Compass Points 102

Hello there! Who’d like to give up their job as a lowly bookseller and become a secret agent? Or maybe some of you are operating in deep cover, and are already on her Majesty’s Secret Service? As Scouting for Girls memorably sang, who doesn’t Wish they Were James Bond – and you can watch a great montage of that pop song here!

This Christmas, everyone can get a taste of life as a Double O with a cracking bit of publishing from Biteback: The Secret Agent's Bedside Reader. This handsome hardback is a terrific collection of thrilling and absorbing stories told by some of the greatest spies and spy writers ever.  Daring wartime plans devised by Ian Fleming to steal an Enigma machine for the Bletchley Park code breakers sit side by side with reports from MI6 traitor Kim Philby to Moscow Centre, operations in Bolshevik Russia, and the literary spy stories of Joseph Conrad and Erskine Childers. This is the ultimate book for those fascinated by espionage and spies, and with its enticing mix of fictional and real spies , there is nothing else available on the market like this. And best of all, the collection is edited by a former intelligence officer and one of the leading authorities on the history of Britain's spies; Michael Smith, who really knows his stuff. Each story is accompanied by an expert introduction from Smith on everything from John Buchan's classic The 39 Steps, to accounts by Sir Paul Dukes and George Hill, two of the earliest heroes of MI6; and descriptions by the Cambridge spies from the KGB archives of the details they passed to the Russians. Stories of espionage never cease to engage and enthral and this really is a perfect Christmas gift for readers of espionage fact and fiction – a colossal market! The Secret Agent's Bedside Reader edited by Michael Smith was published last month by Biteback (£20, hb, 978 1849547406).

Order The Secret Agents Bedside Reader here

Well, in my opinion you can never really have too much of James Bond – so have a watch here  for a very classy 50 years of the suave one – set to Adele’s Skyfall.

The Good Hotel Guide 2015 by Desmond Balmer and Adam Raphael (pb, £20, 9780954940492) was launched at a party last week where they handed out the much coveted awards for the best places to stay in Britain. Awards included Newcomer of the Year, Best Small Hotel, Family Friendly Hotel, Most Dog Friendly Hotel and many more, and there has been plenty of publicity including this big piece in the Daily Mail. The Good Hotel Guide is the market leader. It is totally independent, extremely comprehensive, includes £150 worth of discount vouchers, contains user-friendly colour maps and covers nearly 900 selected hotels in Great Britain and Ireland. This is the peak time of year for your customers to be thinking about their next year’s hols – make the most of the great publicity for this book and keep The Good Hotel Guide 2015 on prominent display!

Order the Good Hotel Guide here

Now which award would this small hotel in Torquay win do you think? Best view perhaps?!

The dust is still settling – or rather swirling – from the storm that was the Scottish referendum – and opportunely, Biteback have just signed up an insider account of the Scottish independence referendum, by Daily Telegraph journalist Alan Cochrane. Alex Salmond – My Part in his Downfall will be published as a hardback on 18 November, and draws on Cochrane's diaries, columns and interviews with politicians, written over the past three years, covering the entire independence campaign. Cochrane, the Scottish editor of the Telegraph, was described by Salmond's wife as a "ghastly man" and had close access to politicians throughout the events of the campaign. The book is described as an account of "the cynical, the chaotic, the incompetent and the cruel world of politics, sparing no one from with withering observations." Cochrane emerged as one of the Unionist heroes in the  independence battle and used his daily newspaper columns, and long list of Westminster and Scottish contacts to plot behind the scenes, mounting a mission all of his own to see off the Scottish Nationalist threat and bring about the downfall of the SNP leader. Now he reveals how the UK was really won. Through the pages of his detailed diary, kept secretly throughout the three years of the build-up to the referendum, he offers insights into every stage of the historic campaign. With his access to David Cameron, Alistair Darling, Gordon Brown and everyone in between, this is going to be a unique and explosive piece of publishing!  Alex Salmond – My Part in his Downfall by Alan Cochrane (hb, £18.99 978 1849548267) is published by Biteback.

Order it and find out more here.

