In October our little Seaton bookshop was chosen as Caboodles Bookshop of the Month. It was a fantastic surprise to be chosen and we received a lovely gift hamper of goodies from them too.

Caboodle is the rewards program from National Book Tokens. You can join up via their website and opt in to receive email notifications about the offers running at your local bookshops, like us at Betty's Books, and enter a range of competitions to win some amazing prizes. It is a great resource for book lovers.

Indie Book of the Month

November's Indie Book of the Month was 'Learwife' by J.R Thorp. 'Learwife' is the feminist retelling of the story of King Lear's queen, whose absence has long been a mystery to Shakespeare's audiences.

Reimagined as an exile sent away to a nunnery, the novel follows the former queen as she hears of the death of her estranged husband and three daughters, forcing her to reckon with her past and consider what will become of her now.

The Indie Book of the Month is chosen by independent booksellers each month organised via Books Are My Bag, an organisation that champions books and bookshops.

November Round Up

As often happens this time of year, many celebrities have released biographies and auto-biographies ahead of Christmas. They appear to be a popular choice for those buying books as gifts for friends and family.

Among the many famous names who have released books recently are Jeremy Clarkson with 'Diddly Squat', Freddie Flintoff with 'The Book of Fred', The Yorkshire Shepherdess with her book 'Celebrating the Seasons', and Louis Theroux with his book 'Theroux the Keyhole'.

I read some brilliant books in late October and November, including what I believe will be my 'Best Book of 2021' (unless of course I read something that tops in in December!)

It's called 'Earthlings: The Beginning', by Ray Star, and is the first in what will be a trilogy. It is considered a young adult title, but I'm in my mid 30s and I loved it. It is classified as 'eco-fiction', a genre that not everyone will be familiar with but is certainly becoming very popular.

Eco-fiction is a branch of literature that encompasses nature-oriented (non-human) or environment-oriented (human impacts on nature) works of fiction. It aims to get people thinking about the environment and how their actions can affect the future of the planet, not in a preachy way but in an often subconscious way through captivating stories.

'Earthlings' mixes fantasy with eco-fiction and gives us a world where the tables have been turned, humans are no longer in charge. There are some really hard hitting parts to the book that get you thinking about the way in which we treat animals too.

It was a beautifully-written book that I highly recommend reading. Ray Star, the author, is aiming to plant a tree for every book sold.

A November release that I read and enjoyed was 'Call of the Penguins' by Hazel Prior, a charming book that although is a sequel can also be read as a standalone. It's a real comforting and cozy book, perfect for this time of year.

Another book I read and loved was 'The Stranger in the Lifeboat' by Mitch Albom. This one was beautifully-written with a strong message about faith.

The elements of faith and religion were handled in a very beautiful way. I think that this is the sort of book that anyone with or without

religious beliefs can read, enjoy and appreciate. I will admit to getting tearful, it was just so beautifully-written and filled my heart with love and appreciation for family and for life. I highly recommend reading this book if you enjoy heartwarming novels.

Coming soon...

There are lots of books due to be released in December that I have my eye on and can't wait to read, including 'The Wicked Sister' by Karen Dionne, said to be a gripping thriller with a killer twist. Danielle Steel fans will already know I'm sure that 'Neighbours' is due for release in paperback on December t (the hardback was out in January 2021), a novel of friendship, support, trust and love, and what it takes to bring people together. James Patterson also has a new release due out in hardback, called 'The Horsewoman', where Maggie Atwood and Becky McCabe – mother and daughter and both champion riders – vowed to never, ever, compete against one another. But a dramatic turn of events ahead of the Paris Olympics changes everything. According to reviews this is said to be a hugely entertaining, riveting, page-turner so I'm looking forward to it! I'll be back again next month with more bookish news and updates.