Daunts Marylebone

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Wonderful Walker event

A new book by Patrick Ness is always something to be shouted about and this one is no exception.  “The rest of us just live here” is about those who are not the superheroes, they are just kids trying to get along in life and cope with the problems of their teen years, although this does include OCD and dysfunctional families.  It  is a book that you would recommend to everyone and it is bound to be nominated for a variety of awards in the coming year.  There are two parallel narratives and although the second is told as the short headings to each chapter, gradually they begin to seep into each other.  You really must read this book.

Walker, 9781406367478

Walker, 9781406367478

2015-09-02 18.30.06

Patrick Ness and Tanya Landman

Thank you Walker books and Daunts in Marylebone for a  truly lovely evening. I was lucky enough to get a photo of two Carnegie winners as the wonderful Tanya Landman was there.  It was also great to see Celia Rees again and to meet Catherine Johnson and Non Pratt.  As you can see it was a star studded evening but the  undoubted megastar was Patrick himself.

Oh, and of course there was cake!  Lovely little cup cakes with a miniature book on the top.2015-09-02 19.05.04

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Boldly Going…

Well, it might not be the final frontier but on Thursday there was a gathering at Daunts in Marylebone to celebrate the launch of the phenomenally funny book “The Bolds” by Julian Clary, with illustrations by David Roberts.

David Roberts and Julian Clary

David Roberts and Julian Clary

A fantastic crowd at Daunts

A fantastic crowd at Daunts

The Bolds are a family of Hyenas who have found themselves living in Teddington with their two children Bobby and Betty.  Once your brain starts to accept this fact it becomes easier to slide (laughing hilariously) into the story of their lives and the plot to save an elderly hyena, from the local safari park, from being put ‘to sleep’.  David Robert’s illustrations are as always amazing and and bring the whacky characters to life in such a vivid way.

Tony and Miranda

Tony and Miranda

 

Betty and friend Minnie

Betty and friend Minnie

This is yet another fabulous book for what used to be a very neglected age range, the 7-9 year olds.  I particularly like the very groan worthy jokes that Mr Bold creates for his job, writing the jokes for Christmas crackers and I am quite sure that the intended audience will be wowing their friends and family with them once they start reading.

A big thanks should go to everyone at Andersen Press, not only for the great party, but also for bringing together such a brilliant team as Julian Clary and David Roberts.  I can only hope that this is one of many collaborations and I know that a follow up is being planned for the Bolds.  I almost dread to think what they will be doing in suburbia next time around.  The one thing that keeps passing through my mind is “what if they had lived in Surbiton and came across Margo Leadbetter?”  A vaguely surreal and worrying prospect.

Andersen Press, 9781783443642

Andersen Press, 9781783443642