Bookworms, Dog-Ears and Squashy Big Armchairs: A Book Lover’s Alphabet by Heather Reyes has just been selected by Readers Digest as their Book of the Month for December. Readers Digest’s circulation is 214,000, its readership is 986,000 and the digital and print audience per month is 1.1m so this is great publicity.  This endearing title was also the editor’s pick in The Bookseller for November, with Caroline Sanderson saying. “Here's to squashy big armchairs and everyone buying lots of books this Christmas ... this informative compendium of thought-provoking bookish facts and anecdotes, written with the same wit, style and erudition which characterised Reyes' An Everywhere: A Little Book About Reading. A delightful gift for a fellow book-lover”. Bookworms, Dog-Ears and Squashy Big Armchairs: A Book Lover’s Alphabet by Heather Reyes (pb, £8.99, 978 0992636463) is published in November by Oxygen Books and you can order it here.

Current crazes within fiction (The White Queen; A Discovery of Witches), film (Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters) and television (True Blood; Supernatural) prove that our fascination with witchcraft, Wicca and ancient lore is far from over. Charmed: 200 Spells Omens and Charms to Entrance Your Lover is an exquisitely illustrated lavish gift book which offers 200 pearls of ancient wisdom and romantic lore. There is a big market for this sort of nonsense – sorry invaluable hints and potent rituals – for example Titania Hardie’s light-hearted series of spell books have sold well over a million copies in the UK alone. So whether your customers are planning the wedding of their dreams, looking to entrance an elusive new love, or still seeking a soul-mate to set your heart aflame; Charmed (hb, £9.99, 978 0859655262) is for them! It’s published in October by Plexus and you can find out more and order it here.

Let’s have a little burst of Love Potion Number Nine to get us in the mood shall we – loving this cool 1971 version from The Coasters!

That’s China by Mark Kitto is a British entrepreneur’s memoir about his daring attempt to force open China’s closed media sector. To the Chinese communist party, media is state propaganda. No individuals, let alone foreigners will ever have a stake in it. For seven roller-coaster years, Mark Kitto outwitted competitors and jealous partners to build the most popular and profitable English language publishing business in China since 1949. No foreigner in modern times has come so close to the heart of the Chinese propaganda machine on his own terms. Not even Rupert. Told with self deprecating humour, and unsettling honesty; this is that rare thing, a business saga that will have you on the edge of your seat to the final showdown in the highest law court in China. That’s China by Mark Kitto (pb, £9.99, 978 9881677570) is published by Forty-six in November, and Mark will be doing lots of publicity for it – it’s sure to attract attention. His first book, about his experience of living in China – China Cuckoo – was a bestseller, and will be republished next year by Forty-six in an updated edition.

Order That's China here

Talking of business entrepreneurs; The Apprentice is back – yay! Sadly, I can’t bring you any Apprentice related publishing, but I can give you a chance to look again at the genius Cassetteboy skit on some of Siralan's finest moments! Enjoy!

And finally – when you  lock up your bookshops this evening and go home, at whatever ungodly hour that may be – please please check to make sure no hapless American tourist is hiding behind that pile of Gone Girls and Awful Aunties! Pity poor David Willis who had been browsing in Waterstone’s in Trafalgar Square yesterday, but went downstairs shortly after 9pm to find the lights out and the shop deserted. Despite calls to the shop’s security and police, he spent two hours trapped inside the darkened store – and was only rescued when he used Twitter to alert the world to his predicament! Read the whole story in the Guardian here.

That’s all for now folks, more next week!

This blog is read by  booksellers as well as publishers and publicists, and gets over 1,500 hits a month! If you would like to order any of the titles mentioned, then please click here to go to the Compass New Titles Website or talk to your Compass Sales representative.

Compass Points 101

We start with two sober – but ultimately inspiring titles. Placed in care at a very early age, Paolo Hewitt went to live with a foster family where he endured extreme abuse and humiliation. Following years of abuse he was sent to Burbank children's home at the age of ten where he met a gang of children. Like him, they w ere outsiders struggling to find their place in the world. Paolo paints a vivid picture of his coming of age in his classic memoir of growing up in care; The Looked After Kid – a testament to the resilience of children who “go to sleep at night believing the world to be a dark and terrible place” but wonderfully emerge from the darkness to shine their lights on all. Irvine Welsh called it: “An uplifting story about refusing to give up on your dreams... real inspiration to loads of people who have had similar backgrounds to Paolo.” This title originally sold 10,000 copies via Mainstream/Random House and has now been fully revised with a new section describing the reaction to the book and the authors' subsequent work with children in care. It is published this month by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. 

