Palm Sunday Edition ... nearly and some reviews!

In case you didn't know it this Sunday is Palm Sunday - so just one week to go until Easter! (Of course judging by the weather we wouldn't blame you for thinking it might be Christmas that was coming instead!)
So anyway just to let you know that we do still have a few Palm Crosses left, Paschal Candles there are too, but not many, and sadly all the Fairtrade Real Easter Eggs are all gone - but the plastic Gospel Eggs are still in stock and really good fun! and if you really do want chocolate then the TraidCraft Fairtrade Brownies are really quite delicious - I personally taste tested them just for you all, Stem Ginger Cookies might have to be checked for quality control purposes next!
Oh and when you do come in please do check out the rather nice National Book Tokens stands and displays around! remember they are a great gift and can also be used at http://www.hive.co.uk/shop/lincoln/unicorn-tree-books-crafts/ to purchase ebooks with too - don't forget to register us as your fave bookshop whilst visiting Hive - we really need you to do that for us!
(if you can't make it into the shop to see the nice new displays then hop over (like and easter bunny!) to www.facebook.com/UnicornTreeBooks and take a sneak at the pics on there (and if you haven't already liked us then please do!

Right that said now for the reviews! just a short few this week! sorry but enjoy all the same :D

All these reviews and indeed a geat many more can be found on the excellent Good Book Stall Website www.thegoodbookstall.org.uk - well worth checking out :D
All the books reviewed here (and don't forget to check out the review page we have on here as well!) and those found on www.thegoodbookstall.org.uk can also be found at or ordered from Unicorn Tree Books too, both in the shop and online at either www.lincolnbookshop.co.uk or www.lincolnchristianbookshop.co.uk or at the wonderful www.hive.co.uk (but please do remember to make us your favourite shop when you visit Hive! the online bookshop where every sale supports independent physical bookshops!)

Indeed all these reviews are the property of The Goodbookstall and me - please don't use them without ascribing them to me as the author and also to www.thegoodbookstall.org.uk (who they should also be linked to if used online!) and yes that does include if you cut and paste bits of them and add a few words here and and take a few out there too! 

Title – As A Fire By Burning – Mission As The Life Of The Local Congregation

Author – Roger Standing

Format – Paperback

Price – £25

Publisher – SCM Press

Date of Publication – February 2013

ISBN – 978-0-334-04370-6

Reviewer – Melanie Carroll

A very good comprehensive but easy to read book that collects together contributions form a diverse range of people and churches across a number of differing fields and church styles that highlight the many different mission experiences and ideas in and around local congregation settings and experience. It also has good general conversation and consideration within it of what mission is, how it can be practiced, how it has been practiced and why it should be practiced. There are times when the jargon is a strong presence, but nevertheless this is still appropriately used and fitting for a book that is as much practitioner guide as subject study, and this jargon to be fair is well placed so as to make sense and lead into theological and missiological discussion of some depth. I foound it to be a very well written book, that was surprisingly easy to read given the weight of it's subject matter and very good! Heartily recommend it.

Title – Maiden, Mother & Queen – Mary In The Anglical Tradition

Author – Roger Greenacre (Ed. Colin Podmore)

Format – Paperback

Price – £24.99

Publisher – 978-1-84825-278-3

Date of Publication – January 2013

ISBN – 978-1-84825-278-3

Reviewer – Melanie Carroll

This is an absolutely beautiful consideration of the anglo-catholic veneration of Mary found within quarters of the Church of England. This book also serves in some way as a fitting memorial and remembrance of a well respected proponent of Anglican Marian devotion, Roger Greenacre.

However for me the collection of homilies to be found in section two of the book were a real highlight and joy to read, with real depth of feeling and insight to them, and a strangely british refined passion running as an undercurrent to them – the love, attraction and desire to share the reverence that Roger Greenacre so obviously had for the Blessed Virgin Mary cannot be overlooked in these short homilies collected here. Of course the third section of the book which incorporates an historical investigation and understanding into marian devotion and suppression within the anglican communion is also very well done and surprisingly easy to read due in part to the short sections utilised which means there is not much heavy labouring to be done in reading this book. This really is a wonderful book for anyone within the anglo-catholic tradition looking to further their devotional practice and understanding of the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or indeed for anyone in the anglican church who wants to gain an understanding of the part Mary can and does play within the church and it's faith framework.

