BESTSELLERS 2011
JULY 2011
Local Arts & Book Events set the scene for July's bestsellers at
The Book Case - Hebden Bridge Arts Festival claimed five of our top ten, and
Alastair Humphreys' talk at the Library supplied two bestsellers. The remaining
three most popular books were about local history.
1. The Hacienda: How Not to Run a Club - Peter Hook
(£7.99)
Peter Hook's talk at the Picture House as part of the Festival
sent his book whizzing off the shelves! As co-owner of Manchester's Hacienda
club, Hook propelled the rise of acid house in the late 1980s, then suffered
through its violent fall in the 1990s.
2. A Trick of the Dark - Val
McDermid (£7.99)
Val McDermid talked to a packed audience at
the Little Theatre as part of the Festival. When Charlie Flint is sent a
mysterious package of cuttings about a brutal murder, it instantly grabs her
attention. The murder occurred in the grounds of her old Oxford college - a
groom battered to death just hours after his wedding.
3.
Fustianopolis: Hebden Bridge, the growth of a textile town - HBATC
(£5.00)
4. The Mills of the Hebden Valley -
HBATC (£5.00)
These two informative illustrated booklets
about the history of our area remained buoyant.
5. Moods of Future
Joys: Around the World by Bike 1 - Alastair Humphreys
(£7.99)
Adventurer Alastair Humphreys talked to an enthusiastic
audience at Hebden Bridge Library. This book follows him on the first leg of
his epic journey around the world, starting in Yorkshire, then going down
through Europe and travelling the whole length of Africa.
6. In
Praise of Men and Other People - Ann Sansom (£7.95)
Ann
Sansom spoke at two events for the Festival. "Her poetry overturns the reader's
expectations. Her poems often present human dramas in which people are seen as
acting out their versions of themselves in their own fictions."
7.
Thunder and Sunshine: Around the World by Bike 2 - Alastair Humphreys
(£7.99)
Alone on the road for four years, in countries few people
visit, enduring an 85° C temperature range, Alastair survived on a total of
just £7,000. The story of his journey from South Africa back to
Yorkshire, via the whole of the Americas, South to North, then Siberia in
winter, Japan, and back through China, Central Asia and Europe.
8.
How to Paint a Dead Man - Sarah Hall (£7.99)
Novelist Sarah
Hall was one of the earlier speakers at the Festival and her event was much
enjoyed. In this novel a dying painter considers the sacrifices and losses that
have made him an enigma, both to strangers and those closest to him.
9. Borrowers of the Night: the Clifton Wood Murder - Anna
Best (£10)
On New Year's Eve, 1832, twenty-year-old Elizabeth
Rayner was murdered at Clifton near Brighouse. The murder was never solved, and
now Elizabeth's great-niecex4 has reexamined the records of the coroner's
inquiry to try and solve the mystery of who killed her and why.
10.
Foul
Play - Tom Palmer (£5.99)
Todmorden-based Tom Palmer organised a
football reading game at Central Street School as part of the Festival. This
book is the first of his popular Foul Play series published by
Puffin.
JUNE
Well, The Book Case's
customers do like local history! A book of local walks was also popular. A
clever comic novel, a children's picture book and a non-fiction books about
life on the edge made up the remainder.
1. The Mills of the Hebden
Valley - HBATC (£5.00)
2.
Fustianopolis: Hebden Bridge, the growth of a textile town -
HBATC (£5.00)
Their third month at the top of the bestseller
list - two informative illustrated booklets about the history of our
area.
3. Hebden Bridge: a short history of the
area - Peter Thomas (£5.99)
Peter Thomas's account of the
history of our area from ancient times to the present day is generally to be
found in our Top Ten.
4. Gone Walkabout - Anna Carlisle
(£6.95)
Twenty-four walks in the Upper Calder Valley for the
sedentary to energetic.
5. Wise Children - Angela Carter
(£7.99)
A Reading Group choice, which helped this entertaining and
bawdy story of twin ageing ex-chorus girls.
6. The Halifax
Cavaliers and the Heptonstall Roundheads - David Shires
(£5.50)
By the late Captain Helliwell, an account of the Civil War
struggle between Sir Francis Mackworth's royalist forces at Halifax and Colonel
Bradshaw's parliamentary army at Heptonstall.
7. Old Ordnance
Survey Maps for Yorkshire: Mytholmroyd 1905 (£2.99)
Based on
the old 1:25000 map and stretching as far as Midgley.
