Christmas is just around the corner and we believe finding a book under the tree is a blessing indeed. If you’re lost for what to gift your loved ones this yuletide season then hopefully your local bookseller can help. See if the one you’re still looking for is below and pick up the book at one of our pop ups…
The Folktale Fan
Hag : Forgotten Folktales Retold
Here are sisters fighting for the love of the same woman, a pregnant archaeologist unearthing impossible bones and lost children following you home. A panther runs through the forests of England and pixies prey upon violent men. From the islands of Scotland to the coast of Cornwall, the mountains of Galway to the depths of the Fens, these forgotten folktales howl, cackle and sing their way into the 21st century, wildly reimagined by some of the most exciting women writing in Britain and Ireland today.
The Horror Lover
Cornish Horrors by The British Library
A mariner inherits a skull that screams incessantly along with the roar of the sea; a phantom hare stalks the moors to deliver justice for a crime long dead; a man witnesses a murder in the woods near St. Ives, only to wonder whether it was he himself who committed the crime. Offering a bounty of lost or forgotten strange and Gothic tales set in Cornwall, Cornish Horrors explores the rich folklore and traditions of the region in a journey through mines, local mythology, shipwrecks, seascapes, and the coming of the railway and tourism.
The Murder Mystery Maid
The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex
Cornwall, 1972. Three keepers vanish from a remote lighthouse, miles from the shore. The entrance door is locked from the inside. The clocks have stopped. The Principal Keeper's weather log describes a mighty storm, but the skies have been clear all week. What happened to those three men, out on the tower? The heavy sea whispers their names. The tide shifts beneath the swell, drowning ghosts. I’ll be saving myself a copy of this one to read over the Christmas holidays (ideally by an open fire with a glass of something strong!)
The Book Loving Buccaneer
Levelling The Sea by Philip Marsden
The story of Britain's colourful maritime past seen through the changing fortunes of the Cornish port of Falmouth. Within the space of few years, during the 1560s and 1570s, a maritime revolution took place in England that would contribute more than anything to the transformation of the country from a small rebel state on the fringes of Europe into a world power. Until then, it was said, there was only one Englishman capable of sailing across the Atlantic.
The One Who Is A Bit Of A Witch
Everyone knows your mother is a witch by Rivka Galchen
I think this is my favourite book cover of the year. The plague is spreading. The hundred year war is beginning. Katharina Kepler is believed to be a witch. The startling, witty, highly anticipated second novel from the critically acclaimed author of Atmospheric Disturbances. An illiterate widow, Katherina Kepley is known by her neighbours for her herbal remedies and the success of her children, including her eldest, Johannes, who is the Imperial Mathematician and renowned author of the laws of planetary motion. It's enough to make anyone jealous, and Katharina has done herself no favours by being out and about and up in everyone's business.
The Little Forager
Little World: In the Forest : A push-and-pull adventure
Recommended for ages 2 and up this is a new title in the interactive Little World series from Ladybird - moving board books that make our big world little. Little World is designed for curious toddlers, allowing them to explore familiar landscapes and faraway places, from cities and beaches to outer space and ocean depths. The gentle narrative is perfect for reading aloud, guiding children through the wonders of the woodland as they follow rangers, help to grow trees and watch the changing wildlife.
For The One You Don’t Know What To Get
Every Leaf a Hallelujah
An environmental fairytale made for our times, written to be read by adults and children, from the Booker Prize-winning author of The Famished Road. It was a sheer joy to be able to read this. It is mysterious and magical and true. Children and those who read it to them will love it and long remember it. The illustrations are woven wonderfully around the words; the trees are with you, telling it, writing it. Once read we will know never to take trees or leaves for granted again. I have recommended this book to almost everyone who has passed by a pop-up this season.
Whatever book you buy your loved ones this festive season we hope you have a lovely time and steal a way a moment of quiet to do what you love most.
Happy reading,
Jaimie