Waterstones Blog

We spoke to Charles Moore - Lady Thatcher's official biographer about his Samuel Johnson shortlisted book of her life. As Moore himself says, one cannot be neutral about Margaret Thatcher. In our conversation before he went on stage today at the Cheltenham Literature Festival he told us how he came to be "hand-picked" for the job, the revelations in the Thatcher archives, and what volume two will bring...   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvfpXSzkN3U&feature=youtu.be   You can Reserve & Collect Margaret Thatcher - The Authorized Biography: Volume One: Not for Turning from your local Waterstones bookshop (http://bit.ly/15cfHI3), buy it online at Waterstones.com (http://bit.ly/15cfGnc) or download it in ePub format (http://bit.ly/15cfODh) For more information about the Cheltenham Literature Festival, and to buy tickets, click here (http://bit.ly/GD2KgS)

GQ editor Dylan Jones told us about his new book The Eighties: One Day, One Decade... Live Aid. It's one of those "Do you remember where you were when..." events, and for Dylan Jones it's the day which made the decade. He uses that one day as a focal point to flash forward and back in time around, in order to tell the story of a much maligned period of our recent history which, he thinks, deserves a second chance... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UWPRtNIdbU&feature=youtu.be You can Reserve & Collect The Eighties: One Day, One Decade from your local Waterstones bookshop (http://bit.ly/150av9O), buy it online at Waterstones.com (http://bit.ly/GzGogc) or download it in ePub format (http://bit.ly/19e62DY) For more information about the Cheltenham Literature Festival, and to buy tickets, click here (http://bit.ly/GD2KgS)

We spoke to Brian May about his lifelong passion for the art of stereoscopic cards, his love of all things analogue, and his wildlife campaigning... In Diableries: Stereoscopic Adventures in Hell, Brian May, Denis Pellerin, Paula Richardson Fleming have brought together an astonishing collection of macabre images from the 1860s, fully restored and even supplied with your own high-quality patent OWL stereoscopic viewer for you to enjoy them in true, and breathtaking 3D. Find out more in our interview... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzaVSRQfD_c Diableries: Stereoscopic Adventures in Hell, by Brian May, Denis Pellerin, Paula Richardson Fleming is published on 10th October, but you can pre-order it from your local Waterstones bookshop (http://bit.ly/Yu5LpV), online at Waterstones.com (http://bit.ly/GCYBtl) For more information about the Cheltenham Literature Festival, and to buy tickets, click here (http://bit.ly/GD2KgS)

We caught up with William Dalrymple for a quick chat about his Samuel Johnson prize shortlisted book, Return of a King... William Dalrymple's new history of the First Afghan War takes the time to examine sources which were previously off the beaten track. Here, he tells us about researching in Kabul, why President Karzai feels close to Shah Shujah (the king of the book's title), and who will be joining him for the Jaipur Literary Festival next year... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tiwr6OU_W70&feature=youtu.be Read more about William Dalrymple's nomination for this year's Samuel Johnson prize   You can Reserve & Collect Return of a King from your local Waterstones bookshop (http://bit.ly/177oKGM), buy it online at Waterstones.com (http://bit.ly/177oFmf) or download it in ePub format (http://bit.ly/177oQxT)   For more information about the Cheltenham Literature Festival, and to buy tickets, click here (http://bit.ly/GD2KgS)

We spoke to historian Wendy Lower about her book Hitler's Furies at today's Cheltenham Literature Festival... Hitler's Furies is the product of twenty years of research by Wendy Lower, achieved both through archival research and the oral testimony of German witnesses. Apparently hidden from the record for the past seventy years, her book takes a look at a dozen women who all in some way played a role in the murderous acts of the Nazis on the Eastern Front - the so called "Wild East". As she explained to us, it was not just that these were women in "women's roles" which formed part of the bureaucratic machine of the Holocaust, but rather that they were activists - believers in the cause, who would do their bit by providing refreshments to Nazi death squads... And, for the most part, avoid punishment. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSD7L1nU_ws&feature=youtu.be You can Reserve & Collect Hitler's Furies: German Women in the Nazi Killing Fields from your local Waterstones bookshop (http://bit.ly/GD4hnd), buy it online at Waterstones.com (http://bit.ly/GD4fvA) or download it in ePub format (http://bit.ly/GD4lTY)   For more information about the Cheltenham Literature Festival, and to buy tickets, click here. (http://bit.ly/GD2KgS)

The Middlesteins by Jami Attenberg is our Book Club book of the week. Find out what our reading group made of it in our podcast... To describe The Middlesteins as a bittersweet, family drama in no way does justice to the subtle power which this novel wields. Centred around the break-up of a Chicago couple who have been married for thirty years, the novel delves into the dark heart of family life but manages to retain a warmth and vibrancy which few novels can to match. Read a sample of The Middlesteins   The Book Club Podcast We think our Book Club selection are books not only worth reading, but worth talking about. Each week, we're bringing together a group of Waterstones Cardholders and our own booksellers to talk about our Book Club book of the week.   You can download the discussion as a podcast via iTunes.     You can Reserve & Collect The Middlesteins at your local Waterstones bookshop (http://bit.ly/GzJwJZ), buy it online at Waterstones.com (http://bit.ly/GzJyS0), or in ePub (http://bit.ly/GzJwtt)