Title – The #Pray4 Principle – Why Prayer Is Still Important In A Secular Age

Author – Alexander Lee

Format – Paperback

Price – £8.99

Publisher – DLT

Date of Publication – February 2013

ISBN – 978-0-232-52982-1

Reviewer – Melanie Carroll

A well written quite short book that nevertheless really looks at prayer as we use it and understand it both as Christians and as a secular peoples, using the twitter #pray4muamba campaign as the catalyst for consideration and insight, and with stunning clarity Alexander Lee through this book smashes home some important insights that some may well find painful and really want to discount, but to do so would be to overlook a truth we need to address if we are to really see a return to prayer and Christian faith for our nation and secular times. We must not be so quick as Christians to discount the prayers of others, to reject those not 'Christian' enough to fit our stance, instead we should consider the lessons of Paul, of Acts, and their outreach to the gentiles … we should consider Jesus' teachings on prayer and faith that exhort us not to be hypocrites or babblers … but instead to offer hospitality and comfort, acceptance and love …

The #Pray4 Principle really does hold up faith and prayer as an important and still integral part of our nations underpinning foundation, and shows that there at the heart of us all there is still a need for prayer and a deep spiritual yearning, and that with the right attitude of prayer by Christ's followers we can yet make a difference and bring back the lost to the fold, but we have first to be open the gates to them and meet them where they are and not where we are.

Remember we are here to serve you and we really appreciate your support - go on Shop Local and use an Independent - it's better for all of us when we go local to go global ;-)

So we'll look forward to seeing you, recieving an email from you, chatting on the phone (01522 525557) with you or even facebooking or twittering with you when you come in for your books, gifts, cards, crafts, candles, stationery, ereader, fairtrade product or for anything else we sell!
- or indeed for any other reason too!

Easter Egg Hunting now underway in Lincoln Central Market! & Easter Opening Times.

Easter Egg Hunting now underway in Lincoln Central Market!

Every day we are open there will be chances to hunt for real Chocolate Easter Eggs!

There is the option to take part in the Virtual Easter Egg Hunt where you have to find the letters hidden around and make the phrase for a range of goodies to be won!

Or you can decorate your own Hard Boiled Egg and bring it in to be judged with others for a chance to Win more Chocolate Easter Eggs!

Each activity is only 50p a go with the proceeds going to Marie Curie Cancer Care!
So go on - Come in and take part, it's all for a Good Cause!

Easter Opening Hours at Unicorn Tree Books will Be:

Maundy Thursday (April 5th) - Open as Normal

Good Friday ( April 6th) - CLOSED 

Holy Saturday (April 7th) - Open as Normal

Easter Sunday (April 9th) - CLOSED

Easter Monday (April 10th) - CLOSED
Tuesday (April 11th) - Open as Normal

Remember we are here to serve you and we really appreciate your support - go on Shop Local and use an Independent - it's better for all of us when we go local to go global ;-)

So we'll look forward to seeing you, recieving an email from you, chatting on the phone (01522 525557) with you or even facebooking or twittering with you when you come in for your easter fun and supplies - or indeed for any other reason too!

Bible Fresh Bible Festival & a Marcion Heretic!

Hello and welcome to Holy Week!

Just a quick update to tell you all that the Biblefresh Bible Festival is on Saturday 30th of April all day along the High Street Churches and with the GodPod in Cornhill Square - oh and we are the official bookshop for the event - we even get a lovely mention on the back of the programme!

Talking of programmes and maps for the event - you can pick one up in here right now to help you plan the day.

We are offering the Biblefresh 'The Big Story' Bible at only £14.99 instead of the RRP of £19.99 (and yes we are even cheaper than Amazon on this offer!!) whilst stocks last to support this great initiative - don't miss out as this is a fantastic offer and a great bible too.

Okay next heads up is of course for the Next Lincoln Theological Society Lecture on the 24th May at Bishop Grossteste University College at 7pm.
'Marcion, Heretic or Hero', subtitled 'Can a Christian really read the Old Testament?'