And Paolo Hewitt has also written a brand new title which will be published on the same day. But We All Shine On tells the inspiring story of the author’s journey to track down the group of friends who shared his childhood in care at the children's home. Stepping into the past, Paolo hears remarkable stories about how his friends coped with life both in and out of care. We meet Des, the boy who reinvented himself, Norman, the runaway child who crossed a continent, David, the boy who couldn't be heard, and the curious case of Terry – the child who stood in a school field for four days. Paolo hears about his friends' struggles and triumphs, and discovers many things: about himself, about care, but most of all about the indomitable force of the human spirit – even when faced with the most overwhelming odds. These are two extraordinary titles, and sadly, the stories that Hewitt tells, could not be more pertinent today with the revelations about life in care that come to light on an almost daily basis.  As Dr Robert of The Blow Monkeys says: “Hewitt has shed a light on the murky world of late 60s and early 70s children's homes. An empathetic listener and master story teller his is the authentic voice... from the inside… first hand. The characters are his friends. They trust him. The stories herein are touching, funny and most of all redemptive. It's quite possibly his masterpiece.” These are books that that many people will want to read, and the media will be very interested in. Paolo Hewitt is a well-known journalist with a strong media profile, and there will be a big interview with Margarette Driscoll in the Sunday Times this weekend or next.  The publishers are be backing up the article with ads on Facebook and Twitter mentioning the article and the new book, and I am certain there will be more press coverage to come – the books have evocative covers and these moving accounts of the strength and resilience of children are gripping, insightful and honest and deserve to sell extremely well. But We All Shine On: The Remarkable Orphans of Burbank Children's Home (978 1849055833, £8.99, pb) and The Looked After Kid: Memoirs from a Children's Home (978 1849055888, pb, £12.99) by Paolo Hewitt are published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers on 21 October.

Find out more about But We All Shine On here and the details for The Looked After Kid are here.

For something a little lighter, don’t forget about Brandon Graham’s hilarious novel Good for Nothing which is being reissued in paperback in time for Christmas by Skyscraper (November 27th, £8.99, 978 095518105 4). This title has had huge number of word of mouth recommendations, and readers on Amazon absolutely love it saying “this is unlike anything I have read lately…a brilliant book and Brandon Graham is a very special writer… both literary and popular…amazing, page-turning, FUN and insightful read. … You MUST share some funny lines with your spouse because it's THAT GOOD. … A seamless, brilliantly-paced book. … I cannot wait for Brandon Graham’s next book… an entertaining, funny and yet poignant look at modern life…” The Daily Mail called it “very, very funny” and Stephen Fry said he was “enchanted.” If you haven’t read it yet – please do – it’s been one of the most universally enjoyed titles here in the Compass Office for this year – and it cheers you up no end!

The News is Read By…  by Charlotte Green (978 1849546911, hb,  £20.00) is getting absolutely loads of publicity at present thanks to Charlotte’s willingness to tell all about her BBC boss’s wandering hands, and other sex pest stories from the 1970’s. You can read some of the revelations from the book in the Daily Mail here and in an article from the Telegraph here – both published last week. This autobiography in fact has far more of interest in it than those headlines might imply; since the broadcaster Charlotte Green is a true national treasure. When news broke that she was to replace James Alexander Gordon as the voice of BBC Radio 5’s football results, the Times announced, “Exquisite voice to announce results of the beautiful game”. Until her retirement in early 2013, Charlotte was the voice of Radio 4. Her warm and perfectly modulated tones reassured millions of devoted listeners that, despite some of the dreadful news stories she had to read out to the nation over a period of 27 years, we were safe in her hands. When she resigned listeners took to Twitter in their thousands to bemoan their loss and colleagues at the BBC gave her a rare spontaneous and emotional send-off. Charlotte was there with us, when we woke up in the mornings and as we drifted off to sleep at the end of the day, when she would read the Shipping Forecast. As the newsreader on Radio 4’s bulletins she describes how she got through the worst news stories, such as the London bombings on 7/7/05, for which she received a Sony Gold Award. Memorably her bulletins would occasionally degenerate into suppressed laughter or a full-on fit of giggles on air during the very serious Today programme. Her highly entertaining autobiography is a the book all Radio 4 and Classic FM devotees will feel compelled to buy for the joy of spending a few hours in her company, and finding out about this wonderfully warm, funny and modest woman whose writing is as beautiful as her voice. I know this is a phrase that you have probably heard one time too many this autumn from various keenie beanie publisher’s reps – but this book genuinely is the perfect Christmas prezzie for all those hard-to-buy-for older rellies! It is published by Robson Press and you can order The News is Read By here

