Shelf Life
Christmas 2019
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Welcome to Christmas at the Archway - my first since taking over here at the beginning of this year. It has undoubtedly been the most fulfilling year of my working life. A dream achieved, albeit a steep learning curve. I hope you like what we are doing and am grateful to you for joining us on the journey. Wishing you a very happy Christmas and a rewarding New Year. If you want to fill it with books we have some ideas here. - Simon
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Please call us on 01297 33744 to check availability of any book shown here (or any other). If we haven’t got it we can usually get it within 24 hours.
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The Winter Soldier: Daniel Mason – the new book from the author of The Piano Tuner. Reckoned to be one of the best novels about the Great War.
A Black Fox Running: Brian Carter – breathtaking in its descriptions of the natural world. A gripping story of survival on Dartmoor as a dark-furred fox is hunted by a trapper in the harshest of winters.
Mr Godley’s Phantom: Mal Peet – much loved by all at our Colyton Book Club. A damaged war veteran who gets a new role driving for an elderly man on Dartmoor finds his escape comes at a cost.
The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao: Martha Batalha – a darkly comic debut novel. A wickedly funny tale of two rebellious sisters in 1940s Brazil.
Someone Is Lying: Jenny Blackhurst – a woman in a gated community dies in a fall from a tree house. A podcaster names six suspects from her neighbours – all have secrets to keep.
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The Testaments: Margaret Atwood – The dramatic Booker-winning conclusion to the masterpiece The Handmaid’s Tale. This one picks up ten years on from the tantalisingly open ended original conclusion.
The Long Call: Ann Cleeves – first in a new crime series set in Devon as a troubled detective returns to the community he turned his back on.
The Second Sleep: Robert Harris – the author turns his attention to medieval England with the compelling story of a dead priest, ancient artefacts and suppressed religion. Fizzes with suspense.
How the Dead Speak: Val McDermid — latest in the much loved Tony Hill / Carol Jordan series. Vintage McDermid as the team enlist Hill’s psychological profiling skills from his prison cell to track a mass murderer.
The Starless Sea: Erin Morgenstern – Seven years in the making, this is a book-lovers’ delight involving subterranean libraries, hidden clues and wildly inventive magic.
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The Wizard and the Prophet: Charles Mann – in 40 years the population of the earth will reach ten billion. Can our world support so many people? This book illuminates the four great challenges – food, water, energy and climate change. Really makes you think.
A Shadow Above: Joe Shute – the raven occupies a unique place in our history. It represents death, all-seeing power, and the underworld. Joe Shute explores our complicated and challenging relationship.
Hidden Histories: Trees: The Secret Properties of 150 Species: Noel Kingsbury – reminds us of the rich heritage that trees of the world offer – from familiar ones to the highly unusual tropical and subtropical species.
Bring Back the King: The New Science of De-extinction: Helen Pilcher – around the globe, scientists are trying to de-extinct all manner of animals, including the woolly mammoth, the passenger pigeon and the flatulent frog. It’s also a science that can save current species.
Family Foraging: A Fun Guide to Gathering and Eating Plants: David Hamilton – a day gathering edible plants picked in the wild can be a great way to reconnect family with nature.
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Sediment: Two Gentlemen and their Mid-Life Terroirs: Charles Hennings & Paul Keers – a wry look at the social, financial, personal and marital issues surrounding middle-aged, middle-class fine drinking.
Rick Stein’s Secret France – Real French home cooking with all the recipes from Rick Stein’s new BBC Two series.
Souped Up: Ryland Peters & Small (compilers) – over 60 recipes for nourishing soups from potato and roasted red onion to lobster bisque.
One Pot Wonders: Si King & Dave Myers – the nation’s most lovable culinary double act return with a host of hassle-free one-pot treats.
SuperVeg: Celia Brooks – celebrates the power and flavour of 25 of the most health-giving vegetables.
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Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years: Julie Andrews – the second volume of her memoirs. Covers the career-defining turns in Mary Poppins and Sound of Music. A candid account of a bygone age of classic cinema.
Face It: Debbie Harry – Blondie’s enigmatic front woman breaks her silence about her turbulent journey to global fame, sex symbol status and the depths of addiction and bankruptcy.
Tall Tales and Wee Stories: Billy Connolly – his stand-up routines have been the stuff of legend for 50 years. This book pulls together the cream of his hilarious routines alongside an enlightening introduction to the Big Yin himself.
War Doctor: David Nott – 25 years of treatment on the world’s frontlines distilled as a moving eulogy to the simple, moral desire to do the right thing. Vivid and humbling.
Eddie Jones: My Life and Rugby – one of rugby’s greatest coaches take us on a tour of his stunning achievements, from back-to-back six nations triumphs to pulling off the sport’s biggest upset. The full inside story on England’s 2019 World Cup campaign.
Who Am I, Again?: Lenny Henry – fizzing with his customary hyperactive energy and dynamism, this chart’s the comedy titan’s journey from performing prodigy to mainstream entertainer.
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Rose, Interrupted: Patrick Lawrence – a hard-edged but tender-hearted tale about the difficulties of leaving your old life behind and the uncertainties you face in starting a new one.
Boywatching: It’s Not Just a Hobby, It’s a Science: Chloe Bennet – the annual joint dance (aka the Snog Fest) is looming. Chloe and friends are determined not to repeat last year’s disaster so they turn boywatching into a science.
American Royals: Katharine McGee – street smart princesses and wannabe consorts light up this glamorous regal blockbuster, as a quartet of strong young women party and scheme their way through the royal court. Riotously entertaining.
The Book of Dust: The Secret Commonwealth: Philip Pullman – the second chapter in Pullman’s epic series. Intertwines the stories of Lyra Silvertongue and Malcolm Polstead as they face new and dangerous secrets.
Becoming Dinah: Kit de Waal – a recasting of Moby Dick with a feminist twist. Boasts standout characters, lashings of sass and a warm and generous heart.
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Impossible Boy: Ben Brooks – debut children’s novel for Ben. Crackles with good natured charm and a festive sense of magic.
Fantastically Great Women Who Worked Wonders: Kate Pankhurst – The descendent of Emmeline Pankhurst, Kate is back with a brilliant book about incredible women that will make children think about what they really want to be.
The Somerset Tsunami: Emma Carroll – a great new book from the reigning queen of children’s literature. Brings the paranoia and suspicions of 17th century England to vivid life.
William at Christmas: Richmal Crompton – William Brown is back with a collection of hilarious Christmas stories. The perfect Xmas gift.
Unicorn Magic, Snowstar and the Big Freeze: Daisy Meadows – a secret world full of unicorns and friendship. Snowstar’s Mum has been kidnapped – can Aisha and Emily save her?
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Browse our Xmas catalogue
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Our Christmas catalogue is packed with ideas for all ages and most reading interests. You can pick up a copy in the shop or access a digital copy by just tapping on the one above. While we will have many of the books shown in stock, you may want to give us a call to check whether we have what you want. If not, we can usually have them within 24 hours.
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