Mr B

Thank you for all your loyal custom. We hope you have a festive season crammed with happiness, books and the finest mulled wine you have ever glugged.

You can buy anything in this catalogue (or anything else for that matter) by calling us on 01225 331155, by emailing us on books@mrbsemporium.com or by coming into the shop. If you'd like an all-singing all dancing hard-copy of our lovely catalogue then just pop into Mr B's and grab one.

Give your gifts that extra special touch by having them beautifully wrapped in traditional brown paper and string and stamped with a Mr B's wax seal leaving you free to get on with the far more important business of wine and mince pies. £1 per parcel. And remember, we can post your orders anywhere.

A BIG thank you to Grahame Baker-Smith, illustrator of Leon and the Place in Between (click here), for designing the covers of this year’s Mr B’s Christmas Catalogue. All of the other drawings in the catalogue were designed by our very own bookseller and artiste Lydia Frater.

The True Deceiver by Tove Jansson

Jansson is more familiar to most of us as the creator of the timeless Moomin series. But the dark subject matter and mysterious characters she conjures up in The True Deceiver is a world away from Moominpappa, Snufkin and the Hattifatteners. Laced with the icy climate of the Swedish hamlet in which it is set, this is a novel of friendship, trust and, as the title suggests, betrayal and deception. The relationship which develops between two women within the claustrophobic atmosphere of the hamlet community is subjected to the scrutiny of the locals and by us as the readers of this gem of a wintry novel.

PB -£7.99 -Sort of Books

The Secret Ministry of Frost by Nick Lake

‘The Secret Ministry of Frost shall hang them up in silent icicles, quietly shining to the moon…’. This is truly a thrilling tale which will appeal to both boys and girls. The central character ‘Light’ a striking albino girl is left orphaned by her father who is presumed to have died in mysterious circumstances during a research mission to the North Pole. Light becomes entangled in a voyage of discovery, awakening on her way the long-dormant Inuit folklore which will ultimately determine her fate. This book is so gripping you won’t hear a peep out of them once they’ve started reading!

PB - £6.99 - Simon and Schuster (10+ yrs)

The Art of the New Naturalists by Peter Marren and Robert Gillmor

Anyone who has a soft spot for the gorgeously illustrated New Naturalist series risks going weak at the knees at this latest title. Filled with the iconic illustrations of Robert Gillor and Rosemary Ellis, this book celebrates the history of the series in style. Marren’s text concentrates on the artistic process involved in producing the illustrations which have become as symbolic of the series as the subject matter of the books themselves.

HB - £60 - Harper

Oil by Edward Burtynsky

This, ladies and gentlemen is the long-awaited follow-up to the legendary ‘Quarries’. Part homage to the beauty of industry, part wake-up call highlighting the irrefutable impact of mass oil consumption. Whatever your political leanings I challenge you not to be moved by the vision of metal sprockets gently rusting their way across the colour spectrum. From an investors’ perspective this book is certain to become an extremely collectable volume so hang on to it!

HB - £87 - Steidl

Caravaggio: The Complete Paintings by Sebastian Schutze

The Damien Hirst of his day, courting controversy with his subject matter and daring use of street people as models. He braved the conventions of art at this time and painted full-fleshed real people in wonderfully dramatic poses. Even today it is possible to feel some of the shock that these paintings would have provoked. There is no other Caravaggio volume of this calibre. An extremely coveted collection.

HB - £100 – Taschen

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