We interview The Reverend Richard Coles about his Christmas mystery novel (see pages 4 & 5), Alice Loxton about her new book which blends history and travel writing (see page 9), Dr Mark Hines about his book which describes his experiences in a dog sled race in Alaska (see pages 18 & 19), Swedish historian and environmentalist Sverker Sörlin about his book which traces the history, science and cultural significance of snow (see pages 24 & 25), Alexandra Benedict about her two new festive crime novels, one for adults and one for children (see pages 30 & 31), Lauren Child about her new Christmas picture book which sees the return of Charlie and Lola (see page 34), and Sarah Ann Juckes on her latest children’s novel about a boy finding his voice in a snowy landscape (see page 39).
There’s also an intriguing book of puzzles centred on a seasonal mystery (see page 8), a new novel from Olivia Laing set in 1970s Italy (see page 10), a debut historical novel from a Finnish author about a legendary sea creature (see pages 12 & 13), and a Booker shortlisted epic novel of love and family by Kiran Desai (see pages 16 & 17). We take a look at a book which explores the Beatles’ relationship with their American record label, and a history of the year 1976 (see pages 14 & 15), a biography of a ostracised royal, and a book on the lives of pioneering female scientists (see pages 26 & 27), and an original personal and historical work by an Albanian author (see page 29).
For younger readers, we feature a collection of classic fairy tales (see page 33), an endearing book of canine poetry (see page 36), a beautiful Christmas picture book (see page 37), and an uplifting book of reassurance (see page 40).
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all Booktime readers!