Features

Check out the full lists of interviews, top tens and articles.

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Dom Conlon

Sue had a lovely time reading Dom Conlon's I Am A Giant and Tommy Tickletail: A Tall Tale and she was eager to chat to the author when he popped into Bookbag Towers. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Alex Kovacs

Sue was slightly unnerved by the prospect of interviewing an author whose protagonist interviews himself (after allowing a suitable time lapse between preparing the questions and answering them) in The Currency of Paper, but the opportunity to chat to Alex Kovacs was not one to miss. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Matthew Crow

We thought that In Bloom was a highly-enjoyable, life-affirming novel and with a lot more laughs than you would expect from a book about two teens with cancer. Robert had quite a few questions for author Matthew Crow when he popped in to see us. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Mark Lingane, Again

Author Mark Lingane describes his latest book, I Love Lucid cyber-techno-thriller-alternate reality-procedural-pseudophilospophical dark comedy. Ani wasn't about to disagree but she had a few questions for Mark when he popped into Bookbag Towers. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Rosie Best

Robert thought that Skulk by Rosie Best was a wonderful urban fantasy with an outstanding heroine and an excellent plot. He was delighted when Rosie popped in to Bookbag Towers to chat to us. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Richard Smith

Jill thought that Time Trap by Richard Smith was a riproaring adventure and loved the real locations and the book's interactive website. She had quite a few questions when the author popped into Bookbag Towers. Read more...

File:Booknewsletters.jpg November 2013 Newsletter

Hi, hello and how the devil are you?

Did you know that 2013 marks the 60th anniversary of the Crime Writers' Association? To celebrate, they held a poll to find the greatest crime writer, crime series and crime novel. The fantabulous Agatha Christie topped the ratings for greatest writer with her novel The Murder of Roger Ackroyd as the greatest novel. Sherlock Holmes was the greatest series. No surprises then, but it shows how much Christie and Conan Doyle are a part of our national pride and discourse. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Stephanie Elmas

Sue was completely captivated by The Room Beyond by Stephanie Elmas and there was quite a lot to talk about when Stephanie popped in to Bookbag Towers. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Kristen Zimmer

Robert was impressed when he read The Gravity Between Us and delighted when author Kristen Zimmer popped in for an interview. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Sebastiana Randone

Jill thought that The House by Sebastiana Randone was genre busting and she had quite a few questions for the author when she popped into Bookbag Towers. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Kristen Zimmer

Robert was impressed when he read The Gravity Between Us and delighted when author Kristen Zimmer popped in for an interview. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Julie Berry

Robert thought that Julie Berry's exploration of the story of a voiceless girl was worth reading. He had quite a few points to raise when she popped into Bookbag Towers. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Howard Webster

Sue thought that Canton Elegy: A Father's Letter of Sacrifice, Survival and Love by Stephen Jin-Nom Lee and Howard Webster was compelling and life-affirming reading. She had quite a few questions for co-author Howard Webster. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Angela Young

Sue thought that Speaking of Love was one of the most compelling pictures of mental illness which she'd read. There was quite a lot to talk about when author Angela Young popped into Bookbag Towers to chat to us. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Sharmi Albrechtsen

Jill learned a great deal about Danes, about Americans and about herself when she read A Piece of Danish Happiness. She had quite a few things to discuss with author Sharmi Albrechtsen when she popped in to Bookbag Towers. Read more...

File:Booknewsletters.jpg October 2013 Newsletter

We wanted to talk a little bit about dyslexia this month. And in particular, about the way dyslexia affects potential readers, especially young readers. If you don't know much about this condition, you can find out more at the British Dyslexia Association and Dyslexia Action. Dyslexic readers often struggle with books: they have problems with fonts, text size, background colours, vocabulary and all sorts of other things. We at Bookbag want parents to be able to find reading that will suit dyslexic children and so we have a dedicated category for dyslexia friendly books. You'll find stories by great writers there: Anthony McGowan, Michael Morpurgo, Darren Shan, Tom Palmer, Meg Rosoff, Eoin Colfer and many more. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Eric Lindner

Jill thought that Hospice Voices: Lessons for Living at the End of Life by Eric Lindner was touching, illuminating and uplifting. She was delighted when the author popped in to chat to us. Read more...

