Compass Points 90

Well, it looks like England’s World Cup journey is well and truly over; quelle surprise. Never mind; pour yourself another beer and bung another burger on the barbie, there are still plenty of things to enjoy about a British summer. Hang on though. Do you worry that you drink too much? Or perhaps you fear that your dependence on drugs, food, sex, or some other vice is spiralling out of control, and taking your quality of life with it? Who Says I'm an Addict? A Book for Anyone Who is Partial to Food, Sex, Booze or Drugs by David Smallwood is a down-to-earth, accessible read that offers insight into the root cause of addictive behaviour - and will help the reader take the steps necessary for recovery, whether they just feel concerned about some of their behaviours or believe that they have a serious problem. David Smallwood is a highly-renowned addiction expert, currently Treatment Director at One40 Ltd of Harley Street, and his previous experience includes managing the addiction unit at the Priory. He looks in detail at all areas of addiction with compassion, clarity, and wisdom and this book is guaranteed publicity in health and wellness publications as well as national newspapers. Who Says I'm an Addict? (978 1781804094. £12.99) is published in paperback this month by Hay House and you can find out more and order it here.

And if you need a bit of help and guidance from some of those fantastic Hay House authors right now, then don’t’ forget about Hay House Radio, which you can listen to at www.hayhouseradio.com/ - radio for your soul!

There was a very interesting article on poetry and its relevance today in Newsweek this week – which of course includes mention of our own fabulous poetry publisher Carcanet. The article discusses whether poetry is an “archaic and redundant practice” or does it in fact “provide the essential intellectual nourishment to survive our time-pressed, emotionally-bereft 21st century lives.” As the article points out, the $64,000 question is not necessarily whether the general public like poetry, but whether they will actually buy poetry – there are lots of interesting statistics and comments about the state of poetry publishing in the UK at the moment, and you can read the entire article here.

How old are you? No – how old are you really? Why not play this fun game on buzz feed where you answer 15 questions which will reveal your true age!

Now, here’s a funny thing. When I took this quiz may age came up as 42. Which sadly, is not true. But according to the comments below the quiz, this has happened to quite a few other people too. And now I’m wondering; is this a weird co-incidence or could this be a Douglas Adams related joke??

Just a thought – see here to be reminded why 42 is indeed the answer to life, the universe and everything. And of course this spring does mark the 10^th anniversary of Douglas Adams’ death. Hmmm….

Who among you has dreamed of giving up their life as a bookseller, and becoming an actor instead? Well, Covering Shakespeare: An Actor’s Saga of Near Misses and Dogged Endurance by David Weston (hb, 978 1783190645 14.99) may encourage you to do just that. Or alternatively it may possibly convince you that a life in books is at least slightly more secure than one on the stage. This title from the award-winning author of Covering McKellen is a witty and amusing memoir of tales of life behind the scenes which also gives an insight into all of Shakespeare’s plays. David Weston has appeared in twenty-nine of Shakespeare’s thirty seven plays and has worked with all the major companies to the outmost limits of the Fringe; from Hollywood to Hong Kong with the great, the mediocre and the forgotten. He has stories and reminiscences about them all as well as advice for young actors, all written in his inimitable style. Benedict Nightingale, theatre critic on The Times has written the foreword for this book and says of it: “A most enjoyable and informative book; very distinctive and very entertaining. I like it a lot and am sure many others will.” Covering Shakespeare: An Actor’s Saga of Near Misses and Dogged Endurance is published by Oberon Books in August.

Order Covering Shakespeare and find out more here

Shakespeare is right back on the curriculum for our schools it’s true, with Michael Gove announcing recently that GCSE English literature students will be required study at least one full Shakespeare play, as opposed to extracts. But is Michael Gove right – or would another author be more relevant to the children of today? Let’s have a look at one of those epic rap battles to help us decide shall we!

I see John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars has grabbed the number one book chart spot this week the general release of the film today. It looks as if this teen romance (which trounced Tom Cruise's latest action movie when it opened at the US box office) will increase the sales of this bestselling paperback still further. Read about it and watch the trailer on the BBC news page here.

What better time than today to remember a true sporting genius. Bobby Moore: Sporting Legend is published in August.  This is a new paperback edition of the definitive biography of England’s sporting hero. In this definitive and authorised biography, award winning sports writer Jeff Powell – for many years a close family friend to Moore and his family – has created a powerful and fitting tribute to the legend, recreating the golden era of English football and the man at its helm. Apart from passionate accounts of Moore’s greatest moments in football, Powell’s unique access to Moore and his family enabled him to reveal the very private side of this supremely gentle man. The book gives insights into Moore’s friendships with Franz Beckenbauer, Eusebio and Pele, as well as with his 1966 World Cup winning teammates and managers. The Daily Telegraph said “It is Powell's lucid picture of Moore the footballer...which makes the most indelible impression...an admirable portrait.”  This title was originally published in 1994 and is the authorised biography (with 16 pages of photos) now published in B format paperback. It has been written with full access to Bobby Moore and his family: its author Jeff Powell delivered the eulogy at Bobby Moore’s funeral, describing it as “one of the saddest yet one of the most moving days of my life.” This extraordinary story of a footballing life is a vital title for the sports section of every bookshop. Bobby Moore- Sporting Legend by Jeff Powell (978 1849547390£9.99, pb) is published by Robson Press.

 You can order Bobby Moore here  (and I bet Roy Hodgson wishes he could.)

And finally, if you want to laugh rather than cry about England’s performance last night, then have a look at this entertaining summary of the evening's action!

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

This newsletter is sent weekly 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.