Good Things – a few of the fine books on our shelves at the moment.
Come and see us to discover more.
by Claire Keegan
We’ve sold Small Things Like These over and over again in its previous editions- which were already very
beautifully designed, it has to be said. So maybe everybody already has a copy of Claire Keegan’s
precisely-written short novel. But if you think that means no-one wants another one, look at this. A
desirable neat hardback with a starry landscape on the cover which is a detail from a medieval Nativity
panel. Perfect Christmas gift.
In keeping with its subject, this is a satisfyingly tactile and functional book. Smallish, square, hardback: a pleasure in the hand. Within: masses of characterful rugs – plenty of farm animals, a scarecrow, several surprising tigers, a grandchild’s picture of a tractor – anything goes, provided it’s made with spirit and colour. Also, useful unwaffly text, additionally illustrated with domestic photos and some of Winifred’s paintings.
Miriam Gold’s hand-crafted homage to her granny – refugee, proud Northerner, GP, knitter and stitcher, funny and fierce. Her book records the life of Elena Zadik, who ‘ran through the 20th century without looking back’ in carefully assembled text, drawings and collage, with profound love and clear words.
The paperback, just out, can’t keep the gorgeous endpapers of the hardback edition, but it has everything else – a rich account of lives and science and wonder and discoveries in the 1930s. At its centre are William Beebe’s notebooks recording his pioneering deep-sea bathysphere dives: it radiates out from these in all sorts of directions without losing its way.
A follow-up to Dogs Don’t Do Ballet (plot twist: Oh yes they do, sometimes). Sturdy words and stylishly expressive illustrations zip along and manage to tell a sparkly Christmas story of a tutu-wearing dog without a single misstep into cuteness.
Now out in paperback – a children’s non-fiction book written and illustrated by Marc Martin that journeys around the world. Stop-offs ranging from Antarctica to Cairo and Ulaanbaatar each get a double-page spread with colourful artwork and assorted facts (about animals, moustaches, buildings, snacks, escalators and much more).
The Pembrokeshire coast is glorious, but there’s much more to be explored. This is a really useful guide to help. Well-researched, companionably-written, thoughtfully laid out – careful and friendly descriptions of 17 walks, with an informative nugget or two (eg ‘Holly’, ‘The age of trees’) at the close of each one. It packs a lot into a neat volume and has been one of our best-sellers this year.