June 2013 Newsletter - Revision history

Sue at 16:44, 10 August 2020

2020-08-10T16:44:07Z

Sue at 11:18, 8 November 2014

2014-11-08T11:18:06Z

Jill at 13:00, 12 June 2013

2013-06-12T13:00:22Z

Jill at 12:56, 12 June 2013

2013-06-12T12:56:12Z

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2013-06-12T12:54:46Z

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If you'd like to sign up for our monthly newsletter, just drop us [mailto:subscribe@thebookbag.co.uk an email]. We won't bother you more than once a month, but we'll tell you about what we've been reading at Bookbag and any news from the site. We promise never to pass your details on to anyone else. In fact... we won't even tell each other.

== June's News from Bookbag Towers ==

Hi, hello and good reading to you.

We'd just like to say a sad goodbye to Iain Banks, who died this month, long before his time. He was two brilliant authors, and we will miss him.

The [[The Desmond Elliott Prize for Debut Fiction Published in the UK 2013|Desmond Eilliott Prize]] shortlist is out. It's for debut fiction published in the UK in 2013 and we have reviewed all three books. Take a look. You should read all three - of course! - but [[The Panopticon by Jenni Fagan]] has a special place in a corner of Bookbag's heart. We defy you to read our review and fail to rush out and buy a copy!

'''Golden Hour'''

This month, our trip is back to the past in more ways than one. Yep. We've gone with historical fiction. [[The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett]] is the first in an historical saga dealing with Scotland in the sixteenth century. This is historical fiction with a very classy edge. It's literary. It's dense, it's complex, it's historically accurate. It's a rather large cut above the rest and it comes recommended as a Golden Hour choice for fans of the genre in need of a challenge or for serious readers looking to step outside their usual box.

'''Books of the Month'''

And on to to the new...
.
In fiction, Robin has chosen [[Paris by Edward Rutherfurd]] for your pleasure. Spanning the years from 1261 to 1968 but focussing on the period from 1875 to 1940, Rutherfurd's exemplary historical research supports a wonderfully woven saga of four families from different social positions through the ages that captures the spirit of the nation. It is as enchanting and complex as the city he describes.

In non-fiction, Sue went mad for [[The Norm Chronicles: Stories and numbers about danger by Michael Blastland and David Spiegelhalter]]. A look at the risks we all encounter on a daily basis and how much of a hazard they really are, it's witty, informative and highly recommended. Sausages are more of a problem than Sue had thought and wine is less. Goshdarnit!

For teens, Jill has chosen [[Noble Conflict by Malorie Blackman|Noble Conflict]]. Brilliant dystopian storytelling - as ever - from Malorie Blackman in a tale of propaganda, newspeak, and subtle authoritarianism. It is gripping and powerful with a clever subtlety underlying the action. Characters you believe in. A strong morality and an acknowledgement that life is full of Catch-22s. What more could you want? We love Blackman's books. But you get two for the price of one this month as we simply couldn't pick a winner. So, Linda gives you [[Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein]]. Towards the end of World War Two Rose Justice, a young American pilot who came to Britain as a volunteer, is captured by the Germans and sent to Ravenbrück. Throughout the horror-filled days that follow, she learns that survival requires far more than simply staying alive.

'''Features'''

One of the highlights of the first few months of 2013 for Robert was reading a new book by [[:Category:Simon Packham|Simon Packham]], one of the most consistently excellent YA contemporary authors writing today. Firewallers is a fantastic read, so he was thrilled when Simon agreed to write a guest post for us. Whilst retaining a lingering affection for the leisurely pace and innocence of books where girls called Titty could spend whole summers messing about in boats, Simon is glad to be writing at a time when fiction for younger readers is allowed to venture into more controversial territory. We couldn't agree more. Author Jackie Marchant is terrified of spiders but with the boy-next-door, [[:Category:Dougal Trump|Dougal Trump]] she's just written [[I'm Dougal Trump . . . Where's My Tarantula? by Dougal Trump|a book about tarantulas]]. She's been telling us all about [[Jackie Marchant Talks To Bookbag About Mice and Tarantulas - the things we do for research|the things we do for research]].

Want to know who has agreed to be interviewed by us this month? Well, here at Bookbag Towers we're massive fans to Steve Cole and we thought his latest book [[Magic Ink by Steve Cole|Magic Ink]] was just brilliant, but when we heard that Steve was popping in to chat to us we decided that we needed an expert to conduct the interview - eight-year-old Billy Young. We like to start 'em early! We also love Joe Craig and his teen hero Jimmy Coates hereabouts, particularly Robert, who had a whole list of questions for Joe when he [[The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Joe Craig|called in]]. When Robert reviewed [[You Don't Know Me by Sophia Bennett]] he couldn't bring himself to say too much about it in case he gave any spoilers. He did take the opportunity to [[The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Sophia Bennett|chat to Sophia]] though!

