters, it's no surprise that there are a number of misconceptions about what they do, so I'm hoping to clarify three important things in this post. Read more...

Bookinterviews.jpg The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Conrad Delacroix

Sue really enjoyed The Lensky Connection, a thriller set primarily in Russia. She had quite a few questions for author Conrad Delacroix when he popped into Bookbag Towers. Read more...

Booklists.jpg Top Ten Self-Published Books 2022

We're constantly amazed at the quality of the self-published books which come our way and we've seen some real gems in 2022. Here they are, in alphabetical order, by author: Read more...

Bookcomments.jpg 3 Things You Should Know About Literary Agents

If you're all set to publish your novel, it might be time to get yourself a literary agent. Since you're essentially picking the person responsible for presenting and marketing your book to the world, this is no easy task. When you've sent your query letters and started getting responses, these tips will help you choose the right person for you. Read more...

Bookcomments.jpg Lolita Book Review: Most Important Things to Know

Lolita, a highly controversial book, is not subject to bans in American schools. Here are the most important things you need to know about it. Read more...

Bookcomments.jpg Stylish Restaging of The Crucible is All Show and No Substance, According to Reviews

The Crucible is a tragedy that’s been debated and discussed for many years. Its current running in theaters has received a rather intriguing review. Keep reading to find out more. Read more...

Bookcomments.jpg How Bar Modeling Makes Word Problems Easy in Singapore Math

Singapore Mathematics is a unique way of presenting this science. Parents and teachers will be able to understand and explain to children the simplest mathematical processes using images. Read more...

Bookcomments.jpg Finding More Time For Reading

If there is one thing that a lot of people could benefit from having more of in their lives, it's literature. Plenty of us have gone through this experience of suddenly finding that we are not reading as much as we used to. There are a lot of possible reasons for this, and it's something that you might be able to approach in a number of ways if you want to make sure that you are getting back into reading again. But one of the most important parts of this is probably that you are able to find enough time for reading, and that can be harder than you might initially think. Read more...

Bookinterviews.jpg The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Gerry Brown and Randall S Peterson about Disaster in the Boardroom: Six Dysfunctions Everyone Should Understand

Sue was absolutely riveted to Disaster in the Boardroom: Six Dysfunctions Everyone Should Understand by Gerry Brown and Randall S Peterson. It's brilliantly readable but rather frightening: people's lives and livelihoods could be in the hands of company boards which are dysfunctional. Sue wanted to know more. Read more...

Booklists.jpg Top Ten Self-Published Books 2021

We thought that 2020 was a strange year but 2021 has been equally so. Once again we've been amazed by the quality of self-published books which have come our way. Last year's top ten consisted of eleven books (maths never was our strong point...) but this year we're going to have to make it a baker's dozen as we really couldn't split them apart. Here they are, in alphabetical order, by author... Read more...

Bookcomments.jpg How to Write a Standout Book Review in a Saturated Market

Book reviews are a crucial tool for the reading community — it’s via these that opinions are exchanged, ideas discussed, and recommendations found. But though the growth of book review sites is promising for readers, a saturated market also means that it’s getting increasingly difficult to make your mark as a book reviewer.

If you’re looking for ways to freshen your voice and make a stronger impression, I’ve got a few tips that might help. As an avid reader of book reviews, I’ve noticed that the ones that stay with me usually follow these three guidelines. Read more...

Bookinterviews.jpg The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Gerry Brown, Andrew Kakabadse and Filipe Morais about The Independent Director in Society

Sue was an enthusiastic reader of The Independent Director in Society: Our current crisis of governance and what to do and she had several points she wanted to discuss with the authors when they popped into Bookbag Towers. Read more...

Bookcomments.jpg Comic Books Where the Bad Guys Won

Comic books and movies, in general, have been given the portrayal of good; always winning and saving the day. however, thanks to the creativity of writers, we have a few writers of comics who have managed to alter this unsaid rule, 'evil wins at the end of the day'. While it may not be a great thought to bear in mind, it is still something a bit fascinating to dwell on. And, we believe that it is a breath of fresh air to discover that we have something different from the cliché where the hero always emerges as the victor. Read more...

Bookinterviews.jpg The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Gerry Brown About Making a Difference: Leadership, Change and Giving Back the Independent Director Way

Gerry Brown is so keen to see people geting involved that there's a free digital download of this £42 book. Read more...

