Alan Bradley
Alan Bradley was born in Toronto and grew up in Cobourg, Ontario. With an education in electronic engineering, Alan worked at numerous radio and television stations in Ontario, and at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now Ryerson University) in Toronto, before becoming Director of Television Engineering in the media centre at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, SK, where he remained for 25 years before taking early retirement to write in 1994.
He was a founding member of The Casebook of Saskatoon, a society devoted to the study of Sherlock Holmes and Sherlockian writings. Here, he met the late Dr. William A.S. Sarjeant, with whom he collaborated on their classic book, Ms Holmes of Baker Street. This work put forth the startling theory that the Great Detective was a woman, and was greeted upon publication with what has been described as “a firestorm of controversy”. The release of Ms. Holmes resulted in national media coverage, with the authors embarking upon an extensive series of interviews, radio and television appearances, and a public debate at Toronto’s Harbourfront. His lifestyle and humorous pieces have appeared in The Globe and Mail and The National Post.
His book The Shoebox Bible has been compared with Tuesdays With Morrie and Mr. God, This is Anna. In July of 2007 he won the Debut Dagger Award of the Crimewriter’s Association for his novel The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, the first of a series featuring eleven year old Flavia de Luce.
Alan Bradley lives in Malta, with his wife Shirley and two calculating cats.
When God Was a Rabbit, by Sarah Winman
This is a novel about love, life, all the good bits, all the bad and how important families are. It tells the story of Elly Maud, her friends and her rather eccentric family. It follows the trials and tribulations of Elly’s life over four decades, starting at her birth in 1968. The first section of the book focuses on Elly’s pre-teen years , the second picks up with Elly when she is 37. The two parts are very distinct with part one being much more light hearted and whimsical than part two which is darker and more serious.
The power of this book is that it is narrated by Elly. She explains her early life from the point of view of a young child. This is extremely funny with many anecdotes and child-like observations. In this respect, part one reminded me a little of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole. I found her account of getting into trouble at Sunday school for suggesting that Jesus was a mistake i.e. an unplanned child, was not only very funny but illustrated that Elly was somewhat different from other children of her age.
Mice, by Gordon Reece
What starts as a benign adolescent tale about being the victim of bullying and controlling behaviour at school, swiftly and deftly unfolds into a complex story which reflects the paradox of suffering as a victim to the impact a chance turn of events has on our most primal instincts. Two women, sixteen year old Shelley and her mother, who are normally timid to the extreme, move to a cottage in the countryside to escape all their woes and troubles; Shelley – the cruel emotional and physical treatment received from teenagers that used to be her friends at school, her mother the controlling and malicious behaviour of her husband whom she has recently divorced. All seems to be going well as they settle into their new life, with a sense of refreshment and freedom. A quiet routine and enjoyment of each other’s company enables them to forge a stronger and deeper relationship.
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The Bookgeeks Interview
Simon Kernick
Simon Kernick is one of Britain’s most exciting new thriller writers. He arrived on the crime writing scene with his highly acclaimed debut novel The Business of Dying, the story of a corrupt cop moonlighting as a hitman. However, Simon’s big breakthrough came with his novel Relentless which was selected by Richard and Judy for [...]
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Five copies of John le Carré’s Smiley vs Karla Trilogy to be won
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was one of the big film releases of 2011, and to celebrate its release on DVD we have five copies of John le Carré’s Smiley vs Karla Trilogy to be won – consisting of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley’s People.
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