April - June 2011 Newsletter Book News Orange Prize Shortlist Askews & Holts hit the road in March To launch the new company Askews & Holts hit the road during March with a series of Roadshows. Starting in Central London and finishing in South Wales, the Directors and Sales team introduced Askews & Holts to both existing and potential customers. The typical U.K weather (snow at times) did not prevent more than 140 delegates attending the events, all eager to see what Askews & Holts would be offering for the future. Presentations included our brand new fully functional website, which proved to be a real hit with our delegates, an update on our eBook service, which is building up a major foothold in the UK library market and generated significant interest, along with an overview of our revamped multimedia offering and an introduction to our full range of selection services, bibliographic content and shelf-ready processing options. Attendees were particularly pleased to hear that the provision of the highest standard of customer satisfaction will continue to be Askews & Holts number one priority and we will be working together in partnership with customers to bring cost effective solutions to their library service will continue to be at the forefront of any future developments. An Author Visits The winner will be announced on 8th June 2011. If you wish to order either the long or shortlist then please contact [email protected] Quintin Jardine has recently visited the Askews & Holts Showroom to promote his latest title "The Loner" a unique and gripping stand-alone novel - a powerful story of one man who discovers shocking secrets. Photos and highlights of his visit will shortly be appearing on the website but we've given you a sneak preview photo. Askews & Holts Library Services Limited 218-222 North Road • Preston • Lancashire • PR1 1SY Quintin signing books Promotions Probably the biggest event this year will be the Royal Wedding, well at least for monarchists and tourists. The nuptials of Prince William and Kate (soon to be Catherine) Middleton have seen massive widespread coverage and interest not just in this country but around the world. As a result there have been a plethora of books published to coincide with the grand day. There are many different titles but the most common are the souvenir guides to the happy couple. They usually include a history of their courtship and details of the forthcoming wedding along with lots of photographs. An Invitation To The Royal Wedding (ISBN 9781847328236) is a popular example. There are also similar guides due out after the wedding itself showing the big day and all its pageantry. Royal biographies of William and Kate are popular as well, though of Kate in particular. William And Kate: A Royal Love Story (9780857206114) covers their lives so far in full. History books about past Royal weddings like The Ring And The Crown: A History Of Royal Weddings 1066-2011 (9780091943776) celebrate the pomp and ceremony whilst highlighting the problems earlier generations of royals had in getting married. Publishers have also capitalised with new books about royal history in general, the pick being a new biography of the Duchess of Windsor called Behind Closed Doors (9780091931551). The craze has even expanded to Royal wedding craft books where you can colour in or sew your very own Prince Philip, or alternately Knit Your Own Royal Wedding (9780141328256) for a woolly William. So kids don’t miss out on all the fun and excitement there are children’s tie-ins as well. Angelina And The Royal Wedding (9780141328256) sees Angelina Ballerina mixing with royalty and my personal favourite Kate The Royal Wedding Fairy (9781408315248) which immortalises our future queen as a Rainbow Fairy! Finally enjoy a bit of escapism from those masters of romance Mills & Boon with their special tie-in A Royal Wedding (9780263889574). So as you can see there is a book for everyone. If Kate and Wills had this lot they wouldn’t need a photo album. Askews & Holts Collections Celebrate the Royal Wedding with your very own set of light hearted novels set around the wedding theme. Wedding Season - ISBN A000128903 - £145.00* As a nation of food lovers here is a cookery collection to celebrate everything that is best of British. Great British Food - ISBN A000128881 - £300* As one future king marries this collection looks back at those who did the job before - good or bad. Featured Classics... Penguin are publishing these two special deluxe edition titles in June. We think the covers are stunning and definitely worth a look... Rule Britannia: British Kings & Queens - ISBN A000128849 - £200* To place an order contact Sarah on [email protected]. To help you promote the books in your library we are producing a poster which we will send via email when you place your order. All you need to do is print it off! *Your standard servicing charges apply. 