8. Power
in the Landscape - HBATC (£5.00)
Also from the Alternative
Technology Centre, a colour-illustrated pamphlet with the history of watermills
in the area.
9. Funnybones - Alan Ahlberg
(£7.99)
This big colourful picture book includes "The Ghost Train",
"Bumps in the Night" and "Skeleton Crew".
10. Edgelands - Paul
Farley and Michael Symmons Roberts (£12.99)
"Journeys into
England's true wilderness" - a vista of pylons, railways, motorways and out of
town shopping centres. A Radio 4 Book of the Week.
MAY
Local history was top of the charts again in May with four
titles: two books of poems sold well, including one by a locally-based writer,
three novels were popular, and the BBC Proms Guide was in demand as soon as it
appeared.
1. The Mills of the Hebden Valley -
HBATC (£5.00)
2. Fustianopolis: Hebden Bridge, the
growth of a textile town - HBATC (£5.00)
These two
informative illustrated booklets about the history of our area continued
popular. Lots of old photographs, information and maps so you can see the
history all around you!
3. Full Blood - John Siddique
(£9.99)
A fascinating talk by John Siddique on some of the ideas
behind his new book of poems - including the Tree of Life, chakras and
God-s female side - gave this one a boost.
4. Power in the
Landscape - HBATC (£5.00)
Colour-illustrated pamphlet with
the history of watermills in the area. Nicely produced.
5. Room -
Emma Donoghue (£7.99)
Jack is five. He lives with his Ma.
They live in a single, locked room and they don't have the key. Shortlisted for
Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2010 and this year's Orange Prize.
6.
Hebden Bridge: a short history of the area - Peter Thomas
(£5.99)
Popular as always, Peter Thomas's account of the history of
our area from ancient times to the present day.
7. The Finkler
Question - Howard Jacobson (£7.99)
The 2010 Booker winner and
our Fiction Book of the Month. ' A funny and serious novel about love, loss and
male friendship.
8. Diamond Star Halo - Tiffany Murray
(£7.99)
A word-of-month bestselling "unexpectedly quirky and funny"
novel. Growing up in a rural recording studio, Halo Llewellyn is rarely
star-struck, but when one of the visiting singers gives birth to Fred, she
knows right away that he's special.
9. BBC Proms Guide 2011
(£6.00)
They don't start till mid-July but this has been selling
briskly. Lots of extra articles as well as the programme.
10. Ten
Poems by the Romantics (£4.95)
Ten poems by Blake, Byron,
Coleridge, Keats, Shelley, the Wordsworths et al in the atttractive "Instead of
a book" series - envelope and bookmark included.
APRIL
Five books about our local history were joined by two books of
verse by national locally-based poets amongst The Book Cases hot sellers
in April - plus a thoughtful and practical book from a local woman plumber
& entrepreneur. The remaining two bestsellers comprised a Costa winner
about a netsuke collection, and a heartrending childrens book.
1. The Mills of the Hebden Valley - HBATC
(£5.00)
An informative illustrated booklet about the history of our
area. Lots of old photographs, information and maps so you can see the history
all around you!
2. Fustianopolis: Hebden Bridge, the growth of a
textile town - HBTAC (£5.00)
Another well-researched
illustrated pamphlet from HBTAC, on the local specialisation in hardwearing
fustian with photos, information and memories.
3. A Look into
the History of Warley - June Illingworth (£5.99)
Illustrated
A4 booklet with a potted history of the area and a guided tour around the town
and area.
4. Hebden Bridge: a short history of the area - Peter
Thomas (£5.99)
Peter Thomass account of the history of
our area from ancient times to the present day takes its accustomed place in
our Top Ten.
5. The Hare with Amber Eyes - Edmund de
Waal (£8.99)
The story of a netsuke collection which passed
from hand to hand, and by a twist of fate, found its way back to Japan again.
Costa Biography winner.
6. Full Blood - John Siddique
(£9.99)
"Intelligent, sensual, highly erotic, manly and beautifully
mortal - the result of a fifteen-year labour of love". John will be talking
about the ideas and imagery in his new book of poems on 25 May at the Methodist
Hall.
7. A Year in the Bull Box - Glyn Hughes
(£7.99)
A book of poems following the course of a year's cancer from
acceptance to joyous life again through closeness to nature. From the
award-winning poet, artist and novelist.
