Newsletter
- June 08
A message
from The Book Monkey
You'll all be delighted to
hear that Mr B and team have ceased gazing at (and polishing) their
trophy thingummy now and are right back into the swing of devouring and
selling books. And so newsletters will soon flow with the only-slightly
disjointed regularity that you've come to know and love. In the
instalment below you'll find oodles of new book reviews, a new country
of the month
On the events side
everyone's all a fluster at the wonderful
Ed Docx's imminent appearance at Mr
B's tomorrow evening Wednesday 11th June! You can still
grab a ticket if you hurry! There's also super-chef and allotment-king
Paul Merrett
coming up on Thursday 10th July. Other than that the author events
programme will take a little pause for breath over the next few weeks to
let you all go on your summer holidays and will then be BACK with a
vengeance by late summer.
Just click one of the green links below, or scroll down to your section of
choice.
|
Events at Mr B's
▲
Back to Menu
|
Wednesday 11th June - 6.30pm at Mr B's -
Tickets £3 (includes wine & nibbles) |
|
 Ed
Docx - Booker Long-Listee and Member of the "Hay 21" writers
for the future
Hurry to grab a ticket to
meet one of Britain's most talented young authors,
Ed Docx. Ed has just been named one of the "Hay 21", an exclusive
list of young authors (including other Mr B's favourites such as Jhumpa
Lahiri, Nikita Lalwani and Catherine O'Flynn) put together on the occasion
of the 21st Hay Festival and who are all tipped for great things.
Ed
will introduce Self-Help, his second novel which was long-listed for the
Man Booker Prize in 2007. Self-Help is a cleverly structure novel set in
London, New York and St Petersburg and
centred around a Russian
émigré family with many secrets and a dark, disturbed history. Masha
Glover returns home from exile, where she dies suddenly and alone. Her
twins, Gabriel and Isabella, must come together and confront the contorted
legacy of the past in the shape of their estranged, malevolent father,
Nicholas, and the pitiless stranger, Arkady Artamenkov. To read more about
Ed, check out his great website -
http://www.edwarddocx.com/index.htm.
Ed will be
reading at Mr B's and answering questions about Self-Help and his first
novel "The Calligrapher". Vlashka will be asking about what it's like to
be devilishly handsome and a great author.
Email
books@mrbsemporium.com or give
us a call on 01225 331155 to reserve a ticket for this fabulous event this
coming Wednesday evening.
♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦
|
|
Thursday 10th July - 6.30pm at Mr B's -
Tickets £3 (includes wine & nibbles) |
|
 Michelin-starred
chef Paul Merrett
A must for all who
love food and who dream of eating what they have grown themselves. Paul is
a Michelin-starred chef who has turned to a small plot of communal land to
feed his family. In this witty tale of urban survival, Paul draws
inspiration from his grandparents' legacy of self-sufficiency as he
cajoles his wife and reluctant children to contend with slugs, aggressive
pigeons, mud and the elements to turn his crops into recipes worthy of his
epicurean background.
 With
intriguing chapter titles such as "Ipods and Asparagus" and "Crop Idle",
this is also a cookbook with over 85 allotment-inspired, mouth-watering
recipes ranging from "Mum's Pork Belly Curry" to "Hot Doughnuts with a Jam
Injection".
Come and be
inspired by Paul's fascinating allotment odyssey. He will be
reading from his book and answering any questions.
Email
books@mrbsemporium.com or give us a call on 01225 331155 to
reserve a ticket to this mouthwatering and inspiring evening.
♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦
|
|
♦ ♦ ♦
|
Reviews
▲
Back to Menu
|
♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦
|
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by
Mohsin Hamid
2007 Booker
short-listed novel set over the course of an evening in Lahore
as a charming Pakistani tells the story of his life to an
American stranger who seems suspicious of the Pakistani man on
the basis of his appearance. Hamid - himself a Pakistani
educated in Princeton in the U.S., - explores the relationship
between the worlds of the Muslim and the American through what
is essentially a monologue by the young Muslim.
A bravely
structured (Hamid has acknowledged the influence of Camus on his
style) and thought-provoking novel that is very much of our
time.
Paperback -
Penguin -
£7.99 -
Click here to buy online
|
|
♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦
|
The Story of Forgetting
by Stefan Merrill Block
This ambitious
debut by a 25 year old American novelist deals sensitively but
frankly with the effects of early onset Alzheimer's disease and
explores the theme of memory generally. The story is split
between two lead characters living in two very different Texan
homes. Abel Haggard lives a solitary life regretting the
enforced severance of his family connections decades earlier and
dealing with the gradual encircling of his ricketty home by
suburban sprawl. Teenager Seth reacts to the current and
future implications of his mother's sudden decline at the hands
of Alzheimer's disease by investigating the local genetic
history of the disease.
Both stories are
well-told and overlap cleverly to make this a really impressive
first novel despite a couple of slightly bizarre tangential
chapters linking the book's particular strain of the disease to
the antics of a slightly implausible English-gentry character.