The lecture is being given by Rev'd Canon Dr. Stephen Dawes and should be really interesting indeed, after all there's nothing like a good bit of heresy to get the tongues going!

We will be there again with a bookstall which will include Stephen Dawes books - and again there will likely be an offer on his works (amongst others!) as well as the chance to get them signed at the bookstall after the lecture.

Now you can get your tickets from us here in the shop in advance of the event and we really do suggest you come and get them early given how full the last lecture was and the capacity of the lecture hall - after all you wouldn't want to stand all through the lecture would you!

The tickets are a bargain at only £5.00 for which you also get a glass of wine (and very nice wine it was too last time!) and are available now.

Contact us to get your tickets by any of the regular methods - phone (01522 525557), email (unicorntreebooks@aol.com), twitter, facebook or indeed when you come in and see us for your books or as part of the Biblefresh Bible Festival visit! to get your ticket for this fantastic event.

See you soon :-)

Craft Sessions Have Started! The White Table is in Action!

Now as some of you may remember back in september I posted about our new big white table (here's a reminder for you!):
'Thursday, September 24, 2009
A Round Up, Some Questions and a new white table!
So whats new in your friendly bookshop?
Well the newest edition, as of today, is a white table in the middle of the shop!
Now as you may know we don't have a seperate room where we can hold regular events like reading groups, book discussions or craft classes, though we really want to hold them!'

Well that Big White table has already seen one fantastic author event - that worked really well and had the shop buzzing and heaving at the seems at one point, I'm looking forward to doing more author events, so if you have any idea's then shout out!

But now that Big White Table in the middle of the shop has seen 2 craft sessions take place, with more booked and arranged.

The first one was a Thursday Morning lesson on embellishment idea's for cards and lasted for 2 hours, and yes it was great - the people attending the class loved the class (and have rebooked for this weeks thursday session too, so it must have been good!!) and the browsers seemed to have no problems looking at their books and occasionally glancing over at the table too with considering glances, so who knows maybe some new crafters are in the making!

The Second session was on Friday and that was a 1hour 15 minute beginners taster on quick christmas cards. Again it went well, we can tell by how much the participants purchased to take home and practice with :0)

So anyway if anyone else is interested you can come in or contact us to see what's on or arrange a one to one session!

We think that a one to one session might make a good christmas gift idea for the crafter who has everything else, so yes you can come in and buy a gift voucher for a session to give to someone else!

So there we go, that big white table is not just a blank space, but is now an active community space and I am loving that!
(though I do believe that despite the cards advertising my favourite coffee house - Angel Coffee - it has not yet seen enough cups of take out caramel latte grace its top, I am sure though in time that will be rectified as loyal minions gift me with coffee, time and their presence in the shop ;0)

So we still need to get a monthly reading group going round the table, but perhaps we should leave that for after Christmas!

Oh and hey what about a Lent Study Group round the table?
Anyone interested in that come Lent, We can do it at a Lunchtime slot and either share food at the table or offer up a Lent Fast and donate our lunch moneys to a charity of the groups choice! Think about it and tell others and get back to me with your thoughts!

Ok that's it from me for now, see you in the shop tomorrow (even though it is my day off!) and remember should you want coffee and a chat, well mines a caramel latte :0)

Easter Over lets Confirm we are Here!

Well that's it, been for my Easter camping trip - got rained on, sun shone and then came home again!
So today we cleared off the Easter display and decided to confirm we are here and selling all sorts for everyone - yep that's right we put up a Confirmation and First Holy Communion display instead.
Frames, Cards, Dolls, Rosaries, Holding Crosses and even Scripture Verse Sweeties and lollipops!
It's scintillating and salivating in its awesome display of spring themes and colours.
White Doves fly around the place as Daffodils and wheatsheafs mix with the wine chalice for holy communion - this is of course to remind us of springtime picnics and folksy songs and enjoyable books like wind in the willows!
Honestly it's great and there really is a lot going on, including the stationary needed for the occasion - talking of that the new Church Registers from scm-canterbury are absolutely fantastic, really bright and chearful additions to brighten up humdrum things!
Ok moving on to things other than religious gifts and cards and staionery!
Puzzle books are in and there is an excellent range of handbag size now in ready for holiday season to begin!
Come by and get one soon oh and don't forget that I like my coffee with a shot of caramel!