Tom Moorhouse Talks To Bookbag About Fantasy, Reality and Water Voles

Anne loved The River Singers by Tom Moorhouse Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Cora Harrison

It took Robert a long time to write his review of Debutantes: In Love by Cora Harrison because all he really wanted to say was Oh wow, oh wow, I loved this book and you need to go out and get it right now! When Cora popped ito Bookbag Towers they had lots to chat about. Read more...

Simon Packham Talks To Bookbag About Going Back To School

Simon Packham was surprised when he realisedhow much of his writing involved school. Now he realises that it was inevitable. Read more...

Marcus Sedgwick Talks To Bookbag About Co-inky-dinks

We were blown away by Marcus Sedgwick's She Is Not Invisible and we wondered what he wanted to chat to us about when he popped into Bookbag Towers. Well, it was Co-inky-dinks. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Deborah Schwartz

Sue was hooked on Woman on Top from the first page and she had more than a few questions for author Deborah Schwartz when she popped in to see us. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Tony Robinson OBE

Sue reads quite a lot of business books but very few have such an engaging mix of satire and sage business advice as Freedom from Bosses Forever. It's mainly about Canadian businesswoman Leonora Soculitherz, but Sue had quite a few questions for author Tony Robinson OBE when he popped in to see us. Read more...

File:Booknewsletters.jpg September 2013 Newsletter

Hi there. How is everything your way? Good, we hope. Summer is over. The children are going back to school. Jill's oldest son is heading off to university, as is Bookbag reviewer Nigethan. We hope all goes well for them both - and Jill hasn't shed a single tear at the loss of her oldest, honest!

As the evenings begin to draw in, you may be in need of some satisfying reading material. Read on for some recommendations. And don't forget that the Booker shortlist is out. Who will win? We have a sneaky feeling Eleanor Catton's The Luminaries will take it. We've reviewed the entire long list though - never let it be said we leave you wanting more! Read more...

Man Booker Prize 2013

The longlist was announced on 23 July. The shortlist is in the diary for 10 September and the winner will be announced on 15 October. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To David Canning

Sue enjoyed Out of the Clouds of Deceit despite the fact that she doesn't usaully like reading military fiction. She and author David Canning had quite a lot to chat about when he popped in to see us. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Philippa Gregory

Robert has been blown away by Changeling and Stormbringers so he was delighted when author Philippa Gregory popped in to see us. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Bridget Tyler

Robert was blown away by Drummer Girl by Bridget Tyler and it grabbed him from the first paragraph. He had quite a few questions for the author when she popped in to see us. Read more...

Jill's Top Ten YA novels of 2012

2012 was a great year for YA fiction. Here are Jill's favourites. Why not tell us about yours? Read more...

Mairi Kidd Talks To Bookbag About The Founding Of Barrington Stoke

Here at Bookbag Towers we love books and reading and it horrifys us that many children can't share that love because they suffer from dyslexia. To celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the founding of Barrington Stoke, MD Mairi Kidd popped in to tell us how it all began. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Candy Harper

Robert was seriously impressed when he read Have a Little Faith and he had plenty of questions for author Candy Harper when she popped into Bookbag Towers to chat to us. Read more...

File:Booknewsletters.jpg August 2013 Newsletter

Hi, hello and how the devil are you? Enjoying the summer? Looking for books to read while you're on holiday? Looking for books for the children to read while they're on holiday? Look no further. We'll give you our picks of the month and more.

What do you think to Jane Austen being depicted on the £10 note? We like it! We also like the suggestions from Abe Books about other authors and other currencies. Take a look at their ideas and see what you think! Read more...

Emily Diamand Talks To Bookbag About how scary should it be?

We loved Emily Diamand's Ways To See a Ghost and when we plucked up the courage to peep out from under the covers we were fascinated to hear what Emily had to say about how scary children's fiction should be. Read more...