Sue thought that [[The Spark by O H Robsson]] was a rewarding read for those who like to get to know their characters - and that it was likely to tempt you into planning a holiday in western Norway. She had quite a few questions when the author [[The Interview: Bookbag Talks To O H Robsson|popped in]] to see us. Robert thoroughly enjoyed [[Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry]] and he was delighted when the author agreed to [[The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Katie McGarry|answer his questions]]. Jill thought that [[Jelly Cooper: Alien by Lynne Thomas|Jelly Cooper: Alien]] was a fun book about a teenager with special powers and she had a few questions she wanted to ask author Lynne Thomas when she [[The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Lynne Thomas|called into]] Bookbag Towers. Robert doesn't often say that a book should have been longer, but [[Straight Flush by Ben Mezrich|Straight Flush]] was one of the rare exceptions. There were quite a few questions he wanted to [[The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Ben Mezrich|ask Ben]].

'''Reviewers'''

We're always on the look out for people to join our panel of reviewers at Bookbag. We need people who understand that the reader wants to know what the reviewer thinks about the book and not just what's written on the back cover. If you think that you're one of these special people that we're looking for, we want to hear from you. You can find details of how to apply [[Reviewer Vacancies|here]] on the site. Don't be shy!

'''Competitions'''

We have [[Competitions|competitions]] for some great books going this month, and every month, so get entering!

And that's about it for this month. If you're passing Bookbag Towers do pop in and see us – we're at [[The Bookbag|www.thebookbag.co.uk]].

'''''All at Bookbag Towers'''''

(PS – if you don't want to receive further copies of our newsletter please [mailto:unsubscribe@thebookbag.co.uk email us] and we'll see that you're deleted from the mailing list.)

[[Category:Newsletters|* 2013 06]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:18, 8 November 2014
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	If you'd like to sign up for our monthly newsletter, just drop us [mailto:subscribe@thebookbag.co.uk an email]. We won't bother you more than once a month, but we'll tell you about what we've been reading at Bookbag and any news from the site. We promise never to pass your details on to anyone else. In fact... we won't even tell each other.		If you'd like to sign up for our monthly newsletter, just drop us [mailto:subscribe@thebookbag.co.uk an email]. We won't bother you more than once a month, but we'll tell you about what we've been reading at Bookbag and any news from the site. We promise never to pass your details on to anyone else. In fact... we won't even tell each other.

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:00, 12 June 2013
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	The [[The Desmond Elliott Prize for Debut Fiction Published in the UK 2013\|Desmond Eilliott Prize]] shortlist is out. It's for debut fiction published in the UK in 2013 and we have reviewed all three books. Take a look. You should read all three - of course! - but [[The Panopticon by Jenni Fagan]] has a special place in a corner of Bookbag's heart. We defy you to read our review and fail to rush out and buy a copy!		The [[The Desmond Elliott Prize for Debut Fiction Published in the UK 2013\|Desmond Eilliott Prize]] shortlist is out. It's for debut fiction published in the UK in 2013 and we have reviewed all three books. Take a look. You should read all three - of course! - but [[The Panopticon by Jenni Fagan]] has a special place in a corner of Bookbag's heart. We defy you to read our review and fail to rush out and buy a copy!
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		+	The Guardian has a [http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/jun/11/self-published-ebooks-20-per-cent-genre fascinating article] about self-publishing. Apparently, over 20% of the genre market is now accounted for by self-published books. Overall, 12% of ebooks bought are self-published. But when you include print books, the proportion drops to 2%. Wow. Lots to think about there, wouldn't you say?

	'''Golden Hour'''		'''Golden Hour'''

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 '''''All at Bookbag Towers'''''
 (PS – if you don't want to receive further copies of our newsletter please [mailto:unsubscribe@thebookbag.co.uk email us] and we'll see that you're deleted from the mailing list.)
 [[Category:Newsletters|* 2013 06]]

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 Hi, hello and good reading to you.
-We'd just like to say a sad goodbye to Iain Banks, who died this month, long before his time. He was two brilliant authors, and we will miss him.
+We'd just like to say a sad goodbye to Iain Banks, who died this month, long before his time. He was two brilliant authors, and we will miss him. What else is there to say? He was wonderful.
 The [[The Desmond Elliott Prize for Debut Fiction Published in the UK 2013|Desmond Eilliott Prize]] shortlist is out. It's for debut fiction published in the UK in 2013 and we have reviewed all three books. Take a look. You should read all three - of course! - but [[The Panopticon by Jenni Fagan]] has a special place in a corner of Bookbag's heart. We defy you to read our review and fail to rush out and buy a copy!