BOOKS

"a must-have for anyone who understands that a shed is never just a shed" Shedblog. 

In The Philosophy of Sheds published by the British Library you'll find rotating sheds, sheds on wheels, holy sheds, and the universal lure of these tiny structures. Also detailed are some of the big ideas these little huts have birthed, from inventions and philosophies to literature and art.

"the scandalous mishaps that have shaped literary history" Australian Broadcasting Corporation.                                                                                                      When Books Go Bad is a rousing collection of publishing mishaps, its narrative twists and turns taking a light-hearted look at poor editing, poor judgement, and a whole range of bad behaviour. More details.

 

"The book is fun and aims to get people reading beyond the display table of the bookshop" Nation Cymru. 

My Year of Reading Welshly is a journey through 52 books from Wales and about Wales. From novels to poetry to non-fiction, it explores an eclectic spread of books published over the last 100 years. More details.

"packed with wartime ephemera, photographs and vintage recipes" Comfortably Hungry. 

While There Is Tea There Is Hope This celebrates the power of tea as a national symbol and act of defiance during Britain’s darkest hour. Beautifully illustrated with rich visual material from Imperial War Museums and filled with wartime ephemera, historic photographs and war-era artwork, plus vintage baking recipes to enjoy. More details.

"Reading this won't make you a better artist but the short entries will keep you enjoyably entertained and surprisingly informed." The Artist. 

Studios of Their Own travels around the world examining the unique spaces, habits and rituals of over 50 famous artists. From Picasso, to Hockney, to Caravaggio, discover the eclectic creative spaces used by artistic visionaries, brought to life with evocative illustrations. More details.

"fascinating insights into aspects of the weather that haven’t occurred to you" The Canary.  

100 Words for Rain: And everything else you need to know about the British weather. The British obsession with weather and the words we use to describe it have come to define us. We talk about it endlessly ­– five whole months of our lives to be precise. We use it to start conversations with complete strangers. It affects our moods, shopping habits and even how we vote. More details.

 

 

The mixture of high-brow and popular culture is amusing... Full of enjoyable trivia and lush illustrations, perfect for bibliophiles. Foreword.  

The Book Lover's Almanac: A Year of Literary Events, Letters, Scandals and Plot Twists. Enjoy daily distraction with this engaging Almanac. Each date is assigned one or more literary connections, with extracts from authors’ diaries and letters, narrative twists and transformative moments in favourite novels. More details.

 

"For some light relief in these turbulent times, turn to The Book Lover’s Joke Book." London Review of Books.  

The Book Lover’s Joke Book is the funniest book about books you’ll ever read. There are rib-ticklers for typographers, crackers for critics, and badly foxed quips about antiquarian bookshops. Here too are the best literary April Fool’s (the joke’s on you), rejection letters (the joke’s on the publisher), cookbook jests (the joke’s a bit crumby) and wardrobe puns (the joke’s Narnia business). More details.

 

 "This charming book, with gorgeous illustrations from James Oses, gives colour to any bookworm’s curiosity." Daily Mail.  

A tour around the world examining the unique spaces, habits and rituals in which famous writers created their most notable works. More details.

 

Art history for people who don't want to read eye-glazing art history tomes ... Gift-perfect (but never trite) Los Angeles Times.   

 

Snapshots of the most exciting, unusual and noteworthy art events from around the world and throughout history through direct testimonies, eyewitness accounts and contemporary chroniclers. More details.

Bringing together much-loved masterpieces with exciting new works, this accessible and inspiring guide is a celebration of classical music from Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending to the scores for Avatar and Assassin’s Creed. More details.

"a range of age-appropriate book suggestions and ideas to encourage reading for pleasure in children" Centre for Literacy in Primary Education.

 

Complete with dedicated contributions from Jacqueline Wilson, Michael Rosen, Abi Elphinstone, Cressida Cowell, Hollie McNish, Ken Wilson-Max and Julia Eccleshare.. More details.

"A blend of scholarship and whimsy" American Airline's magazine American Way.                                                  

 

 This fascinating miscellany of menus from around the world will educate as well as entertain, delighting both avid foodies and the general reader. More details.

 

"the perfect stocking filler for people who love books and pets" Interesting Literature. Behind every great writer there is a beloved pet, providing inspiration in life and in death, and companionship in what is often a lonely working existence. More details.

"for the enthusiastic DIYer and those considering taking on a project" Centre for Alternative Technology.

 The Haynes Shed Manual is a practical, step-by-step guide with wide-covering advice on all aspects of planning and building sheds. Written by two shed experts, it will appeal to the enthusiastic DIYer. More details.

"This digestible book offers many pleasures, not least a wonderful selection of book-related terms" The Times Literary Supplement.

An eclectic anthology - an iconic Prime Minister musing over the best way to store your books, an illustrious US President explaining the best works to read outdoors, the psychological implications of reading from a 19th century philosopher. Plus less serious subjects concerning the predicament of dispensing with unwanted volumes or the danger of letting children (the ‘enemies of books’) near your collection. More details.

 

"a bibliophile’s dream...an illustrated tour of the world’s most dedicated havens of literature" Forbes.

Book Towns takes readers on a richly illustrated tour of the 40 semi-officially recognized literary towns around the world and outlines the history and development of each community, and offers practical travel advice. Many Book Towns have emerged in areas of marked attraction, such as Ureña in Spain or Fjaerland in Norway, where bookshops have been set up in buildings including former ferry waiting rooms and banks. More details.

"Another wonderful publication by Alex Johnson" International League of Antiquarian Booksellers.

 

Lists that make you smile, make you wonder, and see titles together in entirely new ways. From Bin Laden’s bookshelf to the books most frequently left in hotels, from prisoners’ favourite books to MPs’ most borrowed books, these lists are proof that a person’s bookcase tells you everything you need to know about them, and sometimes more besides. Perfect for bibliophiles looking to expand their bookshelves or to learn what their bookcase says about them. More details.

 

 

"a valuable visual culture book that doubles as a travel resource" Los Angeles Times.

 

Whether by bike in Chicago or by donkey in Colombia, librarians all over the world are coming up with astonishingly ingenious ways of ensuring their books reach the people who need them. Many of these new libraries function as community centres, and assist their members in overcoming economic, social and political barriers. Others provide an unexpected dose of culture for travellers and commuters – or even prisoners. More details.

 

 

 

In this day of e-readers and downloads, it is refreshing to see a celebration of the real thing - books" Daily Telegraph.

 

 A title that will appeal to those interested in book culture as well as furniture and interior design, Bookshelf is the first publication to take bookshelf design as its subject. Bookshelf presents over 200 inventive and experimental shelving designs in more than 400 colour illustrations. More details.

 

 

 

"A book to inspire all proto-cabin dwellers" Lady.

Featuring shedworkers and shedbuilders from around the world who are leading the alternative workplace revolution. More details.

 

Personal accounts of York's theatres and cinemas 1900 - 1960. More details.