Hardback
– Faber - £14.99 - Click here to buy online
|
|
♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦
|
Cheating at Canasta
by William Trevor
Form an orderly queue, the
paperback edition of William Trevor's latest short-story
collection is out NOW and it's fabulous! Ireland's beknighted
master of the short story has once again thrown dollops
of wistfulness, pathos and gentle humour into his literary
blender, seasoned the mixture with weary fault-filled
characters and served on a platter of expertly-drawn backdrops
from Venice to his Irish homeland.
The title story alone
- describing a man fulfilling a promise made to his wife shortly
before her death that he would return to Harry's Bar in Venice
but spending the visit recalling her decline - is enough to show
why Trevor is often compared to the masters of the short-story
such as Hemingway and Chekov.
Paperback
- Penguin - £7.99 -
Click here to buy online
|
|
♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦
|
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
by Winifred Watson
Resurrectors of lost classics and
creators of books of great beauty, Persephone Books, have
finally succumbed to the temptation to offer a handful of their
titles as "standard" paperback editions, rather than the
slightly pricier editions for which they've become famous. The
story of a remarkable day in the life of middle-aged governess
Miss Pettigrew is the pick of the trio that launches these new
editions. Winifred Watson's novel is a brilliant tale of
a governess sent to the wrong address and so accidentally tasked
with solving the problems of morally-dubious young woman rather
than the usual snivelling children. And fear not, if you prefer your
Persephone fixes in the form of the collectable silver-back
editions with their unique endpapers and bookmarks, you can
still find them here at Mr B's.
Paperback – Persephone -£9.00
-
Click here to buy online.
|
|
♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦
|
Semi-Invisible
Man:
The Life of Norman Lewis by Julian Evans
A brand-new
biography of a wonderful writer and remarkable man. Norman Lewis
is the writer of some of the twentieth century's best pieces of
travel writing. Particularly known for his writing on Southern
Italy (such as the war-time memoir "Naples '44" and his various
books on Sicily) and South-East Asia (such as his Burmese
travelogue "Golden Earth"), Lewis is revealed as a charismatic
hedonistic individual.
Evans' biography
casts light on the many lives of Lewis - racing driver,
mafia-connected businessman, extensive traveller and, above-all,
a superb and underrated author.
Eland's wonderful
editions of Lewis' books are also always available at Mr B's of
course and are the perfect complement to this biography.
Hardback
– Jonathan Cape -£25.00
-
Click here to buy online
|
|
♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ |
The Siege by
Ismail Kadare
Now here's one we
are certainly biased towards because we hosted a wonderful event
a week ago with Ismail, but in the aftermath of that
and having just finished reading "The Siege" we wanted to
reiterate what a fabulous book it is. The novel is set in the
C15 and tells the story of a formidable Ottoman army's attempt
to penetrate an Albanian fortress. It is a thrilling chronicle
of medieval war (with amazing descriptions of the vast armies
and their innumerable hangers-on) and a biting satire on the
folly of warmongering in general.
This is the first
English translation but the novel was originally written some 40
years ago. During his talk last week Ismail wouldn't be drawn on
whether or not he had intended comparisons to be made with the
"siege" of C20 Albania by the ruthless Communist regime of the
Soviet Union, but the novel certainly has much resonance away
from its specific setting.
Signed
Hardbacks – Canongate -£16.99
-
Click here to buy online
|
♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ |
The Kitchen
Revolution by Rosie Sykes, Zoe Heron, Polly Russell
Amidst a
mass of excellent cookbooks currently available, this one
nevertheless caught my eye as soon as it came in. Each week of
the year features 6 recipes, from ‘Big Meal from Scratch’ to
‘Larder Feast’, with an accompanying shopping list for the week
also available for download at the website. The recipes are
varied and interesting, from a classic "beef stroganoff" to a
seasonal "spiced grilled lamb chops with radish and orange
salad" and always within the ability of the average cook, making
this cookbook a good fit for any kitchen.
My advice
would be to throw out all those other recipe books you never
really use and replace them with this one which will keep you in
recipes for a lifetime! Oh, and one more thing, do make sure
you’ve had something to eat before coming to have a look at this
mouth-watering book!
Hardback
– Ebury -£25.00
-
Click here to buy online.
|
|
♦ ♦
♦
|
Country of the
Month -
Austria
▲
Back to Menu
As the European
Football Championships arrive in Austria and Switzerland, we thought
we'd visit Austria next on our ongoing world literature tour. Come
into Mr B's to see the full selection but here are a couple of very
brief tasters from two of the greats of Twentieth-century Austrian
literature.
|
♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦
|
Zipper and his
Father
by Joseph Roth
A tiny novel
oozing nostalgia at the passing of the "golden age" of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire. The narrator initially lives in awe of
his friend Zipper and his violin-maker father and the homely
family-life they have, but as the short novel progresses that
homeliness evaporates and the life-paths of two friends diverge
amidst war, varied careers and an ill-advised marriage to an
over-ambitious actress.
