Sputnik’s Guide to Life on Earth by Frank Cottrell-Boyce. A kind of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy for younger readers and very funny.

Lockwood and Co. The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud. Witty swashbuckling ghost hunters - great fun!

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. Imagine the shock of discovering a patch of silence in a world where you can constantly hear the thoughts of other people. Vastly imaginative and a breakneck plot. Book 4 due out soon!

Outwalkers by Fiona Shaw. A small group of ‘Outwalkers’ try to walk to Scotland to escape a dangerous, dystopian England.

Three of my choices for 12-14 year olds #KidsBooksFriday are already very well known, but Outwalkers is little talked about and is a great read. More info in ALT text.

Barbara is coming … and here’s the cover. Out September, available to preorder now. www.amazon.co.uk/Barbara-Cart...

@mcculld.bsky.social If your airline cancels an outbound flight, which results in you having to change your homebound flight they will charge you a huge fee for changing it because *they didn't cancel the homebound flight* aagh
(Sent by a person caught in 9th circle of rebooking hell)

Devotions is published next week - here are some of the upcoming UK/Ire tour dates!

Samira Ahmed Discusses A Hard Days Night with Frank Cottrell Boyce | Events at Waterstones Bookshops | Waterstones Events at Waterstones get you closer to the books and authors you admire most. Find information and tickets about Samira Ahmed Discusses A Hard Days Night with Frank Cottrell Boyce today.

Next event, where else but Liverpool? Thur April 16th
With Frank Cottrell-Boyce.. www.waterstones.com/events/samir...

"I grew up across the street from a public library, and it was the only place my mom would let me go on my own. It was my second home, and I read everything that I could get."
~ Tracy Chapman
Chapman by Nicholas Albrecht
#Booksky

Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce (2011-06-14) Liam has always felt a bit like he's stuck between two …

I may re-read the children's book COSMIC by Frank Cottrell-Boyce to mark the occasion.
www.goodreads.com/book/show/15...

I was just talking to a friend today about Dolly Parton's Imagination Library - new books every month, totally for free, for kids ages 1-5.

My son was part of the program - this is a copy of the letter that came with his last book, right after his 5th birthday.

246. The Hearing Trumpet by Leonora Carrington — Backlisted Leonora Carrington's charming and surreal novel The Hearing Trumpet (1976, probably) is the subject of this episode. Joining Una, Andy and Nicky is author and lecturer Dr Paul March-Russell , w...

We did a bloody amazing @backlisted.bsky.social on Leonora Carrington.

www.backlisted.fm/episodes/246...

Cartoon of five little sheep sitting on chairs. Caption: Gambollers Anonymous

Spring is in the air

Felt like those two comedians who were on the Ed Sullivan Show with those four scousers that time.

Pity this poor writer who was on the same bill as her at a Picador Road Show.

This is possibly a misreading. I think it says "no catholic mass" - this might be because there is never a catholic mass on Good Friday. And never has been. A service yes of course but not a mass.

If other writers don't feel a degree of imposter syndrome after finishing The Palm House, they have an unrealistically high opinion of their abilities. Good luck, Picador. Don't fuck it up. x

I talked about My Phantoms too much, so this thread will probably be the only thing I post about Gwendoline Riley’s new novel The Palm House. I have read it twice, first in proof and again now the novel is ‘in the shops’. As usual, the style is the substance, and the style is impeccable. >

When you sell your soul, you don't get much for it.

imo poems about birth & newborns should be considered a genre, like war or love poetry. It’s one of the most important moments in a human life. The idea that these subjects are so ‘well-trodden’ that it’s ’technically hard’ to make them new makes my blood boil! www.theguardian.com/books/2026/a...

Two photos of Frank Cottrell-Boyce sharing a story with families in a room decorated with balloons, rugs, lamps, books, and other cosy things. In one photo he's standing up with a book in one hand and a giraffe puppet in the other; in the other photo, he's sitting cross-legged on the floor. In both photos, young children and families watch on.

We're in Knowsley today, enjoying story time with our Waterstones #ChildrensLaureate @frankcottrellboyce.bsky.social!

He is such a brilliant advocate for the magic of sharing stories and has certainly brought that to life today ✨

Stay tuned for more about our #ReadingRights work in Knowsley soon!

Glen Baxter obituary: absurdist illustrator Yorkshire-born artist and writer known for his quirky and original cartoons of cowboys, gangsters, schoolchildren and explorers dies aged 82

This is such sad news. I only met Glen Baxter once, at a literary festival in Montpellier. (He was hugely popular in France.) I can only say he was one of the funniest, warmest, most charming geniuses I've ever met.

Wll be mentioning @christopheredge.bsky.social Oliver Jeffers and Stanislaw Lem

Trigger warning ... I'm going to be popping up on #TodayProgramme #BBCRadio4
To talk about easter reading quite soon

The front cover of The Blockbusters by Frank Cottrell-Boyce and Steven Lenton plus the words "available from Waterstones" and a circle reading "£1 will be donated to BookTrust for every copy sold", and the logos for Waterstones Children's Laureate and Go All In

Looking for a great read for the Easter holidays?

You can't go wrong with #TheBlockbusters by @frankcottrellboyce.bsky.social - grab the @waterstones.bsky.social exclusive edition and Waterstones and Macmillan will donate to BookTrust! 👇

https://bit.ly/4rS4RUc @waterstoneskids.bsky.social

The #art of #annunciation ! www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks...

Handsome man that

George Michael was a notorious control freak. When it came to the Faith album this attention to detail extended from arranging, composing and performing the music, to styling, graphic design and even drawing the album artwork himself. Tonight the Music Seems So Loud is out in June. sathnam.com

I wouldn't say my Avanti train ticket is pricey, but I've just had the option to pay for it in three interest-free installments.

I KNOW can't believe I missed that. Was v late at night recording it
Sorry everyone

Mark Payton?

On the Today Programme tomorrow morning talking about The Magic Faraway Tree and Eleanor Graham's bonkers classic The Children who Lived in the Barn.
Trigger warning for @swanljenn.bsky.social

Berluddy Hell