Let’s just hear that very funny moment when Charlotte cracks up on air here!

And here is a little compilation of Charlotte Green – and others – reading that classic of British Broadcasting; The Shipping Forecast.

That one doesn’t include that lovely lovely music for the late night forecast though, so let's have a little burst of that shall we!

Well, if that has caused you to all have a little doze for a few moments, imagine if while you were having your afternoon siesta in the stock room you could actually decide what you wanted to dream about. A pretty appealing thought you must agree, and now Lucid Dreaming: A Beginners Guide to Becoming Conscious in Your Dreams by Charlie Morley will show us all how to do just that. A fascinating and accessible introduction to the theory, practice, and innovative techniques behind becoming lucid in your dreams; this book spells out the benefits of living a more awakened life and also contains amazing, real-life case studies and contributions from the world's leading lucid dreaming experts. Lucid Dreaming: A Beginners Guide to Becoming Conscious in Your Dreams by Charlie Morley (978 1781803431, pb, 8.99) is published by Hay House in November.

You can order Lucid Dreaming here

You can watch Charlie Morley talk abut Lucid Dreaming here on YouTube – it’s had 73,000 views so far!

Well this all sounds a bit like the plot of Inception – and if like me you never really worked out what on earth this film was on about – then you’ll enjoy this honest trailer – i.e. NOT the official one!

Something that probably won’t be featuring in your lucid dreams is a middle aged man in Lycra – but nevertheless, there are an awful lot of them around these days.  How to be A Cyclist: An A-Z of Life on Two Wheels by John Deering and Phil Ashley (hb, 978 1909715158, £12.99) was launched this week in London at a party stuffed full of hearty biking types. As one reader has commented, “this book is both useful and funny, like a bin man in his underwear.” Cycling has never been more popular, and this humorous one-of-a-kind gift book features some stunning photography, as well as much laugh-out-loud advice. It’s an essential manual and source of wisdom for those who would be kings of the road. Many pitfalls await the unwary middle-aged-man-in-Lycra, but fear not, for the Guide is here to steer you through choppy waters. No more passing out halfway up a hill. No more ridicule in the work place. No more hurty knee. And no more sock crimes. Pearls of wisdom are scattered throughout this book like rose petals before a princess on her wedding day. For instance, who could deny that life is too short to drink bad coffee? That a noisy bike is marginally more annoying than a whiney toddler? Or that style should ever be sacrificed for speed? Written by experts who know everything there is to know about cycling, yet never forget that there is nothing funnier than a rabbit playing a trumpet, How to Be a Cyclist is mandatory reading for all bike riders and is out now from Arena Sport. There’s lots of publicity coming up in the cycling mags and on social media – and should be some features in the general press this month too.

Find out more and order it here

And if you want to become a real expert at all that ludicrous cyclist jargon then do have a look at this funny 3 min vid on YouTube here!

I bet you look good on the dance floor. No really – I do. Of course the savvy among you will realise that I am of course referring to those cool and trendy popstrels, the Arctic Monkeys. Arctic Monkeys: Pretend Memories (978 1905959730, £14.95) by Rob Jovanovic is an illustrated paperback biography of the band out from Red Planet Publishing in November. By all accounts it is now time for a good book about this multiple No 1 band, and the fact that there will be no new album before Christmas means this book will be the perfect purchase for their fans. The Arctic Monkeys are the most interesting British band of the 21st century, constantly evolving but ensuring that each album kicks just as hard and fast as the previous one. Alex Turner and co are not going away, this is a band in it for the long haul and their fan base is ultra-loyal. You don’t ‘grow out’ of the Arctic Monkeys. The band is riding higher than ever, which is pretty high. Every album has gone to number one in the UK (while they have also strengthened their following in the US and elsewhere overseas) and this lengthy in-depth appraisal with a 16 pages photographic section should sell really well.

