Category Archives: Blog tours

Review: The Wit & Wisdom of David Attenborough, by Chas Newkey-Burden

Publication date Thursday, October 26, 2023
Price £14.99
EAN\ISBN-13 9781856755269

Blurb

Description
A fascinating and entertaining collection of facts, quotes and stories,
celebrating Sir David Attenborough’s wicked sense of humour and astute
wisdom.
David Attenborough is a national treasure, known for his soothing voice, calming presence, passion for the natural world, and his humble, easy-going nature. Despite his incredible talent and influence, he tends to play it all down, one time stating that, ‘I can’t believe I’m still employed’.

So if he won’t celebrate himself, we’ll have to do it for him. Filled with facts, tributes and anecdotes, as well as beautiful illustrations, this enormously
positive book celebrates Sir David, providing a fascinating insight into his life as well as showcasing his brilliant sense of humour. Running chronologically, this book begins with his early days, to his first job at the BBC, to eventually becoming the most esteemed naturalist on the planet, as he is today.

Such revelations include:

  • There are 18 plants and animals named after him
  • When asked by a reporter how many degrees he had, he said it would be ‘rude to
    count’*
  • The single thing that would improve his quality of life is ‘good, workable knees’.
    Blending his quips galore with his powerful messages on the environment and future of
    the planet, this timely book showcases everything we love about Sir David, making it the
    perfect gift for any fan.
  • *He has over thirty!
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Review: Bright Starts of Black British History, by J.T. Williams, illustrated by Angela Vives

3rd September 2023
Ages 9+ | £16.99
Hardback | 60 illus
160pp | 24.0 x 17.2cm


A dazzlingly illustrated collection presenting the extraordinary life
stories of fourteen bright stars from Black British history, from Tudor
England to modern Britain.

Brought to life through hand-painted illustrations by award-winning illustrator Angela Vives, this important and timely book from author and educator J. T. Williams brings the lives of fourteen shining stars from Black British History into the spotlight, celebrating their remarkable achievements and contributions to the arts, medicine, politics, sport and beyond.

Featuring a constellation of iconic individuals – including storytelling freedom fighter Mary Prince, football star and World War I soldier Walter Tull, and Notting Hill Carnival founder Claudia Jones – ‘Bright Stars of Black British History’ shines a light on the courage, resilience and talent of remarkable individuals who have left a lasting mark on our collective history.

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Cover Reveal: Key Lime Sky, by Al Hess

Denver Bryant’s passion for pie has sent him across Wyoming in search of the best slices. Though he dutifully posts reviews on his blog, he’s never been able to recreate his brief moment of viral popularity, and its trickling income isn’t enough to pay his rent next month.

Driving home from a roadside diner, Denver witnesses a UFO explode directly over his tiny town of Muddy Gap. When he questions his neighbors, it appears that Denver is the only person to have seen anything – or to care that the residents’ strange behavior, as well as a shower of seashell hail, might be evidence of something extraterrestrial. Being both non-binary and autistic, he’s convinced his reputation as the town eccentric is impeding his quest for answers. Frustrated, he documents the bizarre incidents on his failing pie blog, and his online popularity skyrockets. His readers want the truth, spurring him to get to the bottom of things.

The only person in town who takes him seriously is handsome bartender, Ezra. As the two investigate over pie and the possibility of romance, the alien presence does more than change the weather. People start disappearing. When Denver and Ezra make a run for it, the town refuses to let them leave. Reality is folding in on itself. It’s suddenly a race against time to find the extraterrestrial source and destroy it before it consumes not only Muddy Gap but everything beyond. Denver’s always been more outsider than hero, but he’s determined to ensure that a world with Ezra – and with pie – still exists tomorrow.

Key Lime Sky is the second book from AL Hess at Angry Robot – check out his previous work, World Running Down.

Al Hess is also a fantastic artist – check out his instagram!

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Review: Seventy Times Seven, by Alex Mar

Bedford Square Publishers
09 November 2023
£20.00
978-1-9157-9896-1

A masterful, revelatory work of literary non-fiction about a teenage girl’s
shocking crime — and its extraordinary aftermath.

On a spring afternoon in 1985 in Gary, Indiana, a fifteen-year-old black girl kills a white elderly bible teacher in a violent home invasion. In a city with a history of racial tension the press swoops in.

Paula is sentenced to death, no one decries the impending execution of a tenth grader. But the tide begins to shift when the victim’s grandson Bill forgives the girl, against the wishes of his family, and campaigns to spare her life. This tragedy in a midwestern steel town soon reverberates across the United States and around the world — reaching as far away as the Vatican — as newspapers cover the story on their front pages and millions sign petitions in support of Paula.

As Paula waits on death row, her fate sparks a debate that not only animates legal circles but raises vital questions about the value of human life. This story asks us to consider the nature of justice, and what radical acts of empathy we might be capable of.

Continue reading “Review: Seventy Times Seven, by Alex Mar”