Christmas Book Selection 2018

'Six Books to Make Christmas Giving Easier' 

 titles to amuse, intrigue and captivate!

It’s the run up to Christmas! Looking for the perfect present for a bookworm? Or something a little bit different for the man, woman, aunt or uncle who seem to have everything?  We’ve got some really unusual, classy and yet affordable titles on our bookshelves which may well be exactly what you’re looking for, whichever member of your family you have in mind (not forgetting your cat or dog!)

Here are my top six to which please visit our shelves reserved for ‘Little Bookworms’ where you’ll find some absolutely enchanting children’s story-books to delight both boys, girls and toddlers.

Although ‘Unladylike’ doesn’t sound very ‘Beatons’ this really speaks to our values of treating everyone as an equal and honoured individual. What’s more, it’s got an infectious shot of sparkle too – perfect for young and/or global-conscious women. It’s described on the website of the same name as ‘the guide for women and girls everywhere who are trying to find their way in the world.’ Authors Cristen Conger and Caroline Ervin combine the history of feminism and make it zing with relevance, advice – and as an added bonus it’s packed full of infographics and witty illustrations by Tyler Feder.

For the gentleman? Petersfield best-selling author Mike Klidjian has just brought out another naval thriller of a novel – ‘Blue Streak’. I gave this to my father who admitted it kept sleeping as he kept on saying to himself, ‘just one more page’. His verdict: ‘Gripping. Plunges you straight in from the start.’

For all you budding (or aspiring) entrepreneurs? We spotted the extraordinary perspicacious Seth Godin has just published a new book: ‘This is Marketing’. Pulling the best of his advice from his blog, fresh gems when it comes to looking at how to get your products and services to the right audience, this is one we think will appeal to a broad audience (I’ve already devoured my copy and am already thinking of ways to apply his thinking to my out-of-hours Biodanza enterprise!)

Talking of consumption, we’ve picked ‘Tarts’ as our ‘Eat, Drink, Cook Book’ choice, because it’s a true classic at a very affordable price. The author, Frédéric Anton is holder of three Michelin stars and his innovative takes on classic dishes are inspiring, and the layout clear, precise and beautifully illustrated.

For something really fascinating for home, garden, nature AND ‘culture-vultures’ we’d recommend a fabulous book published by Unbound titled ‘Ladders to Heaven’. It’s about the fig tree and is utterly mind-blowing. A beautifully bound book which may hold secrets to saving the world underneath its fig leaves!

Finally, we have two stocking fillers for all our animal-loving customers. Local Beatons Tisbury author Gail Garbutt has a perfect present for all dog lovers: ‘Spot on – Dogs Names’. It’s is a real bit of fun about that peculiarly difficult task of naming a dog.

And for the purrfect (sorry Ed!) present for all cat lovers, we couldn’t resist stocking ‘Cats Paws’, an oddly smile-inducing little book of portraits of… cats’ paws! 

May your Christmas include time in front of the fire snuggled up with one of our very good reads.

  Liz Darcy Jones

Book Ambassador

Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business’ by Danny Meyer

This book is required reading if you’re a member of Beatons Bookshop and Tearooms and its expanding team of staff and franchisees. And rightly so!

© Alex Melnick | Dreamstime Stock Photos
Setting the Table by Danny Meyer 

The book bursts with the flavour of a man whose palette is stimulated equally by his love of family, fraternity and food, and is written as if we’re friends over dinner reminiscing. At its heart is that old fashioned much maligned word: ‘hospitality’. Meyer restores it to its rightful place – at the centre of every business table. We discover his recipe for success – one I now subscribe to – a philosophy rolled out with ‘constant gentle pressure’. If you want a management training tool that will whet appetites and inspire rather than offer dry advice, read then apply.