You can order Arctic Monkeys Pretend Memories here

And here is that classic Arctic Monkeys track from 2005, and also Do I Wanna Know? – love the video for this one!

And finally … here’s are some interesting musings on the art of book cover design – and some great examples – now that’s something that you certainly don’t get with an eBook!

That’s all for now folks, more next week!

This blog for booksellers is sent out weekly as an e-newsletter to over 700 booksellers as well as publishers and publicists. If you would like to order any of the titles mentioned then please click here to go to the Compass New Titles Website or talk to your Compass Sales representative.

Compass Points 100

It’s the 100th edition of Compass Points! Yippee! To celebrate, here are the 100 most iconic movie shots of all time! This is five minutes of bliss – starting right back in the silent movie era – I reckon I can name a pretty large number of the films shown – how many do you know?

Pep Guardiola is one of the world’s most successful football managers, and coming this month is Pep Confidential - Marti Perarnau’s extraordinary, behind-the-scenes diary of life with him. This title is going to get a LOT of publicity when it is published in a couple of weeks on 18 October – the  PR for this book is being orchestrated by Back Page Press, who did such a great job, with Pirlo, and there is a similar strategy being followed for this book. The Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph and the Independent have confirmed that they will definitely will all run extracts from the book during publication week – and the Sun, Daily Mirror, Daily Express, Guardian, and the Times are all expected to do likewise. On the web, Goal.com, the biggest football website in the world, has a content package for publication day and the BBC and ESPN will also run features on the book. Graham Hunter and Sid Lowe are strong advocates of the book and will plug it, with a combined Twitter following of 500,000; and the author Marti Perarnau has 68,000 Twitter followers. This book is going to be very big indeed – so please make sure you have plenty of copies. Pep Confidential by Marti Perarnau is published by Arena Sport (978 1909715257, hb, £14.99) and you can find out more and order it here

We are delighted to announce that the Carcanet poet Kei Miller has been awarded the prestigious Forward Prize for Best Poetry Collection for The Cartographer Tries to Map A Way to Zion at the Southbank Centre this week. The chair of the judges, Jeremy Paxman, said: “Kei is doing something you don’t come across often: this is a beautifully voiced collection which struck us all with its boldness and wit. Many poets refer to multiple realities, different ways of observing the world. Kei doesn’t just refer, he articulates them.”  There has been lots of terrific publicity for this amazing win: Kei was interviewed in the Guardian on Monday as the “one to watch” which you can read here, he was interviewed on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row and you can listen to that here, and Kei and Jeremy Paxman were photographed in the Telegraph which you can see here! The Cartographer Tries to Map A Way to Zion (£9.95, 978 1 847772 67 1) is available in paperback now.

When it was published in France, Merci Pour Ce Moment, Valérie Trierweiler’s memoir about her tumultuous relationship with President Francois Hollande, sent shockwaves through the French political establishment for what it revealed about the President’s personal life. In a nation that strives not to pry into the private lives of its politicians, Trierweiler’s voice demanded to be heard, and the book went on to sell over 400,000 copies in just three weeks, becoming France’s fastest selling book ever. At its heart is a compelling tale of politics, love and betrayal that has electrified a nation. It began back in January 2014 when a story in Closer magazine featured photographs which allegedly proved a secret relationship between Hollande and actress Julie Gayet. Trierweiler was subsequently admitted to hospital. She learnt of the President’s alleged infidelity from the press, just like everyone else; then the man she loved broke up with her in an eighteen-word press release. I’m pleased to tell you that Thank You for the Moment by Valerie Trierweiler (translated by Clemence Sebag) will be published in the UK by Biteback (£18.99, hb 978 1849548236) in November, and Valerie Trierweiler is coming over to the UK to publicise it! Iain Dale from Biteback said "We are thrilled to be publishing Valerie’s memoirs, which reveal the truth about her relationship with the President, from its passionate beginnings to its brutal ending in a brief press statement.” And Trierweiler added: "I am delighted to be publishing my memoirs with Biteback - they know how to publish a book like this. My reputation was always trashed by the press in France so at last I decided to write my story. I wanted for people in England, Australia and New Zealand to hear from me directly - who I really am and what I have been through." There is certain to be plenty of press interest in Valérie Trierweiler‘s visit – and in her explosive book.