Paperback - Granta - £6.99 -
Click here to buy online
|
|
♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
♦ |
Chess
by Stefan Zweig
A novella about
chess, obsession, and the mind - As Pascal said: "All man's
miseries derive from not being able to sit quiet in a room
alone." This is the story of a boorish world chess champion who
is challenged to a game of chess on a cruise ship by a group of
fellow passengers. One of them timidly begins to suggest
brilliant moves, and we dive into the story of the mysterious
challenger. Manages to pack more into 96 pages than most
400-page novels.
Paperback - Penguin - £5.99 -
Click here to buy online
|
|
♦ ♦
♦
|
You see him
here.....you see him there...
Mr B's as Official Bookseller
▲
Back to Menu
Here are some
of the great local literary events coming up where Mr
B's will be the official bookseller.
For tickets to
these events, click on the links provided below.
|
Theatre Royal Special Events
Every few
weeks Bath’s Theatre Royal invites a prominent author to speak
about their book in the Theatre prior to a sit-down lunch in
The Vaults restaurant. |
Coming up
25th July:
Marlborough: England's Fragile Genius - A talk by
best-selling historian Richard Holmes on his brand new
biography of John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough.
5th September - Casanova -
Book ahead for
this talk by Iain Kelly on his much anticipated biography of
the world's greatest lover.
Tickets
and further information–
www.theatreroyal.org.uk
|
|
Calcot Manor Hotel Meet-the-Author
Lunches
Monthly
lunches followed by author talk and book-signing in this
beautiful Cotswold hotel and spa near Tetbury, Gloucs.
|
Coming
up
Season
resumes in September - Watch this space
|
|
Bath Spa Poetry Society
Monthly
poetry readings by renowned poets, generally held at the Bath
Royal Literary and Scientific Institute at 16-18 Queen Square,
Bath.
|
Coming up
Season resumes in October - WATCH this space |
|
♦ ♦
♦
|
The Book Monkey's Quirky Quiz
- Win £5 off at Mr B's!
▲
Back to Menu
Thanks to those who
guessed April's Quirky Quiz question (can you remember back that
far?). Lots of people guessed correct which tells us either that
you're all multi-lingual geniuses OR that the question was too easy.
As per the strict BBCesque rules that govern the Quirky Quiz each
correct answer was allocated a biscuit and Vlashka's snout was
shoved in the midst of them, the one she gobbled first belonged to
Kirsty McHugh. Kirsty, you get £5 off on your next visit to Mr B's!
|
JUNE
QUIRKY QUIZ QUESTION
Question:
Our next guest author Ed Docx sets part of his Booker prize
nominated novel "Self-Help" in St. Petersburg.
What 2 other
names did that city have in the twentieth century?
Email us on
books@mrbsemporium.com with your answer.
The first ten to answer correctly will be allocated a biscuit in
Vlashka's bowl and the winner will be the first to be eaten! The lucky winner
will be announced in next month’s newsletter
and will get £5 off their next purchase at Mr B’s shop in
Bath
or off an email book order.
|
|
Answer to April's Quirky Quiz
Question:
In the original
Tintin (in French), what is the name of "Snowy" the dog?
Answer:
Milou |
|
♦ ♦
♦
|
Noticeboard
▲
Back to Menu
Master Duncan's Speak Easy - Open Mic Night
Fortnightly at
The Festival Cellar Bar - 16/17 Alfred Street, Bath BA1 2QU - £1
entry
Bath Recitals
Artists' Trust
Saturday 22nd June at
8pm - The Greenwich Trio performing Schumann and Beethoven at The
Pump Room
Tickets £7 from
www.bathfestivals.org.uk.
PLUS 2 pairs of complimentary tickets to this wonderful concert
available to the first newsletter subscribers to e-mail us at
books@mrbsemporium.com
Bath
Minerva Choir
Saturday 29th June at
4pm - "Viva Verdi" at The Assembly Rooms
Tickets £18, £14 and
£8.
www.bathfestivals.org.uk
Bath
Choral Society
Saturday 22nd June -
7.30pm - "Carmina Burana", "Porgy & Bess" and "Carnival of the
Animals". Bath Choral's 125th anniversary concert at the Wiltshire
Music Festival, Bradford on Avon.
Tickets £18.
Concessions available.
www.wiltshiremusic.org.uk
Asian Poetry Form Workshops with Alan Summers
Saturdays 10-30am -
4.30pm - starting 26 April (Renga)
Murch Room, Bath Royal
Literary and Scientific Institute - 16-18 Queen Square - 0845 223
5274
"Uni-Verse" Lunchtime Poetry Group
Next meetings
Wednesday 11 June ("Inspirations from European Countries") and 9
July (featuring Susan Sheppard) from 12.30pm at Bath Royal Literary
and Scientific Institute. Tickets £2 (members £1).
Taste of Bath
3rd - 6th July in
Royal Victoria Park. Tickets and details at
www.channel4.com/taste
See what's on at the Little Theatre Cinema in Bath -
Click here to go to website.
|
|
