Book News: December 2010
from The Book Case, who have been providing our community with books for over 25 years
TOP TEN: November bestsellers at The Book Case
Christmas is coming - and it shows in The Book Case's November bestseller. An attractive children's item was popular, with six of our remaining top ten sellers being of local interest. Also selling well was an original approach to history, and the ever-popular We'moon Diary.
1. Another Night before Christmas - Carol Ann Duffy, ill. Rob Ryan (£4.99). A warm and witty modern reworking of the Victorian Christmas classic.
2. Animal Parade - Alison Jay (£9.99). A lovely set of six stackable or nestable boxes for small children, illustrated with bright cheerful animals in her signature crackle glaze style by Alison Jay.
3. Gone Walkabout - Anna Carlisle (£6.95). A bit of a surprise considering the weather, but this book of local walks was a popular seller in November!
4. Around Calderdale: Calderdale and its people on the Calderdale Way 1 & 2 - Ray Riches and Peter Thornton (£19.99). A walk tracing historic routes high on the valley sides on the circular route that takes in most of Calderdale, from the Pathways team. This double DVD covers the whole circuit.
5. West Yorkshire Folk Tales - John Billingsley (£9.99). Local historian John Billingsley's latest collection of West Yorkshire folklore, entertainingly told, with atmospheric line drawings by Heptonstall illustrator, Stan McCarthy.
6. Hebden Bridge: a short history of the area - Peter Thomas (£5.99). Peter Thomas's account of the history of our area from ancient times to the present day continued popular.
7. History of the World in 100 Objects - Neil MacGregor (£22.00 at The Book Case). The big book related to the brilliant Radio 4 series by the Director of the British Museum.
8. We'Moon Diary 2011 (£15.99). "Groundswell" is the theme of this colourful moon calendar and datebook for women this year
9. Yorkshire Dales Textile Mills - George Ingle (£9.99). George Ingle's entertaining talk to the Local History Society boosted sales of this account of the vanished mills of the Dales.
10. One Week in September - Calder VI students and teachers (£5.00). A collection of poetry and prose by Calder VI students and teachers, written at Lumb Bank, September 2009. Published with the help of Sweet and Maxwell in Mytholmroyd.
NEWS
he Independent on Sunday featured our top ten recommendations for their Hit List on 21st November. Five of our great local authors, three novels, a book on inequality and a poetry book!
The Book Case has joined The Campaign For Real Books aka CAMBO which hopes to ensure the survival of the paper book. They say: "Spending time and money in a good bookshop is one of life's greatest pleasures. By joining the Campaign For Real Books you can get 10% discounts on new and old books from your favourite independent bookshops simply by showing them your membership card. You'll also become part of a huge community of book lovers who will have a real say in the future of real books. Too many local shops have closed down."
As well as a second Crow perched aloft (Hughes, Poe) and some flickering electric candles (winter festival of your choice), The Book Case now has Flying Quotes - a selection of our favourite quotations suspended above your head in the shop. We have to thank Carol for risking her fingers clamping them into the snaps and Kate for daring ladder-expertise in hanging them. They're by way of a small celebration of the power of the written word.
At the Foot of the Lud - a history of Luddenden Foot - Sheena Ellwood (£9.99)
Four and a half miles west of Halifax the Luddenden Brook, also known as the Lud, flows down past Luddenden to meet the River Calder at Luddenden Foot. The village at the foot of the Lud hardly existed before 1800 but in the nineteenth century, when the domestic system of textile manufacturing was replaced by the factory system, it grew as a workhorse of the industrial revolution. It had its own local government from 1868 until 1937. Only the footprints of many of the huge buildings remain but fifty years ago at Luddenden Foot there was a vibrant community. A Royd Press publication.
The Good Ship "Calder High" and other tales from the 1950s - Peter Thomas (£5.00)
Around 1950 an experimental establishment was set up at Mytholmroyd - along with a handful of others, it was a testing ground for a new concept in education: the comprehensive school. The author was one of the early guinea pigs, and reveals all, along with what else there was for youngsters to do in Hebden Bridge in a pre-TV age!
Around Calderdale: Calderdale and its people on the Calderdale Way [2 DVDs] - Ray Riches and Peter Thornton (£12.99 each, £19.99 for 2-pack with both)
Pathways' latest creation uses the Calderdale Way to reveal the spectacular and varied landscape of Calderdale. The trail traces historic routes high on the valley sides on the circular route which takes in Todmorden, Heptonstall, Luddenden Dene, Shelf, Brighouse, West Vale, Ripponden, Cragg Vale and Stoodley Pike. Part 1, with Stoodley Pike on the cover, takes you from West Vale to Heptonstall; Part 2, with the Wainhouse Tower, from Heptonstall to West Vale. There's a double pack with both DVDs
THIS MONTH'S FEATURED BOOKS
We highlight every month books we think are of particular interest: from adult fiction and non-fiction, a children's book and a CD.
Adult fiction: Hand Me Down World - Lloyd Jones (£11.99). A multi-layered story of a woman's search for a lost child across different countries, observed by others. From the internationally bestselling author of Mister Pip.
Adult non-fiction: You Can Stick It - P K Munroe (£12.99). Hundreds of subversive, surreal and daft stickers for today's society, to cheer us all up!
Children's book: The Gruffalo Sound Book - Julia Donaldson (£12.99). Stomp, slither and scamper your way through the deep dark wood with this amazing play-along version of "The Gruffalo". Press the 10 interactive sound buttons and bring the nation's favourite bedtime story vividly to life!
CD: BBC Vintage Comedy: The Goons, Hancock, Take It from Here (£12.99 each). Four episodes from each of these classic comedy series of the 1950s.