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Bryan Talbot is a British comics artist and writer, best known as the creator of The Adventures of Luther Arkwright and its sequel Heart of Empire, as well as the Grandville series of books. He collaborated with his wife, Mary M. Talbot to produce Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes, which won the 2012 Costa biography award. After a gap of … Read more
A road trip in 1950’s America is fraught with diversions and distractions in this fantastic and immersive read. Returning home from juvenile jail, where he has served time for accidentally killing a boy, Emmett intends to take his brother and set off across the state line to make a new life for them both. However his past is never … 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. Wild Swimming Walks: Dorset and East Devon by Sophie Pierce and … Read more
A beautiful, balanced account of a year exploring the natural history of the New Forest, revisiting places first discovered 40 years ago, how they have changed and reflections on what Ansell has learnt in between. Neil Ansell has shown in his previous books, Deep Country and Last Wilderness, a special talent for immersing himself in a landscape. In clear, … Read more
Our superb volunteer Belinda explores the world of verse novels and makes some recommendations… I have to confess to a slight sinking feeling when I picked up my first verse novel, One by Sarah Crossan. I was interested in the story line but was sceptical about the verse format. How could the details and subtleties of the story be conveyed … Read more
A remarkable portrait of this unique archipelago, its amazing natural history, its rich culture and mix of modern and traditional society. Tim Ecott first visited the Faroes 10 years ago and was captivated by the landscape, people and wildlife. He returned many times forging lasting relationships with farmers, fishermen, environmentalists and historians who have shared their knowledge and invited … Read more
We’re rooting out some great but less well-known small publishers and finding out what makes them tick. This month’s small press is Old Street Publishing – founded in 2006, Old Street is an independent British publisher of fiction and non-fiction who might be recognisable from their excellent ‘Shortest History’ series. Ben Yarde-Buller kindly gave us some of his time to … Read more
A hugely entertaining romp through the history of Europe’s oldest civilisation. From the popular ‘Shortest History’ series, this latest focus is of Greece and it’s surrounding islands. In a brief but detailed format which includes photographs and illustrations, it traces the odyssey of the Greeks from ancient past all the way up to their complicated present. Ex-Ottakers boss James … Read more
Fantastic Bookshops! I love the personalised nature of the shops I’ve visited here in Devon, they’re really working with their local communities and schools to make sure everyone has the books that are right for them. And it’s such a rush, seeing my own handwriting right on the shop front of The Bookery in Crediton, where I helped them with … Read more
