The Booktopia Book Guru asks Robin de Crespigny author of The People Smuggler: The True Story of Ali Al Jenabi, the ‘Oskar Schindler of Asia’ Ten Terrifying Questions —————————— 1. To begin with why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself – where were you born? Raised? Schooled? As a child I rode horses and had ... Read more

Dial M for Murdoch: News Corporation and the Corruption of Britain Dial M for Murdoch gives the first connected account of the wrongdoing over the last decade at News International, and the extraordinary lengths to which its parent company, News Corporation, went to ‘put the problem in a box’ (in James Murdoch’s words), how its efforts to maintain and extend its power were aid... Read more

The Orange Prize for Fiction Shortlist 2012 Esi Edugyan – Half Blood Blues This is a new part of an old story: 1930s Berlin, the threat of imprisonment and the powerful desire to make something beautiful despite the horror. Chip told us not to go out. Said, don’t you boys tempt the devil. But it been one brawl of a night, I tell you. The aftermath of the fall of Paris, 1940. Hierony... Read more

Film of Stephenie Meyer‘s The Host is set for release in March 2013. From the Publisher: The SUNDAY TIMES and NEW YORK TIMES bestseller – well over ONE MILLION copies in print worldwide. Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that takes over the minds of their human hosts while leaving their bodies intact, and most of humanity has succumbed. Wa... Read more

I had promised to post a new set of three authors offering writing tips every Friday evening but this is the second third fourth time in a row I have forgotten to do so. Hmmm… Maybe I should just promise to post every Saturday? Or even better, forgo the promise… I know what I’ll do. New announcement: I have long thought the advice offered to aspiring writers in answer to quest... Read more

  J.K. Rowling has just announced her new novel for adults, The Casual Vacancy. It will be released on September 27, 2012. Pre-order now Publisher’s blurb: When Barry Fairweather dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock. Seemingly an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, what lies behind the pretty facade is a tow... Read more

The Lifeboat is a daring and adventurous novel set just before the First World War. It begins in a courtroom, where an enigmatic young woman named Grace Sachs is on trial; in flashback, we learn why… A powerful tale set at the turn of the twentieth century, The Lifeboat is the story of Grace Sachs, an enigmatic young woman whose life is forever altered when the ocean liner on which she is... Read more

The much anticipated fourth book in the Fallen series, Rapture will be available from 12th June 2012 Rapture is the thrilling conclusion to the bestselling Fallen series. Every love story has an ending . . . even those that never die. Following the sensational global success of Fallen, Torment and Passion, legions of fans are waiting to find out the fate of Luce and Daniel. In Rapture, Lauren K... Read more

I had promised to post a new set of three authors offering writing tips every Friday evening but this is the second third time in a row I have forgotten to do so. Hmmm… Maybe I should just promise to post every Saturday? Or even better, forgo the promise… I know what I’ll do. New announcement: I have long thought the advice offered to aspiring writers in answer to question ten... Read more

I have been selling master storyteller Stephen King‘s The Dark Tower all of my book selling life. Its reputation in the genre is unmatched. The release of a new book in this series is an event. Here is a word about the book from the UK publisher: “For readers new to Stephen King’s epic 7-volume fantasy masterpiece The Dark Tower, The Wind Through the Keyhole is a stand-alone n... Read more