Jillian Larkin Talks To Bookbag About The Flappers

Robert was very impressed by The Flappers, but he was keen to find out how Jillian Larkin felt about the series and what she had planned for the future. Read more...

File:Booknewsletters.jpg July 2013 Newsletter

Hi, hello, how are you?

We have exciting news! Bookbag reviewer Robin Stevens has signed a deal with Random House for three books about a children's detective agency. Hooray! Robin has a day job working for Orion Children's Books. She writes reviews for us and an interesting blog. And she writes novels too! What a woman. Where does she find the time? Seriously - congratulations to Robin. The deal is richly deserved. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Simon Pont

Before she started Remember to Breathe Sue wondered if it was going to be the sort of book she would enjoy, but she loved it and had quite a few questions for author Simon Pont when he popped in to see us. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Tom Clempson

Robert thought that One Seriously Messed-Up Weekend: In the Otherwise Un-Messed-Up Life of Jack Samsonite by Tom Clempson was rude and crude, but seriously funny and recommended reading - as long as you're not on public transport! Read more...

Dan Smith talks to Bookbag about Paper Movies

Jill was mightily impressed by Dan Smith's debut novel for young people, My Friend the Enemy and loved Dan's YouTube videos about it. Here, he tells us about the making of... Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Rick Yancey

Robert thought that The 5th Wave was tough, brutal and completely gripping and he was delighted when author Rick Yancey popped in to see us. Read more...

Sophia Bennett Talks To Bookbag About Books She Loved When She Was A Teenager

Robert was blown away when he read You Don't Know Me by Sophia Bennett and they got chatting about books Sophia read when she was a teenager. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Siobhan Curham

Robert thought that Shipwrecked had brilliant charaterisation and a really interesting setting. He had a few questions when author Siobhan Curham popped into Bookbag Towers to chat to us. Read more...

File:Booknewsletters.jpg June 2013 Newsletter

Hi, hello and good reading to you.

We'd just like to say a sad goodbye to Iain Banks, who died this month, long before his time. He was two brilliant authors, and we will miss him.

The Desmond Eilliott Prize shortlist is out. It's for debut fiction published in the UK in 2013 and we have reviewed all three books. Take a look. You should read all three - of course! - but The Panopticon by Jenni Fagan has a special place in a corner of Bookbag's heart. We defy you to read our review and fail to rush out and buy a copy! Read more...

Jackie Marchant Talks To Bookbag About Mice and Tarantulas - the things we do for research

Jackie is terrified of spiders but with the boy-next-door, Dougal Trump she's just written a book about tarantulas. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Ben Mezrich

Robert doesn't often say that a book should have been longer, but Straight Flush was one of the rare exceptions. There were quite a few questions he wanted to ask Ben. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Sophia Bennett

When Robert reviewed You Don't Know Me by Sophia Bennett he couldn't bring himself to say too much about it in case he gave any spoilers. He did take the opportunity to chat to Sophia when she popped in to see us though! Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Joe Craig

Robert is a great fan of Joe Craig and he had a whole list of questions for him when he poppoed in to chat to us. Read more...

Simon Packham Talks To Bookbag About ''Firewallers''

One of the highlights of the first few months of 2013 for Robert was reading a new book by Simon Packham, one of the most consistently excellent YA contemporary authors writing today. Firewallers is a fantastic read, so he was thrilled when Simon agreed to write a guest post for us. Read more...

The Desmond Elliott Prize for Debut Fiction Published in the UK 2013

We've reviewed the shortlisted books! Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Lynne Thomas

Jill thought that Jelly Cooper: Alien was a fun book about a teenager with special powers and she had a few questions she wanted to ask author Lynne Thomas when she popped into Bookbag Towers. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Katie McGarry

Robert enjoyed Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry and he was delighted when the author popped in to see us. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Steve Cole

Here at Bookbag Towers we're massive fans to Steve Cole and we thought his latest book was just brilliant, but when we heard that Steve was popping in to chat to us we decided that we needed an expert to conduct the interview - eight-year-old Billy Young. Over to you, Billy! Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To O H Robsson

Sue thought that The Spark by O H Robsson was a rewarding read for those who like to get to know their characters - and that it was likely to tempt you into planning a holiday in western Norway. She had quite a few questions when the author popped in to see us. Read more...