This week's Book Club book of the week is a rediscovered classic - Wallace Stegner's Crossing To Safety... Crossing to Safety charts the relationship of four friends set against the backdrop of a provincial American university over the best part of the Twentieth Century. Stegner has created a complete and immersive fictional world which lingers long in the minds of all who read this wonderful novel. Woefully overlooked on this side of the Atlantic since its publication in 1987, Stegner’s novel has been lauded by the likes of Jane Smiley and Gillian Slovo and we’re delighted to be bringing it to a wider audience by including it in Book Club. The Book Club Podcast We think our Book Club selection are books not only worth reading, but worth talking about. Each week, we're bringing together a group of Waterstones Cardholders and our own booksellers to talk about our Book Club book of the week.   You can download the discussion as a podcast via iTunes.     You can Reserve & Collect Crossing to Safety at your local Waterstones bookshop (http://bit.ly/16l2Fov),or buy it online at Waterstones.com (http://bit.ly/1f5vbBm)

Where do the medicines and drugs we're prescribed come from? Find out why this week's Book Club book of the week - Bad Pharma by Ben Goldacre - made our reading group angry ... The follow-up to Ben Goldacre’s phenomenally successful Bad Science, Bad Pharma is his expose of the $600bn global pharmaceutical industry, and the tricks of the trade used to distort drug trials and push through inadequate medicines and procedures, cheating both the medical profession, and the public. Reading this book will make you furious, as it shows how the drug trade and governments often put profit before patient welfare, with sometimes fatal and heart-breaking results. Nonetheless, it is utterly compulsive reading – you’ll never feel the same way about your medicine cabinet again...   The Book Club Podcast We think our Book Club selection are books not only worth reading, but worth talking about. Each week, we're bringing together a group of Waterstones Cardholders and our own booksellers to talk about our Book Club book of the week.   You can download the discussion as a podcast via iTunes.       You can find out more about Bad Pharma and Ben at his website, and also follow him on Twitter.   You can buy Bad Pharma at your local Waterstones bookshop (http://bit.ly/1eDynUS), online at Waterstones.com (http://bit.ly/18aqMsg) or in ePub (http://bit.ly/1eDycZF)

Norwegian By Night, by Derek B. Miller is the first of our latest Book Club selection to be discussed by our reading group... Sheldon Horowitz talks to the ghosts of his past - the friends he lost in the Pacific and the son who died in Vietnam. After witnessing a murder, he decides to run, taking with him the victim’s six-year old son, pursued by a Balkan gang and the police. A classic chase thriller but also a tale of ageing and regret,  Norwegian By Night straddles genres to create a truly unique and utterly compelling narrative with an oddly compassionate hero.   The Book Club Podcast We think our Book Club selection are books not only worth reading, but worth talking about. Each week, we're bringing together a group of Waterstones Cardholders and our own booksellers to talk about our Book Club book of the week.   You can download the discussion as a podcast via iTunes.     Read an extract from Norwegian By Night     You can buy Norwegian By Night at your local Waterstones bookshop (http://bit.ly/17EvbTE), online at Waterstones.com (http://bit.ly/18aqP7j) or in ePub (http://bit.ly/14YzaMp)

This week Waterstones Oxford, together with the Oxford Playhouse, hosted an evening with Neil Gaiman and Philip Pullman, and it was incredible. Did you miss it? Then catch up with our podcast recording... Neil Gaiman's latest novel The Ocean At The End  Of The Lane has been getting rave reviews across the board - but this is nothing new for the author of Coraline, American Gods and the Sandman comics. In this conversation with the equally renowned Philip Pullman they discuss the role of fantasy in their work, their early experiences with religion, and a really odd chapter in The Wind In The Willows... The evening was rounded off with a reading by Gaiman from The Ocean At The End  Of The Lane. You can download the discussion as a podcast via iTunes.    Watch our interview with Neil about his upcoming children's book, Fortunately The Milk.     You can buy The Ocean At The End  Of The Lane at your local Waterstones bookshop (http://bit.ly/14Z6y10), online at Waterstones.com (http://bit.ly/14Z6uy4) or in ePub (http://bit.ly/14Z6H4s)   For information about future inspiring events from Waterstones Oxford, and our other bookshops, visit our events page. You can also follow Waterstones Oxford on Twitter. Many thanks to the staff of the Oxford Playhouse for their help with the event and recording.

