July 4 Weekend Reads

Get political this weekend with our top titles from the Citizen Activist’s Library. (July 1-4 we’re offering 30% off all books!)   A Citizen’s Guide to Impeachment Barbara A. RadnofskyRead more »

Salman Rushdie, Ian Rankin and Joanne Harris amongst those recognised in the Queen’s birthday honours list

Each year, around her official birthday, Queen Elizabeth II awards “Honours” to  deserving people from all walks of life, recognising people who have made achievements in public life and/or committed themselves to “servingRead more »

Geetanjali Shree becomes first Indian winner of International Booker Prize

Founded in 2005, The International Booker Prize is a welcome date on the calendar each year, not only because it celebrates international literature and their translations into English but becauseRead more »

Joanne Harris suggests some “parents, largely fathers” perceive reading as “girly”

It’s that time of year when “authors saying things at The Hay Festival” dominate the news headlines (not the actual news headlines, of course. The publishing ones). This year it’s the turnRead more »

Footballer Marcus Rashford’s mum accepts Book of the Year award on his behalf

Last year we followed the fortunes of Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford as he campaigned for a continuation of free school meals during the pandemic; launched his own reading club;Read more »

Fundraiser sends more than 5,000 books to Ethiopia’s largest library

Back in January 2022, a new library was opened Ethiopia’s capital of Addis Ababa. Named Abrehot, which is Amharic for enlightenment, it is largest in the country on a plot 19,000Read more »

East London charity celebrates 7000th book bike delivery

A charity offering books to deprived households in several East London boroughs has this week celebrated its 7000th drop-off—and they’ve all been delivered by bicycle. BookBike was established by EmdadRead more »

Free children’s book celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee criticised as too ‘Anglocentric’ by Welsh and Scottish governments

Last October, we wrote about the UK government’s plan to create a new children’s book in honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, which would be given away free toRead more »

Oxford University Press pull Biff & Chip book over “scary” country pages

A book in the popular Biff & Chip children’s series has been withdrawn from sale by Oxford University Press, following complaints that its pages depicting a “scary” country were “no longer appropriate”.Read more »

Lost Charlotte Brontë manuscript sold for $1.25 million

Best known for her classic Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë’s juvenilia remains a neglected but significant part of her literary canon. From childhood she was writing stories and poems, alongside and oftenRead more »

Waterstones appeal aims to raise £1m for Ukraine disaster fund

As the conflict in Ukraine intensifies again in the east, and with an estimated 5 million people now estimated to have fled the country, humanitarian aid efforts continue. We’ve beenRead more »

The Big Jubilee Read: 70 books are selected to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 year reign

This summer marks The Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch in British history, who has been on the throne for 70 years, since 1952. As part of the celebrations, TheRead more »

Man arrives 13 hours early for flight powered by steak bakes and motivational books

How early do you normally arrive for a flight? I give it a couple of hours myself—or at least enough time to buy some outlandishly-sized triangular Swiss chocolate and aRead more »

“Old Books Discussed”—ancient article animates attention

We were once again taking a brief break from the page proofs—they will never end!—by scrolling through the digital resources available via the Brooklyn Public Library—our new favorite institution!—when weRead more »

Shelf Wars: Ashley Tisdale buys 400 books to ‘style’ her home and Twitter explodes

What do your bookshelves say about you? Have you been collecting for years, cramming books in any which way you can? Do you carefully stylise, organising by colour or category?Read more »

Theories abound after anonymous return of Darwin’s notebooks

“LIBRARIAN – HAPPY EASTER X” Three short words and a sign-off was all took to reopen one of the most intriguing literary mysteries of recent times. Back in November 2000, aRead more »

Book said to reveal Anne Frank’s betrayer is pulled after being discredited

In January 2022, Dutch publisher Ambo Anthos, and English publisher HarperCollins brought out the book The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation which controversially revealed the likely betrayer of Anne Frank andRead more »

“Wot, No Books?” Milton Keynes library saved after protesters check out its entire stock

In the past decade, nearly 800 UK libraries have been forced to close since austerity measures were launched by the Conservative Party in 2010. Public spending cuts continue to bite hardRead more »

Belgian publisher donates over a thousand books to railway station libraries

While the closure of a publishing house is never something to celebrate, one Belgian company have found a way to extend their legacy: by donating 1,100 books to little free libraries.Read more »

Book Aid For Ukraine auctions off publishing goodies raising relief funds

The publishing industry continues to band together against Putin, launching Book Aid for Ukraine. Organised by Hayley Steed, literary agent at the Madeleine Milburn Agency, Book Aid for Ukraine auctioned off overRead more »

Little Toller and Bluemoose unite to aid Ukraine

It is easy to feel helpless in times like these. What can we realistically do to help in a small way, as an estimated two million people flee Ukraine? HowRead more »

Animal magic: zoo offers book bundles for World Book Day

Happy World Book Day to one and all! WBD is traditionally a time when dressing up and school visits rule the day – but one unusual organisation is getting inRead more »

End of an era: Waterstones to extend high street domination after acquiring bookshop chain Blackwell’s

A 143 year legacy will soon be coming to an end after it was announced this week that Waterstones has bought Blackwell’s, the UK’s biggest independent bookshop chain. We recently wroteRead more »

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