8. The Joy of Plumbing
- Hattie Hasan (£6.95)
From the Lumbutts-based founder of
Stopcocks Women Plumbers, a thoughtful book to inspire women to break down
employment stereotypes.
9. The Good Ship Calder High and other
tales from the 1950s - Peter Thomas (£5.00)
This account of
life at the experimental new school in Mytholmroyd - and other local goings on
in the 1950s - continues popular.
10. Running Wild - Michael Morpurgo
(£6.99)
Will and his mum are on holiday in Indonesia, when the
tsunami comes crashing in. The elephant Will is riding begins to run
...
MARCH
World Book Day made its mark on The Book Cases
bestsellers in March, and our first Literary Lecture promoted Andrew
Bibbys interesting book still further. There were four other popular
local titles, a little book of poems about mothers sold well (Mothers Day
is coming) and three very different novels were also in
demand.
1. Dr Seuss on the Loose!
(£1.00)
By far the most popular of the World Book Day Specials, this
is a collection of rip-roaring rhymes from the master of verse. We keep most of
his other books in stock too.
2. Backbone of England - Andrew Bibby
(£8.99)
Life and landscape on the Pennine watershed from a well-known
local author and walker. Now in a portable paperback version.
3. At the Foot of the Lud - Sheena Ellwood
(£9.99)
A well-researched history of Luddenden Foot by a local
resident which has been selling very well in a number of outlets. Royd
Press.
4. Hebden Bridge: a short history of the area - Peter
Thomas (£5.99)
Peter Thomass account of the history of
our area from ancient times to the present day. Pretty well a permanent
resident in our Top Ten.
5. Power in the Landscape: water-powered mills in the
Upper Calder Valley (£5.00)
Colour-illustrated pamphlet from
Hebden Bridge Alternative Technology Centre with the history of watermills in
the area. The two new ones in the series deal with Hebden Bridge: "From Fulling
to Fustianopolis".
6. The Good Ship Calder High and other tales from the
1950s - Peter Thomas (£5.00)
Still selling well, an account
of life at the experimental new school in Mytholmroyd, by a survivor! And other
local goings on in the 1950s.
7. Ten Poems about Mothers - ed.
Jenny Swann (£4.95)
One of the Candlestick series of poetry
pamphlets, including a bookmark. The title of Jackie Kays poem I
Try My Absolute Best says it all really!
8. A Shilling for
Candles - Josephine Tey (£7.99)
Beneath the sea cliffs of the
south coast, suicides are a sad but common fact. Yet even the hardened
coastguard knows something is wrong when a beautiful young film actress is
found lying dead on the beach one morning. One of the stylishly jacketed
reissues of the classic 1950s whodunnits.
9. Room - Emma
Donoghue (£7.99)
Jack is five. He lives with his Ma. They
live in a single, locked room. They don't have the key. Jack and Ma are
prisoners. Shortlisted for Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2010 and longlisted for
this years Orange Prize.
10. Museum of Innocence - Orhan Pamuk (£7.99)
Its a perfect spring day in Istanbul and wealthy Kemal is about to
become engaged to aristocratic Sibel when he meets Fusun, a beautiful shop
girl. A "haunting novel of memory, desire and loss."
FEBRUARY Local interest wins again, with
four novels and a childrens book making up the remainder of bestsellers
at The Book Case. And were delighted to see you agreed with our Fiction
and Non-Fiction Book of Month selections for February!
1. The Good Ship Calder High and other tales
from the 1950s - Peter Thomas (£5.00)
The Good Ship has
bobbed to the top this month: it tells of life at the experimental new school
in Mytholmroyd.
2. At the Foot of the Lud - Sheena Ellwood
(£9.99)
Even though weve been supplying several other outlets
with this well-researched history of Luddenden Foot, Sheenas book still
managed to reach the second place at The Book Case.
3. Backbone of England - Andrew Bibby
(£8.99)
Now in a portable paperback version, life and landscape on the
Pennine watershed, from a well-known local author and walker. Hell be
talking about the book on 16th March at the Methodist Church.
4. Hebden Bridge: a short history of the area - Peter
Thomas (£5.99)
Peter Thomass account of the history of
our area from ancient times to the present day - it wasnt out of our Top
Ten for long!