Order Thank You for the Moment and find out more here

And if you don’t feel you are entirely au fait with the ins and outs of Francois Holland – here’s an entertaining 3 minute guide to his love life made by the Telegraph back in January – already out of date already of course – but it gives you the general idea! Sacré bleu, what are those French politicians like?! Well, I suppose at least they are genuinely getting on with a bit of actual ooh la la rather than just sending reporters snaps of themselves in their paisley pyjamas!

Moving from one continent to another, and from one President to a possible would-be President – Hillary Clinton looks as if she may be ready for the top job, but the question is, are we Ready for Hillary? Published again by Biteback in November, Ready for Hillary? by Robin Renwick (hb, £17.99 978 1849547888) is a candid biography of Hillary Clinton and assessment of her chances and abilities should she reach the highest office in the world. Renwick, (Baron Renwick of Clifton: a crossbench peer in the House of Lords) who was British ambassador in Washington when the Clintons arrived in the White House; examines Hillary’s record, looks at her remarkable life and her talent for statesmanship, as well as for survival, and paints a vivid, completely balanced portrait. Hillary Clinton is very likely to run for office and will announce her position early in the New Year and Renwick seeks to show what the world can expect from Hillary if she gets to the White House.

Order Ready for Hillary? here

And if you’re not remotely interested in the politics of France or America, then how about this entertaining rap from none other than our very own PM at this week’s party conference – who knew he could be so amusing.

Talking of posh people being funny, the return of Downton Abbey has given a whole new lease of life to the Buffer’s Guide to Etiquette – and its author William Hanson has been doing the media rounds promoting it - here he is on radio 2 talking to Steve Wright for example. William Hanson is a trusted authority on matters of etiquette, manners and good taste. He rose to prominence as 'Britain's Youngest Etiquette Expert' and has since gone on to work within Royal and other VIP households; coach diplomats, businessmen, schools and colleges and advise several multi-national brands such as Bentley, Champagne Bollinger, The National Lottery and Green & Black's – so he definitely knows his stuff. There is an absolute obsession at the moment with social class and the “right” way of behaving – plus a fascination with/hatred of old Etonions, and the Bullingdon Club; and interest in the royals has never been greater – so how about doing a “posh” window display in your shop including all related titles – and of course plenty of copies of The Bluffer’s Guide to Etiquette! (pb, 978 1909937000)

And if you want an example of some lads who definitely need to have a quick read of  William Hanson’s Buffer’s Guide to Etiquette – then here’s the trailer for new film The Riot Club – posh boys behaving very badly indeed.

Great news that Played in London: Charting the Heritage of a City at Play by Simon Inglis (pb, 978 1848020573 25.00) has been longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year. This is a really terrific title, which reveals the history and heritage of sport in London and takes the reader right up to and beyond the 2012 Olympics. It covers a vast range of sports from rowing to rugby, archery to athletics, billiards to boxing and much more. It’s beautifully illustrated with over 350 illustrations – ranging from archive and contemporary photography, maps and manuscripts. Played in London is published by English Heritage and you can find out more and order it here.

And if this is your cup of tea, then you’ll no doubt enjoy this old Pathe News footage of the Test Match played at Lords in 1905.

 That’s all for now folks, more next week!

This blog is read weekly by over 700 booksellers as well as publishers and publicists. If you would like to order any of the titles mentioned, then please click here to go to the Compass New Titles Website or talk to your Compass Sales representative.

Compass Points 99

Welcome to Issue Number 99 of Compass Points! To celebrate, here’s a little clip of one of my all time fave songs - 99 Red Balloons – but with a difference – this one is played entirely using … red balloons!