Being more tea-lover than ‘foodie’, I hadn’t heard of Danny Meyer – but he’s a legend in the US and in the food industry. Why? He has that rare mix of Chutzpah tempered by wisdom, and a managerial platform which carries the unmistakable flavour of integrity. Not content with one kind of restaurant he’s taken on a whole gamut of culinary and corporate challenges, successfully creating new eating experiences from ‘Shake Shack’ in a New York Park to the hallowed arena of the Museum of Modern Art. Tried and tested ingredients (in every sense) turn out what he calls ‘enlightened hospitality’ and he generously shares his methods with his readers - many of whom are no doubt his rivals.

Three elements make this a book a good read:

·  humble and down to earth – Meyer is as comfortable sharing his failures as his successes

·  illustrative of where intuition and practicality meet – useful for any business today

·  emotionally intelligent – the ‘new/old’ element ‘big business’ sometimes forgets

Finally, it’s free of any reference to social media or online engagement... that IS refreshing!

The book takes us chronologically from his bum steer towards the legal profession, to setting up exceptional fine (but warmly delivered) dining at Eleven Madison Park, Tabla (a New York take on Indian food), to Shake Shack – the extraordinary burger, hot dog and frozen custard stand in Madison Square Park (2004) – and the audacious (and problem child) ‘Blue Smoke’ inspired by his housekeeper Mary Francis Smith who used to serve him fried chicken, devilled eggs and collard greens!

I did miss something in this book...  what even talented Danny Meyer can’t magic up - the smells and the first-hand experience of eating in his establishments through the page. A visit to Tabla and the MoMa are now on my wish list for New York, and I want to investigate Madison Park too. Naturally, Beatons endeavour to keep the book in stock at all times. And I rather think that Mr Meyer would approve of his book’s positioning on the shelves, where it surveys the Beatons team delivering their brand of ‘gracious hospitality’ inspired by his example across the pond.

Liz Darcy Jones

House Poet, Spring 2014

Home Cooking - For Your Dog by Christine Filardi

It's not a dog's dinner once you've read this!

For any dog lover who takes seriously the task of ensuring that their pets, as well as us, eat well.

Having realized many years ago that cooking for a human partner reaps dividends in “brownie points”, it does not take a great leap of intuition to wonder if the same may be true for canine companions.

Home cooking for your dog (£11.99 hardback) is a helpful guide to doing this. With interesting and varied recipes, we discover some healthy and cost efficient suggestions to demonstrating to Rover (or in my case, Martha the poodle!) that we have their gastronomic needs in mind. Simple and easy to follow, the recipes are not marked for their “eew” factor-you will not be up to your elbows in gore!

The holistic approach described informs us, for instance, that a good feed especially of turkey based meals may increase production of serotonin, which may calm the more aggressive behaviours in our pets !

Now the festive season is over, it might be a good opportunity to enlist the help of smaller cooks in the family to both treat and look after your doggy pals. (thanks to Tim for this, the dog lover of the team at Beatons).

French Food at Home by Laura Calder

French Food At Home, Hardback £15.99

At Beatons we pride ourselves of that great combination of food and books with our own touch of elegance thrown in, so where else would we look for our cooking inspiration than France!

As a lover of French food I have always found myself consigned to either a quick run across the channel or recipe books with multi staged days long creations that I just don’t have the time, or ingredients for.

I first came across Laura Calder on a Canadian cookery programme watched in Singapore and have been a fan ever since. This is a recipe book with a difference; there are no glossy ‘too perfect’ pictures, no chefs telling you they picked this up from deepest Peru and no delicately spun sugar cages atop kumquat poached in Mongolian spirit. Instead this is a collection of solid recipes genuinely designed to be cooked at home in what seems to me an authentic French style.

The simplest must be Fireplace camembert, 2 ingredients, some foil and a hot oven which just conjures up so many images of digging onto a whole camembert with a spoon. There some classics; Sausage in Wine, Ratatouille, Pepper steak and Mussels and some of the more unusual like Rhubarb Chops and onion in their skins.

Whichever favourite you plump for, the ingredient lists are short and the recipes straightforward in this classic ‘must have’ collection.

Of course, February being the month or of romance it might make a perfect gift .. for both Her AND Him !