El Gavilan

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I love small publishers; you can find some true gems on their lists; a voice you would never have heard otherwise. El Gavilan is a bleak crime novel set in Ohio with the topic being latino immigration and racism  - both personal and institutional. It is gripping and well written and makes you think. What more can you ask? I'm not entirely certain I like how the book pans out but at the same time I'm not sure I was supposed to! Recommended!

Black Light

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I've had this book lying around for quite a while and just picked it up to brush up on Liz Hand's work before her visit in the shop on September 8. This is vintage Hand; dark, gothic, filled with historical and literary references and allusions as well as youth angst, drugs, sex and well darkness. It is VERY well written and quite captivating. The film tangent reminded me of Flicker for some reason. I liked it! (Oh and it's not in print at the moment, but drop us a line and we'll get you a nice second-hand copy if you're interested. You should be...)

Charlie Hood

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Over the last 2 weeks I've reacquainted myself with one of my favourite writers; T. Jefferson Parker. He's been writing excellent Southern California crime writing for almost 30 years since his debut in 1985 with Laguna Heat. Lately his writing has been very much about a young police officer named Charlie Hood. I have just broken one of my long standing rules, which is do NOT read several books by the same author in a row. I have found in the past that this will almost always effectively make you disenchanted with that author. But nevertheless I just finished reading four Charlie Hood novels back to back, and they were all excellent! I read LA Outlaw a few years back and so this time I read The Renegades, Iron River, Border Lords and The Jaguar.

Book signing

 Billy Bob Buttons; Tor - Assassin Hunter

Saturday 21 July from 11.00, Billy Bob Buttons will sign his new book Tor - Assassin Hunter. Welcome to the Uppsala shop.

Billy Bob Buttons in the bookshop

Before I Go To Sleep

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One of the most thrilling books I have ever read! If you're looking for well-written suspense - this is the book for you! Quite breath-taking and absolutely absorbing.

The Seven Wonders

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I love the historical crime novels of Steven Saylor. Gordianus the Finder is a wonderfully wraught character, Saylor spins expert webs of mystery in his stories and the history of the pieces is nothing short of excellent. As far as I can tell. They're wonderfully snug vibrant, lusty, curious, alive novels and I always look forward to a new one appearing. The Seven Wonders is a prequel to the other novels; it takes place when Gordianus is a mere 18 years old and travels around the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World with his tutor Antipater of Sidon. As we get to know the wonders as they stood at that time Gordianus also solves a new mystery at each one. But perhaps there's a great one tying them all together....?

Jellicoe Road

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This is an absolute must-read! A moving story about being a teenager and finding new pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that's your past, to figure out your presence and having to make decisions that might change your entire future. One of the most talked- and blogged-about books in Sweden this summer - and very well deserved!

Gold

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The most eagerly awaited UK novel of 2012. I liked it, Mr Cleave's characters come off as very believable and though I've never followed athletic cycling (which is the setting of the novel although it's not what it's about...) I really enjoyed this. There are bits when I feel ever-so-slightly emotionally manipulated, but the topics touched upon ARE heart-wrenching so perhaps it's not so suprising. The writing is often pitch-perfect and the roller-coasters of feeling we're subjected to are fascinating and, yes , gripping. 

Age of Miracles

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This much-lauded debut novel is a breath of Ray Bradbury. It's the coming-of-age story of Julia who happens to grow up at an extra-ordinary time in the earth's history: the planet has for some reason started slowing down, spinning more slowly thus lengthening days and nights. There's an eerie feel to the whole novel, of living on the brink of change so vast it's uncomprehensible. Julia is a great protagonist and her personal story against the weird backdrop makes the novel quite beguiling.