Booklists.jpg Top Ten Self-Published Books 2020

In this strangest of years we've been delighted by the self-published books we've read and they're all books which compare well with traditionally-published books in the same genres. We really couldn't narrow the choice down any further - so this year's top ten consists of eleven books and here they are, in alphabetical order by author... Read more...

Bookinterviews.jpg The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Olga Kokshagina and Allen Alexander

Sue was so impressed by The Radical Innovation Playbook: A Practical Guide for Harnessing New, Novel or Game-Changing Breakthroughs by Olga Kokshagina and Allen Alexander that she wished that she had a good business idea of her own so that she could use the book. Perhaps that was what she was talking about when Olga and Allen popped into Bookbag Towers to chat to us. Read more...

Bookinterviews.jpg The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Andrew Hampshire

Technology can seem frightening to people who don't have the background. In Creating Value Through Technology: Discover the Tech that Can Transform Your Business Andrew Hampshire discusses the tech that can add quantifiable value to your business and how to get the most out of it. He and Sue had a lot to chat about when he dropped into Bookbag Towers. Read more...

Bookcomments.jpg Stand Up to Bullying With a Pulitzer Prize Winner

In every generation, there are kids who become bullies. They bully their siblings, neighbor kids, and their classmates. They seem to believe that other kids look up to them and respect them. That is self-delusion, as most adults are aware, but kids don't have the experience to properly judge what is respect and what is merely fear. Read more...

Bookcomments.jpg From Sci Fi to Reality: How Dreams Turn Into Innovations

The gap between sci-fi and reality is not so big anymore. You don’t have to go that far back in time to see huge developments in technology. For example, the smartphone has been around for over 10 years now, but if you don’t have one in today’s society, you’d either be seen as crazy or just out of touch. Read more...

Bookcomments.jpg 5 Great AI books to read in 2020

Artificial intelligence (AI) has expanded into one of the most important technologies in human history. It comes with so many benefits, from improving the efficiency of simple, basic tasks to helping to solve advanced problems by quickly analyzing large data sets. Read more...

Booklists.jpg A Baker's Dozen of Books to Keep the Kids Occupied When They Can't Go Out

Are you running out of inspiration for what to do with the kids when they can't go out? We've come up with a baker's dozen of books to give you some brilliant ideas. Read more...

Booklists.jpg Top Ten Self-Published Books 2019

We've seen some cracking self-published books this year and they're all books which compare well with traditionally-published books in the same genres. We really couldn't narrow the choice down any further - so this year's top ten consists of eleven books and here they are, in alphabetical order by author... Read more...

Bookcomments.jpg Desiree Villena Talks To Bookbag About 5 Key Tips for Writing a Critical-Yet-Fair Book Review

Writing a book review isn't difficult, you know, but there are a few things you need to keep us in mind. Desiree Villena gives us five tips. Read more...

Bookinterviews.jpg The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Melanie Martin

In War and Love: A family's testament of anguish, endurance and devotion in occupied Amsterdam Melanie Martin reconstructs what happened to her family in occupied Amsterdam in WWII. It's a highly compelling if occasionally shocking read. Days after she finished the book Sue could not stop thinking about what she had read and was delighted when the author agreed to chat with her. Read more...

Bookcomments.jpg Framing the Brexit narrative: immigration, myths and public perception

Loobna Joomun looks at how Brexit is likely to affect the publishing industry - and the wider country. Read more...

Bookcomments.jpg 8 ways to motivate yourself to write, right NOW by Jessica Jarlvi

Ever felt that you've hit a brick wall with your writing? Jessica Jarlvi has eight tips yo get you writing again. Read more...

Bookcomments.jpg Greg Hickey Talks To Bookbag About The Old Guard of Dystopian Fiction

Where do you go when you move beyond classics like 1984 and Brave New World? Read more...

Booklists.jpg Top Ten Self-Published Books 2018

Choosing the top ten self-published books we read in 2018 was difficult as we're constantly surprised at just how good some self-published books are. Here's our final top ten in alphabetical order by author... Read more...

Bookcomments.jpg James Donald Talks To Bookbag About The Death Of Norman Breyfogle

One of the finest storytellers you've never heard of, who died in September 2018 at the age of 58. Read more...

