Winter has arrived and is in the air!
There’s a milky sun up there somewhere today, struggling to break through a heavy and cold mist. A white frost of tiny icicles, clinging to black branches, as sharp as the ice-cold breath drawn up through reluctant nostrils. These are the mornings full of zing and vigour, take the plunge out of the warmth and into the cold – once the shock of the chill subsides, a refreshing and rejuvenating feeling takes hold. Let’s hope the moths have left enough to wear because Winter has arrived and is in the air!
Winter-Time by Robert Louis Stevenson
Late lies the wintry sun a-bed,
A frosty, fiery sleepy-head;
Blinks but an hour or two; and then,
A blood-red orange, sets again.
Before the stars have left the skies,
At morning in the dark I rise;
And shivering in my nakedness,
By the cold candle, bathe and dress.
Close by the jolly fire I sit
To warm my frozen bones a bit;
Or with a reindeer-sled, explore
The colder countries round the door.
When to go out, my nurse doth wrap
Me in my comforter and cap;
The cold wind burns my face, and blows
Its frosty pepper up my nose.
Black are my steps on silver sod;
Thick blows my frosty breath abroad;
And tree and house, and hill and lake,
Are frosted like a wedding cake.
We can say it – the Christmas season is finally here! Which means, you’ll have to start collecting beautiful gifts to put under the tree. It’s a good job we’ve put together a compilation of the most dazzling new books around, so you won’t have to think too hard to treat a loved one to what they deserve. What about local Oxfordian Ann Granger’s new Victorian crime? The ninth installment in her Ben Ross series, this ruthless detective and his curious sidekick try to solve the mystery of the priceless stolen antique jewels. Or how about Dr Seuss’ new Grinch adventure, How the Grinch Lost Christmas? When the Grinch sees a poster for Who-ville’s Christmas tree contest, he has an awfully crafty idea… he will show off his new festive spirit by making the tallest, most spectacular Christmas tree the Whos have ever seen! But when things don’t go as planned, will the Grinch return to his grinchy ways, or can one special Who remind him of the true meaning of Christmas?
New in fiction: if you’ve been obsessed with the new Prime series ‘Wilderness,’ then why not try the book too? Wilderness by B. E. Jones is a psychological thriller that asks: what would you do to prove love for someone? The Mother of All Problems is the hilarious new novel by Nancy Peach: Penny Baker has three kids, a dog, and an oblivious husband; so when her elderly mother with recently diagnosed dementia comes to live with them too, the whole household balance is thrown into disarray.
New in non-fiction, Temple Grandin’s classic Different Types of Minds has been reissued in this simple format: are you good at maths? Working with your hands? Are you a neat freak or a big mess? Are you a visual thinker? With her knack for making science easy to understand, Temple Grandin explains the different types of thinkers. Similarly, for scientific thinkers: Is Butter a Carb? by Rosie Saunt and Helen West is the new, no-nonsense nutrition bible for anyone wanting to eat their best. In Meeting Churchill, Sincair McKay attempts to get a truly holistic picture of the legend by collating 90 different encounters with him; from Charlie Chaplin and P. G. Wodehouse, to Queen Elizabeth II and Harold Wilson, Churchill comes to light on the page like he never has before. Philippa Langley tried to solve the 500 years mystery in The Princes in the Tower; Lonely Planet describe their 80 best eco-friendly trips in Flight-Free Europe; and our favourite butchers, Ginger Pig, show us their favourites in their latest Christmas cookbook.
Lastly, for excited little ones: Jacqueline Wilson dons her Enid Blyton hat yet again for The Magic Faraway Tree: The Christmas Adventure; and for even-smaller-ones David Tazzyman and Patricia Cleveland-Peck bring us the silly new book You Can’t Let an Elephant Pull Santa’s Sleigh…”if you want your presents on Christmas Day…He’ll do his best to tug it up to the sky but the sad fact is – elephants can’t fly!” – this is definitely one to be read every year!
As always, if there’s something you need help with, or a book you need ordering, please call or email us!
From Amber
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The full newsletter with links to books – including this week’s Signed Editions – can be found HERE