While we’re on a numbers theme, here’s the next title from one of our newer publishers, Forty-six: who are dedicated to the best new writing from around the universe, especially Asian literature in translation, as well as Asian-themed non-fiction.  Murong Xuecun is a novelist who writes about corruption in China, and in the past year, he has become one of the most outspoken critics of its censorship. Murong is a columnist for the New York Times who he has emerged as one of China’s leading dissident voices. You can read about how he was summoned by Beijing police on Tuesday after issuing a public statement of surrender over an event marking the 25th anniversary of Tiananmen Square here in the Guardian; and here's a piece he has written about his protest in the New York Times. As Murong writes; according to the Chinese Government he has committed the crime of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” 

Leave Me Alone: A Story of Chengdu is the long awaited publication of his first novel. It is an unflinching darkly funny tale of love and life in modern life in China. It is the story of three young men, Cheng Zhong, Li Liang and Big Head Wang and their tragic-comic struggles to make their way in Chengdu, China’s most populated city. Despite their aspirations on the newly capitalist China; the trio’s lives are beset by dead end jobs, gambling debts, drinking, drugs and whoring. Cheng Zhong is married to Zhao Yue. Although he loves her he plays around with other women. But isn’t until he discovers that she is having an affair that he realises exactly how much he stands to loss. Leave me Alone was originally a cult hit in China, when Murong posted it on the internet. It has already been published to acclaim in France, Spain, Germany, Brazil and Australia. Murong headlined at the Hay Festival in 2012, and will be back in the UK in 2015. CNN called him “one of the most famous authors to have emerged in contemporary China” and Murong’s high UK and global media profile means there is strong media anticipation for this title. Leave Me Alone (pb, £9.99, 978 9981841933) by Murong is published by Forty-six in November and you can find out more and order it here

Talking of controversial and dissident voices – here is a list of ten literary works that have been banned – and why – makes very interesting reading and certainly makes you glad to live in the UK. I was working at Walker Books when Where’s Wally? (or Waldo) was banned in parts of the US and remember the furore well – crazy as the offending picture is about 1mm square – see it on the left!

“I always knew I wanted to do something in football just like I always knew I wanted to be rich.”  So begins this true account from a British football agent currently working at the heart of the English game. From mere coffee boy, to lowly scout, to multi-million pound wheeler dealer with the Big Four and the cream of the clubs in the UEFA Champions League: The Secret Agent charts this anonymous author’s fast and furious progress through the dressing rooms, board rooms and bedrooms during the most recent days of the premier league. The glamorous field of sports agents was made famous over a decade ago in the Tom Cruise film Jerry Maguire but a romantic comedy this most definitely isn’t – The Secret Agent presents the somewhat darker truth that often lies behind that film’s most memorable line “SHOW ME THE MONEY!!” a witty, worrisome, fearless and occasionally heartless account of ambition, greed, and power in a cut -throat and self-obsessed world. Last January, during the transfer window the football world saw over 2,500 transactions take place and spending of close to $350 million – with sums like these involved it is hardly surprising that the beautiful game attracts no shortage of young men quite prepared to break the rules in order to get their share of the spoils. The Secret Agent: Inside the World of the Football Agent (pb, 978 1909715240 is published by Arena Sport in November, and you can order it here

And just to remind you, here is that famous Show Me the Money scene from Jerry McGuire!

I love that film – and it does contain some pretty gripping moments – but what would you say are the all time top ten tense movie moments? Is your favourite here?

Poised, elegant and incredibly talented, Audrey Hepburn is one of the best loved actresses of all time. Her legacy as a role model, both on and off the silver screen, is detailed in a new, beautifully illustrated paperback, 100 Reasons to Love Audrey Hepburn which uncovers the 100 unequivocal reasons that make her an icon.  Whether it was her status as a fashion goddess or her amazing ability to portray female characters with such depth, Audrey Hepburn remains one of Hollywood’s brightest stars. The epitome of style and grace, she encapsulates a unique and utterly effortless class, but, did you know Audrey kept a pet deer named Pippin? That she was a gifted linguist, fluent in English, Dutch, French, Spanish and Italian? That she had aristocratic blood from her mother who was a Dutch baroness? That there’s a breed of tulip named after her? Or perhaps that Henry Mancini wrote Moon River especially for her? Ah yes, let’s just have a little look at that fabulous scene shall we. Filled with interesting facts and stunning photos, 100 Reasons to Love Audrey Hepburn reveals the real woman behind the famous little black dress, documenting every fun and fabulous fact you’ll ever need to know about the flawless Audrey. 100 Reasons to Love Audrey Hepburn (pb, 978 0859655309 £12.99) is published by Plexus in November – you can find out more and order it here.