Bookinterviews.jpg The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Melissa Leet

Sue was impressed when she read Landslide by Melissa Leet and was surprised to find that it was a debut novel. She had quite a few questions for Melissa when she popped into Bookbag Towers. Read more...

Bookcomments.jpg Faiz Kermani talks to Bookbag about how a blue frog is helping Malawi's vulnerable children to live safe, healthy and happy lives

Every child has a right to medical care Read more...

Bookcomments.jpg Abi Silver Talks To The Bookbag About A Few Of Her Favourite Things

We could definitely make a flying car – but that's not the hard part. The hard part is, how do you make a flying car that's super safe and quiet?: Elon Musk Read more...

Bookinterviews.jpg The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Daniel Peltz

Sue wasn't expecting to enjoy a novel about a building, but was surprised by just how compelling she found The Indomitable Chiesa di Santa Maria. There was a lot to chat about when author Daniel Peltz popped into Bookbag Towers. Read more...

Booklists.jpg Top Ten Self-Published Books 2017

Choosing the top ten self-published books we read in 2017 was one of the toughest jobs we did all year and involved a great deal of discussion. Here's our final top ten in alphabetical order by author... Read more...

Bookinterviews.jpg The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Chit Dubey

Sue was quietly impressed when she read 21 Doors to Happiness: Life Through Travel Experiences and Meditation by Chit Dubey as it chimed with her personal view of life. She was delighted when Chit Dubey popped into Bookbag Towers to chat to us. Read more...

Bookcomments.jpg Melita Thomas Talks To Bookbag About The King's Pearl: Henry VIII and his Daughter Mary

Melita Thomas tell us that Mary was a true Renaissance Princess Read more...

Bookinterviews.jpg The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Elizabeth Fox and Martin le Comte

Peter thought that The Ten Golden Rules of Leadership was the best book on leadership he'd ever read and he couldn't resist asking authors Elizabeth Fox and Martin le Comte quite a few questions when they came to Bookbag Towers to chat to us. Read more...

Bookinterviews.jpg The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Gabe Riggs

Luke thought that Punk Love Foucault by Gabe Riggs was an intense, emotional and visceral read that illuminates and educates with a strong voice and clear, capable prose. There was a lot to talk about when Gabe popped into Bookbag Towers to chat to us. Read more...

Bookinterviews.jpg The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Sandra Aragona

Sue loved Sandra Aragona's lightly-fictionalised autobiography of life as a diplomatic spouse. There was a lot that she wanted to ask about when Sandra popped into Bookbag Towers. Read more...

Bookinterviews.jpg The Interview: Bookbag Talks To K J Lawrence

Sue was delighted when she read The Cossack as it restored her faith in the thriller genre. When the author, K J Lawrence, popped into Bookbag Towers to chat to us, Sue had quite a few questions ready! Read more...

Bookinterviews.jpg The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Stuart Burrell

Sue found Start Burrell's book Twelve Times To The Max: One Man's Journey to, and Recollections of, Setting Twelve Verified World Records an inspiring, feel-good read. She wanted to know more when Stuart popped into Bookbag Towers to chat to us. Read more...

Bookinterviews.jpg The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Wes Stuart

Luke enjoyed the combination of compellingly-written science fiction which blends themes of innocence and growth with some well depicted moments of horror in My Name is Sam and he had quite a few questions for author Wes Stuart when he popped into Bookbag Towers to chat to us. Read more...

Bookinterviews.jpg The Interview: Bookbag Talks To B C R Fegan

Sue giggled like a child when she read Henry and the Hidden Treasure by B C R Fegan and Lenny Wen: it's a good story with some valuable lessons. It was a real pleasure to chat to writer B C R Fegan when he popped into Bookbag Towers. Read more...

Bookinterviews.jpg The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Annie Ingram

Very few people believe that dogs can talk so it was something of a relief when Sue met author, Annie Ingram. She has lengthy conversations with her cocker spaniel Kammie and has shared them with us in her book. There was a lot to talk about when she popped into Bookbag Towers to chat to us. Read more...

Bookinterviews.jpg The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Stephan Santiago

Ani was quietly moved by Returning Home and there were several points she wanted to discuss with author Stephan Santiago when he popped into Bookbag Towers to chat to us. Read more...

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