9780143106142 9780143106159 Fiction Highlights Odin’s Wolves by Giles Kristian 9780593061664 £12.99 In recent years there has been an explosion in historical adventure novels of various quality. Some like Bernard Cornwell and Conn Iggulden write stirring Boy’s own adventures and others to put it bluntly don’t. Luckily Giles Kristian is very much one of the former with his rip-roaring Viking set series of ‘Raven’ books. Featuring The Wolfpack, Raven’s brothers-in-arms, this new novel follows their blood-soaked journey to Constantinople as they seek wider fame and riches. Written again from Raven’s point of view the story contains great attention to detail and atmosphere without letting up the thrilling pace. If you like adventure you will love this. Reviewed by Heath Newland Carte Blanche by Jeffery Deaver 9781444716474 £18.99 Jeffery Deaver has been commissioned by the Ian Fleming Estate to write the next Bond novel. As a huge fan of the original Bond books, Deaver was thrilled to be approached. Carte Blanche, unlike the last Bond novel by Faulks, will be set in the modern day, with Bond jet setting around the world, including Dubai. This book will also feature Fleming’s favourite car – The Bentley, with Bond driving a Bentley Continental GT. Regarding the novel’s title Deaver says 'In the world of espionage, giving an agent carte blanche on a mission comes with an enormous amount of trust and constantly tests both personal and professional judgment. Part of the nonstop suspense in the novel is the looming question of what is acceptable in matters of national and international security. Are there lines that even James Bond should not cross?’ 'The novel will maintain the persona of James Bond as Fleming created him and the unique tone the author brought to his books, while incorporating my literary trademarks: detailed research, fast pacing and surprise twists.' - Jeffery Deaver Reviewed by Sarah Park Afterwards by Rosamund Lupton Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult 9781444724530 £18.99 Zoe and Max have gone through hell to conceive, after years of trying they finally succeed in getting pregnant. When they suffer the terrible loss of their unborn child, Max and Zoe’s marriage is completely destroyed. Zoe turns to Vanessa, a guidance counsellor who has asked Zoe to help a suicidal teenager. They fall in love, get married and hope to use the frozen embryos unused from Max and Zoe’s previous treatments. Max meanwhile spirals out of control and falls into alcoholism. Saved by the church and then encouraged by the church, he takes Zoe to court as he wants to give the embryos to his brother and wife, who by the way he is secretly in love with! Thus ensues a huge court battle over the embryos and highlights the challenges same sex couples face when it comes to marriage and adoption. This book throws everything at the reader, extreme heartbreak, forbidden love, the loss of a child, alcoholism, extreme religious issues, discrimination, abuse and a whole lot more. Music is central to the novel and the book is accompanied by a CD whereby the reader is prompted at the start of each chapter to select a song whilst reading. An intense read but please persevere as it has a happy ending! Reviewed by Sarah Park The Collaborator by Margaret Leroy 9780778304593 £7.99 This is the story of Vivienne De La Mare, housewife, mother, carer, living on the German occupied island of Guernsey during WW2. With her husband away fighting on the front line, Vivienne soon realises that life on the island is rapidly changing. As she witnesses at first hand the true horrors of war, Vivienne is also torn between her loyalty to her husband and the fiery passion she is feeling towards one of "the enemy", the enigmatic German officer, Gunther Lehmann who has requisitioned the house next to hers. They both embark on a love affair that is warm, sensual but heartbreaking as Vivienne knows she must choose between collaboration and resistance. An absolutely fabulous read, that is at times, tense, horrific, evocative and powerful. Unputdownable, I read it in one sitting and the story stayed with me for days. This is Leroy at her finest. Reviewed by Jean Dickinson The Midwife’s Confession 9780749942168 £7.99 High expectations fall on Lupton’s shoulders for her next novel. She seems to be everywhere at the moment. I read Sisters and on the whole liked it, but I must admit, wasn’t completely blown away by it. Afterwards however is completely the opposite, I loved it. Penned by the time Sisters came out this follows along the same lines, an emotional drama with a detective story running through it. It follows Grace and Jenny, who have been severely hurt in a fire. Watching over their bodies in ghostly form, hovering between life and death, they gradually piece together what happened on the day of the fire as a fast paced plot unravels. I especially loved the fighting determination of Grace – she never gives up in the fight to keep her family safe. This novel is jam packed with twists and turns to keep the reader totally hooked right till the very end. Reviewed by Sarah Park by Diane Chamberlain 9780778304661 £7.99 A story of a lifelong friendship between Emerson and Tara, starting at college and remaining strong through family and friend stresses. They both become great friends with Noelle, but it’s always a bit stronger between Emerson and Noelle, but a family link between them is established. Noelle is a community midwife and upon her suicide Emerson and Tara start to learn she wasn’t always what she