 And for all of you Audrey Hepburn superfans, here are some more of her best moments.

F**k It Is The Answer to so many questions I find – and of course it is also the new hardback coming in November from this incredibly successful brand. How you manage to brand a swear word is anyone’s guess, but author John C Parkin and Hay House seem to have managed it, so good luck to them. More than 400,000 F**k It books have sold around the world and John's work has been translated into 19 languages. F**k It is a very strong brand with a good online platform and a loyal following - John will be promoting this new title to his weekly newsletter email list of over 30,000. F**k It Is The Answer takes the liberating F**k It philosophy (of not worrying so much, letting go more, caring less about what others think and doing your own thing) into a magic 8-ball format that will answer any question you ask. John C. Parkin recruits the magical powers of your own unconscious... or 'fate'... or 'spirit'... or whatever it is that seems to guide us to the correct answer when we allow it. When we relax, trust, and go with the flow, we allow to unfold whatever worldly or unworldly magic it is that makes this work. So... ask your question, and turn to any page in the book for an instant dose of F**k It wisdom! As the Times said, “Everyone can relate to F**k It.”  You can order F**k It Is the Answer (978 1781802991, hb, £8.99) here.

If you’d like more of this philosophy then go to www.thefuckitlife.com

You booksellers are supposed to be an intelligent, literate bunch – but how good is your grammar - really? Take the test, and then go to the comments page to argue why you’re right and Buzzfeed are wrong!!

Never mind the grammar – it’s the content that’s the most important thing surely, and here’s the perfect gift for readers and an essential resource for book groups everywhere; Bookworms, Dog-Ears and Squashy Big Armchairs: A Book Lovers Alphabet by Heather Reyes is a hugely entertaining, original and informative A - Z of everything you ever wanted to know about books. It contains hundreds of thought-provoking and fascinating entries and bookie facts, plus games to play with books, guaranteed to appeal to all book lovers and is written with all the wit, style and erudition of the author's previous title: An Everywhere: A Little Book About Reading which the Guardian admired as “a love letter to reading”. It tells us why should we should all be xenophile, what the 'author events' of Ancient Rome were like, why we enjoy reading on the loo, why Chaucer was banned in the by the US, which book dedications make us cry and much much more! This title has just been selected as a Bookseller Autumn Buyer’s Guide Highlight and is definitely my tip for an easy Christmas present sell – keep it by the till. Bookworms, Dog-Ears and Squashy Big Armchairs: A Book Lovers Alphabet (pb, £8.99, 978 0992636463) by Heather Reyes is published by Oxygen Books in November and you can find out more and order it here.

And hurrah, hurrah, in a new survey today the 16-24 generation is still firmly in favour of print books, new research shows, with almost three quarters young people saying they prefer print over digital or audio formats. The survey questioned more than 900 people in the 16-24 age group in the UK about their book habits and the research found that most of them think e-books are too expensive. “They told us they like to touch books and see the creases in the spine.” Perhaps not such good news is that online retailer Amazon was the most popular sales channel, used by 75% of respondents, but high street bookshops were also in favour, with 73% of young people choosing to buy their books through this channel. Yippee! Maybe there’s a future for all of us after all. Read the full survey in The Bookseller here.

Something that must have got more young people into reading than almost anything else was surely the much missed Jackanory. So to finish, here’s a clip from one of its best ever episodes; the late great Rik Mayall reading George’s Marvellous Medicine. Sorry about the picture quality - it is 1986 after all!

 Or alternatively, how about watching the much more recent adult version – Crackanory - Rik Mayall reading a final bedtime story – The Weatherman, with Vic Reeves. That should set you up for the weekend!

That’s all for now folks, more next week!

This blog is read weekly by over 700 booksellers as well as publishers and publicists. If you would like to order any of the titles mentioned, then please click here to go to the Compass New Titles Website or talk to your Compass Sales representative.