File:Booknewsletters.jpg May 2013 Newsletter

Hi, hello and how are you?

What are you reading? And is it any good? Choosing books is tricky, isn't it? Nobody chooses a book they think they'll hate. It can be even more tricky for reviewers, who have less choice in the books they read. We try to do things a little differently here at Bookbag. Our reviewers choose their own books from our review-copy stock. So they choose, mostly, the books they think they'll like. This does mean that our reviews are skewed to the positive - but it does mean that fans of chick lit are reading reviews by people who also enjoy reading chick lit, not by people who enjoy snotting all over it. So we think our policy leads not only to a happy place for its contributors, but also to a place where niche fans can find reviews by their peers. We like this policy, but we can see why some people wouldn't. And that's why Michael Deacon's hilarious take-down of Dan Brown over at the Telegraph made us laugh this month. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Clive Lawton

Jill really enjoyed Flowers From Fukushima by Clive Lawton, a haunting story of two survivors in a Japanese post-disaster wasteland. She and Clive ha a lot to talk about when he popped in to see us. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Andy Robb

Robert loved the live-action role playing in Geekhood: Mission Improbable and he had quite a few questions for author Andy Robb. Read more...

Emily Murdoch Talks To Bookbag About The Way To Fairyland

Emily Murdoch talks to us about the tenuous balance between the head and the heart for an author. Read more...

Phil Earle Talks To Bookbag About Book Covers

Phil Earle thought that he knew about the perfect cover for his book, until the booksellers told him otherwise. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Will Hill

Robert gave five stars to teen novel Department 19: Battle Lines and he had quite a few questions for author Will Hill when he popped into Bookbag Towers. Read more...

File:Booknewsletters.jpg April 2013 Newsletter

It still doesn't feel like spring, does it? A bright and breezy greeting is rather beyond us this month. We have gone into a slough of despond about the weather - and the loss of most of the soft fruit that should have been coming from our gardens this summer. Meh.

On the upside, Granta have produced their list of the best of young British novelists for the twenty-teens. You can see who they are here. Do you agree with the choices? If not, who would have been your choices? Everyone on the list is getting a turn on Radio 4's Book at Bedtime at the moment. We don't listen at bedtime any more, but we always catch up on iPlayer. Gotsta love the good old interweb, aintcha? Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To SJ Griffin

Jill thought that The Vanguard by SJ Griffin was an enjoyable post-catastrophe mystery thriller with enough twists and turns to shake a stick at with a super, unexpected ending and absorbing characters. She and SJ had plenty to chat about when the author popped into Bookbag Towers. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Graham Thomas

Jill enjoyed Maria & The Devil by Graham Thomas. It's a dark revenge fantasy with a western flavour in which themes of revenge, strong storytelling and evocative descriptions of landscape and setting combine to create a thoroughly enjoyable read. There was planty to chat about when the author popped into Bookbag Towers. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Janine A Southard

Jill thought that Queen & Commander by Janine A Southard was an enjoyable space opera and a fun read with plenty of potential to take the disparate central characters further. She had a few questions for Janine when she popped into Bookbag Towers. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Laura Jarratt

Robert loved By Any Other Name by Laura Jarratt and thought it just as good as her debut Skin Deep, so he was delighted when she popped into Bookbag Towers to chat to us. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Mac Carty

Sue found The Vagaries Of Swing (Footprints on the Margate Sands of Time) by Mac Carty thought provoking and she loved the humour. There was quite a lot she wanted to discuss with the author when he popped into Bookbag Towers. Read more...

The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Mark Lingane

Ani really enjoyed Mark Lingane's genre-busting novel Beyond Belief and she had quite a few questions for him when he popped into Bookbag Towers. Read more...

Check out the full lists of interviews, top tens and articles.