The Magus by John Fowles

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The Magus by John Fowles to hit the small screen

The Magus by John Fowles has an almost mythical place in my literary memory. I read the 670 page long novel in my mid-twenties over two intense days, skipping meals and hardly sleeping. Such was the power of this mysterious, hypnotising book about a young English teacher on a remote Greek island who comes under the spell of a wealthy recluse. I’ve since been hesitant about re-reading it, fearing that my older, more cynical self will find faults with it and spoil the magic. Now there is fantastic news for all The Magus fans, of which there seems to be many. None other than Sam Mendes will direct a TV-series based on the book. I, for one, can’t wait! If you haven’t read it yet, hurry up!

Read with your teen

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Read With Your Teen in 2020

I first came across On the Road by Jack Kerouac at the tender age of sixteen. Revisiting it recently, it felt like a somewhat different novel, my teen reading self dazzled by impressions and emotion, the older me searching for nuance and (sadly?) with a good deal more cynicism.

It occurred to us that it would be a very interesting experiment to tackle key influential novels as a team: adult reader and keen teen. What difference would there be in your final analyses? If your teen finds you jaded and you think them naive, what fiery debate may ensue!

Here’s a handful of challenging Bookstoker favourites to get you started and throughout 2020, we’ll add more titles for your family’s stimulation and delectation.

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A gorgeous last minute Christmas present

Do you need to impress someone with a thoughtful gift that looks like you’ve spent ages choosing? There’s still time for a last minute dash to the bookshop to pick out a gorgeously bound book by an underestimated female author. Persephone Books is located in London’s Bloomsbury, and publishes titles mainly by women writers from the 20th century, many of whom are less known or entirely forgotten. Visit their incredibly stylish, cosy bookshop and talk to the staff who are very happy to recommend an excellent read.

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Books for Christmas 2019

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Best Books for Christmas 2019

I can’t think of a better year to turn to plastic-free, (relatively) low carbon footprint Christmas gifts like books. They generate hours and hours of pleasure, can be enjoyed over and over again, can be given away and are recyclable. We have thought long and hard about which books we think will make good gifts and here is our selection for Christmas 2019. Spread the love!

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Lucy Ellmann at the Cambridge Literary Festival

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Lucy Ellmann at the Winter Cambridge Literary Festival

Lucy Ellmann is the most recent winner of the Goldsmith’s Prize, which rewards ‘fiction that breaks the mould or extends the possibilities of the novel form’. One of this year’s judges, New Statesman culture editor Anna Leszkiewicz, was in conversation with Ellmann at the 2019 Winter Cambridge Literary Festival.

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Introducing Lily, the latest addition to Bookstoker

Lily just graduated with an MA in Modern Languages and is our first American reviewer. She has a soft spot for meditative and nature writing and her reviews Things That Are by Amy Leach and Tessa Hadley’s latest novel The Past are brilliant examples. Reading David Wallace-Wells’ The Uninhabitable Earth changed her outlook on the climate crisis as her passionate review shows.  You can read more about Lily (and the rest of us) in our About section (scroll to the bottom).

Welcome, Lily!

Olafur Eliasson's books on the environment

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Olafur Eliasson’s choice of books on the environment

I had the pleasure of seeing artist Olafur Eliasson’s Tate Modern exhibition In Real Life on the weekend and loved his selection of books on the environment which I thought I’d share with you here. As fans of Eliasson will know, environmentalism is central to much of his work as seen in his melting ice blocks displayed in London, Paris and Copenhagen. Some of these titles sound unbearably depressing so I would probably begin with the more solution oriented sounding ones. For an initial call to action, Greta Thunberg’s book is a inspiring place to start.

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