Cliff 
Kev McCready is a writer, born in Liverpool but now living in Devon. Always with his nose in a book and a cuppa brewing. A fanatical reader since the age of five, Kev has a collection of bookmarks as esoteric as his bookshelves… The 13th of October was “Super Thursday”. No, it’s nothing to do with superheroes, or posh expressions of delight that it’s nearly the weekend. It marked the start of the season for Christmas books. And I know … Read more
Annette Shaw is a freelance journalist with 30 years of experience, and has a regular column in Devon Life, sharing her pick of brilliant books with Devon connections. With her reputation for championing books and authors around the county, we’re delighted to have the opportunity to showcase her reviews here. The Drowning Hour by S.K. Tremayne This man, who hails from Devon, writes brilliant books. The kind where you ring a friend for a reality check because it haunts, mystifies and … Read more
Superstar author William Boyd is back, telling the story of a rich and varied life well lived. Cashel Ross, an orphan brought up in Cork, navigates his way through the early 19th century touched by major events and significant figures – he survives Waterloo, he travels Europe and socialises with romantic poets, and crosses the Atlantic to become a brewer. Although the life of one man, the history he lives touches on universal truths and deeply held values. William … Read more
Kev McCready is a writer, born in Liverpool but now living in Devon. Always with his nose in a book and a cuppa brewing. A fanatical reader since the age of five, Kev has a collection of bookmarks as esoteric as his bookshelves… It’s easy to dismiss Marian Keyes work as romantic fluff and you would be foolish to do so. Her books are a delicate balancing act of dry wit; combined with big issues addiction, mental illness, domestic violence … Read more
Annette Shaw is a freelance journalist with 30 years of experience, and has a regular column in Devon Life, sharing her pick of brilliant books with Devon connections. With her reputation for championing books and authors around the county, we’re delighted to have the opportunity to showcase her reviews here. How To Live in The Country by Tom Hodgkinson Lockdown has caused many of us to re-evaluate our lives. Pondering more self-reliance and living in closer harmony with nature, priorities have … Read more
One of the best writers around today is Lawrence Osborne. Originally a travel writer, his modern fiction is atmospheric, gritty, and seductive – perhaps the best way to describe him is that he channels the ghost of Graham Greene, punctuated with the bite of early Ian McEwan short stories. Below are three of his best and most interesting works: The Wet And The Dry A funny and entertaining travelogue, where Osborne travels the world trying to get a drink. Moving … Read more
You’re all invited to a wedding. Sam and Chloe are getting married in Small Angels, the church of Sam’s childhood village. His sister Kate is along to help. But something is not happy with the imminent festivities at the edge of Mockbeggar Woods. It’s angry, manipulative and eldritch at the same time. Small Angels is a patchwork of a book. Beneath it is a general, creeping, lurking terror of what will happen on the day itself. Beneath that is … Read more
Cathie – head of our schools team – shares her top picks for adventurous readers… Here are our favourite adventure books from the last few years! From time travelling with a hamster to surviving in the jungle, there is sure to be something to catch your imagination. We think these are books that you won’t be able to put down and are perfect holiday reads. Darwin’s Dragons – Lindsay Galvin A book with a difference. It’s based on fact: the … Read more
Kev McCready is a writer, born in Liverpool but now living in Devon. Always with his nose in a book and a cuppa brewing. A fanatical reader since the age of five, Kev has a collection of bookmarks as esoteric as his bookshelves… Iain Banks occupies a peculiar place in literature. His contemporary novels have a dark, oxymoronic moral coating of sex, violence and morality. There is a very manichiestic sense of what is what is right and wrong; but … Read more
A fascinating selection hand-picked by our Work Experience teen: Amelie! “This is a selection of our favourite young adult books that focus of growing up and exploring the world around us. They are about teenagers from all walks of life and range from fantasy to real life, and are guaranteed to be gripping reads!” Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenez Aristotle is 14 when he when he meets Dante, a scrawny boy who … Read more
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