Blog

Annette’s Devon Bookshelf

18 Mar 2022

Annette Shaw is a freelance writer and a book group organiser, 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. Adrift by Tracey Williams What would a green dragon be … Read more

Picador Collection

18 Mar 2022

In 2022, Picador celebrates its 50th anniversary and the launch of the Picador Collection, a new list of contemporary classics taken from and inspired by the last fifty years of Picador’s agenda-setting and boundary-pushing publishing. Sonny Mehta first launched Picador as an imprint in 1972 with the aim of publishing outstanding international writing. The Picador Paperback Originals quickly became known … Read more

Review: These Silent Mansions

10 Mar 2022

  A charming and informative meander around graveyards that Jean Sprackland has known – to uncover some of the extraordinary stories of those at rest, and reflect on the changing customs of burials and memorials. Wherever she has lived, Sprackland has visited graveyards. In ‘These Silent Mansions’ she re-visits these special places to learn more about some of those buried … Read more

What We’ve Been Reading Recently

08 Mar 2022

Despite the busy and sometimes breakneck pace of The Bookery, we always find time for our reading! The greatest pleasure for us here is getting to share our thoughts on the brilliant books we read, and recommend them to all of you! Below are some of our recent favourites…

Cathie Holden

Meet the team: Cathie and the World Book Day events

03 Mar 2022

We chatted to Cathie from our Schools team to find out all about the work The Bookery does with schools and what we’re doing for World Book Day this month. How did you first come to work with The Bookery? I was involved from the beginning with buying out the old bookshop and establishing the new community owned one. I … Read more

Libby and the Parisian Puzzle

Review: Libby and the Parisian puzzle

03 Mar 2022

  Libby is no stranger to adventure.  She usually travels with her globe-trotting Mother, but this time she is being sent to live with her Aunt who runs a travelling school which is currently in Paris. Libby is a fan of detective novels and is always on the lookout for a mystery to solve. When her Aunt is accused of … Read more

Patron Spotlight: Patrick Gale

02 Mar 2022

This week we chatted to The Bookery patron Patrick Gale about his new book Mother’s Boy. Set in the early twentieth century, Mother’s Boy follows the life of the British poet Charles Causley. A story of love and war, class and belonging, the novel focuses in on the special relationship between Charles and his mother Laura. What inspired you to … Read more

Children’s books: top titles for ages 8-12

23 Feb 2022

Each year our schools team select from the books published in the previous year to compile a list of some of the best books for children aged 4-12. Book choices are often outside the usual promotions and our criteria are ‘a good read’ along with ensuring diversity of characters, authors, settings and story line. This set of books is selected … Read more

Children's books ages 6-9

Children’s books: top titles for ages 6-9

23 Feb 2022

Each year our schools team select from the books published in the previous year to compile a list of some of the best books for children aged 4-12. Book choices are often outside the usual promotions and our criteria are ‘a good read’ along with ensuring diversity of characters, authors, settings and story line. This set of books is selected … Read more