appeared, and on finding an ‘unsent’ letter caused them to question what happened during the first few days after they had both given birth to baby girls, leading them also to a child that went missing at the same time. This is a real ‘must’ for all Jodi Picoult fans, a book you can’t put down, full of twists just when you thought you knew the ending. Reviewed by Kathryn Pattinson Non Fiction Highlights Twelve Turning Points of the Second World War by PMH Bell 9780300148855 The history and impact of World War Two has been covered in many ways, it is therefore refreshing to see someone look at the conflict from a different viewpoint. Bell has picked the 12 events or moments that he believed had the most impact on the war. These cover all aspects - familiar military campaigns like the Battle of Britain or Operation Barbarossa, the German attack on Russia and cataclysms like the atomic bombs on Japan. What Bell adds to the discussions though is his look at the diplomatic summits like Tehran and the economic output of industry and their importance. By doing this the author gives us a fascinating view on the war showing its follies and cost and most of all its uncertainty. Well worth a read. Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton & the Marriage of the Century by Sam Kashnar 9781907532405 The greatest love affair of the 20th century, a modern day Anthony and Cleopatra are amongst the ways used to describe the marriages of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Few relationships have been as widely covered or in the media spotlight as this couple. Kashner and Schoenberger have attempted to shed new light on their fiery relationship. They had unique access to Taylor herself including her own personal correspondence and the Burton family. The result is a revealing, gripping account of their entire courtship the fights, the drinking, the drama, made all the more poignant with Elizabeth Taylor's recent passing. All this showed that while maybe not the greatest love affair it was certainly one of the most combustible. Notes from My Kitchen Table by Gwyneth Paltrow 9780752227894 There are two types of celebrity cook, you have your chef-turned celebrity, Gordon Ramsay or Jamie Oliver and then your celebrity who thinks they can cook. Of this latter type Gwyneth Paltrow is definitely one of the most famous to take it upon themselves to enlighten us in the kitchen. Usually I'm quite negative about people who just because they are famous think they can tell the rest of us how to cook. But Paltrow, a committed mother and homemaker shows a love of food as evidenced from her previous book and her website which shines through in the recipes here. Written with practicality in mind this book is a welcome addition to family cookbooks with its mixture of healthy but enjoyable recipes. She can't help adding a touch of celebrity with pictures of her family and friends but the cooking is the key here and that she certainly shows a passion for it. Racing through the Dark: the Fall & Rise of David Millar by David Millar 9781409114949 David Millar was once the great hope of British road cycling. Highly talented and determined in his first season he won a stage of the Tour De France and held the Yellow Jersey for several days, a feat few British riders have achieved. However as pressure and expectation mounted Millar found himself drawn into the world of doping, which eventually lead to his arrest. This frank memoir leaves nothing held back. Millar reveals all about his fall from grace and the world of cycling that pushed him towards it. A must for any sports fan or cyclist we see a man who has fallen but has bounced back and lived to tell of it. Reelin' in the Years by Mark Radcliffe 9780857200501 Mark Radcliffe's radio shows have long been a staple for any true music fan. With his dry wit and obvious passion for music he has been a welcome change to 'smashy & nicey' or 'laddish' DJ's. His books take a similar vein being based both on his obsession with music and being funny. His latest Reelin' In The Years continues the trend. Mark picks a record from each year of his life and using this as a starting point regales us with memories and his view of British culture. He chooses from his own list of favourites, the likes of The Kinks and Kraftwerk to the Fleet Foxes. This is truly a book for lovers of music who don't take life too seriously. I loved it. The Killing Season: a Summer in South Central with LAPD Homicide by Miles Corwin 9780091940997 Every year on the streets of South Central Los Angeles hundreds of Americans die, more than in the conflict in Afghanistan. This is however a different type of war, it is gangs and drugs and for an unfortunate many everyday life. In the middle of all this murder are the Homicide Dept of the LAPD. It is their job to try to stop and solve some of the killings. Miles Corwin has written about his experience of shadowing two of these cops - one a hardened veteran and his rookie partner who is herself from the 'hood'. Over one summer we see through their eyes the battleground that is part of one of the world's richest cities. Think 'The Wire' but with more crime and murder this book is an enthralling read and a real eye opener.