5. Long Song - Andrea Levy
(£7.99)
Shortlisted for the Man Booker and longlisted for the Orange
Prize, a hauntingly beautiful tale set in Jamaica during the last turbulent
years of slavery and the early years of freedom that
followed.
6. The Hand That First Held Mine - Maggie
O'Farrell (£7.99)
Costa Novel winner: a story of love,
memory and motherhood; an extraordinary portrait of two women separated by
fifty years, but connected in ways that neither could ever have expected.
7. South Riding - Winifred Holtby
(£8.99)
The classic novel set near Hull during the Depression - a
young woman returns to her home town to shake up the local school as
headmistress and encourage girls to think beyond being "wives and mothers".
Meanwhile the local squire lives a personal tragedy. TV series.
8. Mornings in Jenin - Susan Abulhawa (£7.99)
The multi-generational story of a Palestinian family. Forcibly removed from
the olive-farming village of Ein Hod by the newly formed state of Israel in
1948, the Abulhejos are displaced to live in canvas tents in the Jenin refugee
camp.
9. Yorkshire's Real Heritage Pubs - ed. David
Gamston (CAMRA) (£4.99)
"Pub interiors of special historic
interest in Yorkshire and Humber". Quite a few in Halifax, the White Horse in
Sowerby Bridge, Old Ship in Brighouse, Glen View in Cornholme.
10. Lily Alone - Jacqueline Wilson
(£12.99)
Lily isn't home alone - but she sort of wishes she was;
looking after her three younger siblings is a lot of responsibility. When Mum
goes off on holiday with her new boyfriend and her stepdad fails to show up,
Lily is determined to keep the family together and show they can cope without
any grown-ups.
JANUARY Still at the
top, different facets of local history with three other books of local interest
also represented. The Book Cases other bestsellers included two novels, a
non-fiction book on why manual work feels better than knowledge work, a book of
love poems (Valentines Day is coming!) and the true story of a wartime
escape.
1. At the Foot of the Lud - Sheena
Ellwood (£9.99). Still at the top, this well-researched history
of Luddenden Foot by a local resident - reviewed in the Courier today!
2. The Good Ship Calder High and other tales from the
1950s - Peter Thomas (£5.00). The author, who is a well-known
local historian, was a guinea pig at the experimental new school in Mytholmroyd
and now spills the beans.
3. Trespass - Rose Tremain (£7.99). This
novel about an unwitting visitor to a silent valley in southern France and its
troubled inhabitants was our Fiction Book of the Month.
4. The Case for Working with Your Hands - Matthew
Crawford (£8.99). Our Non-Fiction Book of the Month, it tells
"Why Office Work is Bad for Us and Fixing Things Feels Good", which struck a
chord with many of our customers.
5. West Yorkshire Folk Tales - John Billingsley
(£9.99). Back amongst the bestsellers, local historian John Billingsley's
latest collection of West Yorkshire folklore, entertainingly told, with
atmospheric line drawings by Heptonstall illustrator, Stan McCarthy.
6. Fabrics, Filth and Fairy Tents - Angus Bethune Reach,
ed. Chris Aspin (£6.95). Our reprint of Reachs graphic
journalistic accounts of what he found amongst the West Riding textile workers
in 1849 had a bit of a surge in January.
7. Love Poems - Carol Ann Duffy (£4.99).
Whether writing of longing or adultery, romance or seduction, Carol Ann Duffy
captures the truth of what it means to love, to be in love, and to be loved in
return - and, sometimes, of what it means when love ends.
8. One Day - David Nicholls (£7.99). Funny and
moving novel which follows two people through twenty years. Galaxy Fiction Book
of the Year.
9. Halifax Joint Committee 1995-2010 - Keith A
Jenkinson (£11.99). The story of the orange, green and cream
buses that operated around Halifax for the last fifteen years, ceasing on 23
October 2010, apart from school and supermarket duties. The company was set up
by a bus enthusiast and this book has 150 colour photos, plus leaflets and
timetables.
10. The Long Walk - Slavomir Rawicz
(£7.99). "The true story of a trek to freedom": Slavomir Rawicz was a
young Polish cavalry officer, arrested by the Russians in 1939 and after brutal
interrogation sentenced to 25 years in the Gulags. After a three month journey
to Siberia in the depths of winter he escaped with six companions. Inspired the
film "The Way Back".
Bestsellers of 2010
Bestsellers of 2009
Bestsellers of 2008
Bestsellers of 2007
Bestsellers of 2006