Book of the Month - Casino Royale - April 2013

The Book

This is where it all began with the first story featuring James Bond who has gone on to become an icon of British cinema. Casino Royale was first published by Ian Fleming himself in 1952 and went on to spawn 11 books and a highly successful film franchise.

The question is how does this book translate to the screen? Is this a book of its time only or does it speak to the modern world?

The Author

Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was born into a wealthy family connected to banking and politics. He was educated at Eton, Sandhurst and then at universities in Munich
and Geneva. During World War Two, Fleming worked in the British intelligence services, the experience of which subsequently formed the basis for his James Bond novels and the successful James Bond film franchise. Fleming was also the author of the children's story Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He lived at Goldeneye, his house in the Carribbean and was married to Ann Charteris.  In 2008, "The Times" newspaper Fleming fourteenth on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".

More Information

Find out more about Ian Fleming on his offical website - http://www.ianfleming.com

Book or the Month - The Shack - March 2013

The Book

Isn't it strange how some things develop?

The Shack was originally only ever intended to be a story written for Young's six children about perspectives on God. However, Young's friends encouraged him to have the book formerly published. The book remained largely unnoticed until it became popular in the US and was listed as number 1 on the New York Times paperback fiction bestseller list in 2008.

The novel is defined as a "Christian" book but should appeal to anyone who asks the questions "What if?" about the world and God. It promises to fit into the literary tradition of authors like C.S. Lewis, who is one of Young's inspirations.

The Author

William Paul Young is from Canada but now lives in Oregan in the US. He was the son of missionary parents and spent most of his formative years in Netherlands New Guinea amongst the Dani people. He has six children and three grandchildren and is the author of two books.

More Information

Visit the official website of William Paul Young

Book of the Month - The Thoughts and Happenings of Wilfred Price, Purveyor of Superior Funerals - February 2013

The Book

www.lovereading.co.uk lists Wendy Jones' debut novel as one of its "Great Reads You May Have Missed in 2012". It promises to be a quirky, charming story featuring an unlikely literary everyman hero, an undertaker called Wilfred Price who faces some big choices in his life.

The Author

Wendy Jones was the first person to do an MA in Life Writing at UEA and is currently completing a PhD in Creative Writing at Goldsmiths, where she teaches. She wrote Portrait of the Artist as a Young Girl, a biography of Grayson Perry (Chatto & Windus) and hosts Interesting Conversations, a literary programme on Resonancefm. She lives in London.

More Information

Watch a You Tube interview with Wendy Jones.

Book of the Month - Misery - January 2013

The Book

What happens when a famous author meets his number one fan? 'Misery' is a tense psychological thriller about the obsessive Annie Wilkes who 'rescues' author Paul Sheldon from a car crash.

From the very beginning, when Paul wakes up, disoriented and in excrutiating pain with broken legs in Annie's secluded house, the story spirals into an intensely plotted examination of a captivity Sherarazade scenario.

The Author

Stephen King is a prolific American author of horror, thrillers, suspense and fantasy novels. He has written more than 50 novels, selling more than 350 million copies making King one of the world's most successful authors.

Many of his books have been adapted into films, including "Carrie", "The Shawshank Redemption", "The Green Mile", "The Shining" (which will be followed by a new sequel, "Doctor Sleep", to be published in 2013). "Misery" itself was made into a successful film starring Kathy Bates and James Caan in 1990.

Bio.com describes King as "a quiet man with a grotesque imagination, considered the most talented master of the macabre since Edgar Allan Poe."

More Information

Stephen King's official website is: http://www.stephenking.com/index.html

Book of the Month - The Snowman - December 2012

The Book
'The Snowman' is number seven in a series of crime thrillers featuring Detective Harry Hole. From the sounds of this novel, you might not sleep easy in your bed given that Hole, a likeable, rugged but flawed detective, is on the hunt of a serial killer who always leaves a trademark behind - a snowman. The book has been described as "one of the most unnerving novels about a serial killer".

The Author
A Norwegian, Jo Nesbo was born and lives in Oslo. He is a graduate of the Norwegian School of Economics and was a journalist and stockbroker before turning to writing. Nesbo has been touted by the book industry as 'the next Stieg Larsson' - see what you think yourself....

More Information
Visit Jo Nesbo's UK website at: http://www.jonesbo.co.uk/

Book of the Month - Night Circus - November 2012

The Book
This is a fantastical tale about two rival magicians set in nineteenth century London. Will we be spellbound and enchanted, mildly curious or left crying into our popcorn?

The Author
Erin Morgernstern is from Boston, Massachusetts in the United States. She is an author and artist. Before gaining recognition and starting a bidding war with her novel, she was juggling a number of odd jobs and was rejected by 30 literary agents.

More Information
Find out more about Erin on her website: http://erinmorgenstern.com/

Book of the Month - When God Was a Rabbit - October 2012

The Book

Continuing on with our trend of reading debut novels, "When God Was a Rabbit" is an intriguing tale about family, friendship and relationships. On the surface the story is full of humour in places, but it is equally routed in tragedy and centred around a number of historical events such as John Lennon's murder and 9/11. The book has won several awards including the Galaxy New Writer of the Year Award in 2011.

The Author
Sarah Winman was originally an actress before turning to writing. She studied at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and has acted in the theatre, film and television including in shows such as 'Holby City', 'The Bill', 'Foyle's War' and 'Bad Girls'.

More Information
Sarah doesn't have her own website but you can visit her Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/SarahWinman. You can also watch her talk about her novel at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqJ89gnD30o