The Booktopia Book Guru asks Marina Endicott author of The Little Shadows, Good to a Fault and more… Ten Terrifying Questions ——————— 1. To begin with why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself – where were you born? Raised? Schooled? I was born in the west of Canada, high in the Rocky Mountains, in Golden, British Columbia. My father... Read more

The Booktopia Book Guru asks Nick Lake author of In Darkness, The Secret Ministry of Frost and more Ten Terrifying Questions  ————————— 1. To begin with why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself – where were you born? Raised? Schooled? I was born in the north of England, in a place called Hexham, which I’ve never been to, apart... Read more

Vivid tale of life in pre-revolutionary Paris beats Matthew Hollis’s biography of Edward Thomas to £30,000 prize cheque writes Mark Brown in The Guardian A vividly told story of life in pre-revolutionary Paris on Tuesday won the 2011 Costa book award in what turned out to be a bitterly fought two-way tussle between fact and fiction. Andrew Miller was given one of the UK’s most prest... Read more

An intrepid African safari guide sets out to discover all he can about the wildlife of the South American continent in a hilarious book about walking pumas (can be dangerous), chasing jaguars (can be elusive) and finding love (can be tricky). Not content with regular encounters with dangerous animals on one continent, Peter Allison decided to get up close and personal with some seriously scary ... Read more

The best way to lose weight is to change what you eat: fresh ingredients, good-quality food, portion control. With easy-to-follow menu plans and over 80 delicious, low-calorie recipes for everyday eating, Michelle Bridges will help you take charge of your weight loss. Michelle’s food tastes amazing and you won’t feel hungry between meals, so stop making excuses for not having the bo... Read more

In this highly anticipated follow-up to her award winning first novel, Good to a Fault, Marina Endicott tackles the fascinating world of vaudeville in it’s hey day of the early 20th century. The Little Shadows is itself something of a variety act, at turns tragic and comedic, melodramatic and risqué. It is a theatrical performance of a book, written in four acts and separated by an overture, in... Read more

You know you have found a really special book when reading it gives you shivers. This is especially true when you happen to be reading the book in weather conditions far more conducive to sweltering than shivering. I took Eowyn Ivey’s The Show Child on holiday with me. I read it in surroundings that could not be further removed from the book’s ice-cold, Alaskan setting. And yet despite the fact... Read more

Anne Rice’s legendary ‘Vampire Chronicles‘ immersed us in the mythology, lives and loves of a motley crew of undead; they defined a genre. And now she has another age-old story in her sights, the terrifying werewolf legend … The werewolf is the classic monster of horror fiction — dark, gothic, with supernatural depth and power – but here it is reimagined and ... Read more

Newest MasterChef sensation, and Country Women’s Association cake champion’s secrets shared! One of life’s simple pleasures is the lingering aroma of a freshly baked cake, especially one you have made yourself. Cooks everywhere are rediscovering the satisfaction that comes from old-fashioned baking at home. And in this delectable world of cakes, scones, sponges and puddings, one home cook... Read more

I picked up The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I am totally devastated by this book. I cried when I read it, and I never cry. You don’t want to throw around phrases like “instant classic,” but I can see this book sitting next to The Catcher in the Rye. It’s that good. Lev Grossman, author of The Magicians and The Magician King [youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_FzrUXOZEc&rel=0] NB... Read more