Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Sadly, it’s not snowing this year here in the UK — we’re having a very wet, not a white, Christmas. This photo was taken a couple of years ago, when we did have a lot of snow. But whether it’s white or not, I hope you have a happy and peaceful Christmas. Photo courtesy of …

Christmas books for Mac users

Macs are great computers but we don’t always use (or even know about) their full potential. If you know someone who’s recently bought a Mac, or who’s had their Mac for ages but doesn’t use it to full effect (who does?), then a Peachpit Press user guide might make a good present. I know — a …

Styling your style guide: Christmas gifts for stylish writing

  The 16th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style (CMoS) was published this year. There are of course many wonderful style guides: some are listed here. But The CMoS is the one I’m after — just look at the lovely colours on that cover! (I’ve still got the orange 15th edition; I think this …

Gifted in translation (4): Glorious Goldoni

As I’ve been putting together the last few posts on books as Christmas gifts, it’s been a lovely surprise to discover so many publishing houses specialising in their own niche markets or in helping little-known authors get published. Sparkling Books: are publishers of non-fiction and fiction. Our series are: Sparkling Perspectives – non-fiction Sparkling Imaginations – …

Gifted in translation (3): The Little Prince

For those of you looking for Christmas books for children, two new translations of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s “The Little Prince” have just been published. The one shown above is a sort of double translation, as it’s a graphic adaptation by Joann Sfar with translation by Sarah Ardizzone. It’s published by Walker Books (who really should credit the …

Gifted in translation (2): The Arabian Nights

Earlier posts this week were about books in translation and books designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith. Coralie also designed Penguin’s Limited Edition Clothbound Classic version of The Arabian Nights, translated by Malcolm Lyons with his wife, Ursula Lyons. The Limited Edition version is no longer available (unless you have over £600 to spend on Amazon). But …

Gifting a book by its cover: Christmas gifts as heirlooms

  In a recent article in the Guardian, Stuart Walton asks: “Do books furnish a room, as Anthony Powell’s Bagshaw insists? Or are they just a massive encumbrance?”. It depends on the book, surely. Any designed by Coralie Beckford-Smith would add beauty and delight to any room. Coralie designs for Penguin, and her books would make …

Gifted in translation: specialist publishers

Books are always a lovely Christmas present, all the more so if they’re carefully chosen and a wee bit out of the ordinary. Hersilia Press and Peirene Press both specialise in books in translation. Hersilia is “an independent publisher bringing you the best of Italian crime fiction” and Peirene “specializes in contemporary European literature in …

It’s the thought(ful gift) that counts

A lot of us will be re-thinking our Christmas-present habits this year — more Christmas minimalism and less Christmas spending-for-spending’s sake. For some reason — and I don’t think it’s just the wintry weather that we’re experiencing here in the UK — I’ve been feeling Christmassy for the first time in years. Maybe it’s because …

Let it snow

Wintry scenes from in and around our garden. Taken by my daughter, Olivia. Even blasé teenagers get enthusiastic about snow!   By Marian Dougan