Features

We’re really proud to be supporting children’s author Clare Helen Welsh with an important new initiative Books That Help, a collection of sharing books to help people through tough times. Clare has collated a list of sharing picture books to open conversations about challenging topics and create emotionally honest spaces where children (and adults) feel able to express their feelings and are supported to navigate them. You can find a range of picture books that offer support through life’s ups … Read more

Divine Love: The Art Of The Nativity by Sarah Drummond In the introduction Sarah writes: “The feast of Christmas is embedded in our earliest childhood memories: a crescendo of excitement leads up to the day following weeks of preparation…’ How this has been depicted over the years is shown through the best offerings from the art world from Bruegel to Lippi. In typical Unicorn Publishing style, the book is lavish and high quality. I’ve had the privilege of meeting both … Read more

“Outside of a dog, man’s best friend is a book” wrote Groucho Marx. Adding “Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.” We are always surrounded by darkness at Christmas. This year the match of the festive spirit seems difficult to ignite. Never mind, a book is the perfect pressie that informs, educates and entertains. It rarely needs charging and generally delights the soul. I read a lot of books and blog about them so you can make an … 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… 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

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

Our intrepid volunteer Nicola highlights some fun and interesting picture books that will appeal to both young children and their parents! With 10,000 new children’s books published each year, it can feel overwhelming knowing where to start when you want to buy new books for your children or school. Understandably, people often return to old favourites and well-known names. At The Bookery, we are always here to help with this dilemma and this month we have selected six of 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