This week's Book Club book of the week is Penelope by Rebecca Harrington...     Penelope is ready to take her place at Harvard. But where are the kindred spirits who will share her passion for Hercule Poirot, Morse code and Tetris? Follow Penelope as she navigates America’s elite and the mysteries of life, love, and avoiding disaster when kissing on both cheeks. Read a sample of Penelope     The Book Club Podcast We think our Book Club selection are books not only worth reading, but worth talking about. Each week, we're bringing together a group of Waterstones Cardholders and our own booksellers to talk about our Book Club book of the week.   Discussing Penelope are Jasmin, Suzie, Lucy, Meg, Jane, Victoria, Robyn, Antony, Christine, Anja, Mary, Chris, Carly, Helena, Ann and Dan. You can download the discussion as a podcast via iTunes. You can buy Penelope at your local Waterstones bookshop (http://bit.ly/13F8wcC), online at Waterstones.com (http://bit.ly/13F8txF) or in ePub (http://bit.ly/13F8uBH)

This week's Book Club book of the week is Unexpected Lessons In Love by Bernadine Bishop... When Cecelia Banks’ son arrives home carrying in his arms the unexpected consequence of a brief love affair, she feels she has no choice but to take the baby into her life. As the truth about the baby is revealed we uncover madness, guilt, terror and the gift of resilience. Unexpected Lessons In Love has been heaped with praise for its honest and life-affirming portrayal of two women living with cancer whilst also trying to keep the rest of their lives from falling out of control. The Book Club Podcast We think our Book Club selection are books not only worth reading, but worth talking about. Each week, we're bringing together a group of Waterstones Cardholders and our own booksellers to talk about our Book Club book of the week.   Discussing Unexpected Lessons In Love are Jasmin, Meg, Jane, Victoria, Robyn, Antony, Christine, Anja, Chris, Helena, Ann, Suzie and Dan. You can download the discussion as a podcast via iTunes. You can buy Unexpected Lessons In Love at your local Waterstones bookshop (http://bit.ly/1eJ8wYE), online at Waterstones.com (http://bit.ly/1eJ8znx) or in ePub (http://bit.ly/14Kv4qt)

This week's Book Club book of the week is The Plantagenets by Dan Jones... The Plantagenets - the royal dynasty that dragged England kicking and screaming from the Dark Ages. From land grabs and domestic bickering in France, to the bloody Crusades; King John's hybris and Magna Carta to Richard II's fall - Dan Jones' retelling of Plantagenet history is a thrilling ride for any reader… The Book Club Podcast We think our Book Club selection are books not only worth reading, but worth talking about. Each week, we're bringing together a group of Waterstones Cardholders and our own booksellers to talk about our Book Club book of the week.   Discussing The Plantagenets are Jasmin, Meg, Elinor, Jane, Victoria, Robyn, Antony, Christine, Anja, Mary, Florentyna, Chris, Helena, Ann and Dan. You can download the discussion as a podcast via iTunes. You can buy The Plantagenets at your local Waterstones bookshop (http://bit.ly/s6sdlu) or online at Waterstones.com (http://bit.ly/190LVpR)

This week's Book Club book of the week is Edith Pearlman's short story collection Binocular Vision... Binocular Vision is the first time that Edith Pearlman's tender, witty, touching and observant stories have been published as a collection in the UK. Not only that, it is the first time we have included a book of short stories in our Book Club selection. Whether you dip in and out or read them in order, there is a rich depth to the mini-narratives within which will have you returning to re-read them in no time. Read a sample of Binocular Vision now The Book Club Podcast We think our Book Club selection are books not only worth reading, but worth talking about. Each week, we're bringing together a group of Waterstones Cardholders and our own booksellers to talk about our Book Club book of the week. You can download the discussion as a podcast via iTunes. Discussing Binocular Vision are Jasmin, Antony, Christine, Sarah, Meg, Elinor, Jane, Victoria, Robyn, Anja, Mary, Florentyna, Helena, Ann and Dan.   You can buy Binocular Vision at your local Waterstones bookshop (http://bit.ly/s6sdlu) or online at Waterstones.com (http://bit.ly/166LJTC)    

This week's Book Club book of the week is The Honey Guide by Richard Crompton   Nairobi, Kenya. Massai warrior turned police detective Mollel investigates the brutal murder of a prostitute. As he picks away at the truth, he is drawn into a far-reaching web of deceit and contradiction - of ritualised violence and political intrigue. The Honey Guide is the first in a new series of crime novels featuring this enigmatic and troubled detective, set amidst a city of tense tribal conflicts. Read a sample of The Honey Guide now The Book Club Podcast   We think our Book Club selection are books not only worth reading, but worth talking about. Each week, we're bringing together a group of Waterstones Cardholders and our own booksellers to talk about our Book Club book of the week. You can download the discussion as a podcast via iTunes. Discussing The Honey Guide are Jasmin, Meg, Elinor, Jane, Victoria, Robyn, Anja, Mary, Florentyna, Chris, Helena, Ann and Dan.   Dan Lewis, for Waterstones.com/blog   You can buy The Honey Guide at your local Waterstones bookshop (http://bit.ly/s6sdlu) or online at Waterstones.com (http://bit.ly/13DZ4DL)Dan Lewis, for Waterstones.com/blog