Materialise It Mark is a Gem!

Being the sort of Bookshop Boss I am, I am a very hands on creative type (well that's what I tell myself!) and as did many people I once had delusions of Blue Peter and Magpie style Grandeur - that is to say I believe I can build anything out of cardboard rolls, double sided sticky tape, and cable ties - and to demonstrate this fact on Monday I duly did do some cardboard technology work using a cut off end of a spare cannibalised card unit to make some units for the counter.
Now I admit that by the end of the day though they had things in them they were still a work in progress and were waiting to be covered with coloured paper, spud prints or sticky back plastic to make them look somewhat better - but hey that was the next days adventure and I was justifiably pleased with them as they had doubled the stock I could put on the tops and the darn Bingo Dabbers and Bingo Markers were no longer falling over anytime someone even looked at the counter! Oh and the packs of playing cards and the Biro's and Pencils were also once again visible to the human eye of someone taller than the average 3 year old.

Good stuff I thought and pleased I was (probably because no minions were on site to scoff at the impressive feat of design genius!), and then along came my friend Mark H from off the Materialise It stall further up the aisle - now for any that haven't been to visit in person Materialise It is an absolutely must see stall, especially for all those Sci-Fi fiends like me! Marks stall sells Sci-Fi collectibles, models and toys. Yep Millennium Falcons abound, Yoda and wookies astound, Daleks and Doctors aplenty, Battlestar Gallactica surrounds and Marvel Characters stand out! yep you name it and it's probably there, and along with these are cool posters, signed Photo's and lots extra as well - oh and its also the place to get a Chess set as well.
So anyway Mark comes in to say good night sort of thing and looks at the fantastic cardboard creations and gets this look on his face like he just smelled curdled milk! and with that points out all the lovely backing left over from the new bookcases and says you can do something with that to make units, to which I start thinking veneer, the curdled milk look at this point is more a sneer!
See Mark is pretty good at turning out incredibly complex dovetailed drawers and pine shelving units from scratch - me? not so much!.

So anyway the next day Mark comes in and gets some of my nice shelf backings and about 40 minutes later brings down this work of art!

Now isn't it just fantastic - safe to say that though i had been proud of mine upon seeing this little gem I became shamed and immediately consigned it to the rubbish bin, but even better was that today he made me the opposite sides unit as well - purpose built for the items I needed displaying!


The man is a genius and an artisan and not just a cool sci-fi dood - my shop may replicate the TARDIS in being able to stretch the dimensions and fit in more than it should, but Mark is definitely a strong contender for talented Dr's Companion, definitely an Adric in the making (though hopefully without heroic but sad ending at the hands of a cyberman).

So Mark, thank you! and all of you out there go visit him next time you're in - honestly he has some of the coolest things in the Market - after our own stuff of course!, including two daleks on top of his stall and looking straight down the aisle to the main doors by us.

OK gushing over for now - minions are on half term so I am having to do all the work again!

So anyway just to remind everyone Lent and Easter are nearly here so please get the orders in for Palm Crosses and Paschal Candles - they are all in, but we have already gone through 30 bunches of Palm Crosses, one box of Paschal Candles - and I don't want it to be like Advent when two days before the start, and one day after the sets are gone, lots of people start showing up looking and getting upset.

As a small Independent business I can only get in what I am pretty sure will sell, so if you let me know you want it I can ensure it will be here, but if not then you do risk it not being in stock at the last knockings.

Oh Easter Cards and Mothering Sunday Cards are also in stock - as are the Church Group bundles and Packs of Crosses and bookmarks etc.

Today I sent off a CBC order for gifts, rosaries and other Communion and Confirmation items, these should be in early next week.

On other fronts Sherrilyn Kenyon's 'Dream Hunter' has been in and sold out, and is expected back in later this week, as is 'At Grave's End' by Frost.
Westerns seem to be doing well at the minute, Louis L'Amour, William Johnstone and lots of other Key Western Authors are in stock and selling well.

Oh and the sale is ongoing with orange cross 50p books still available and new books at £1.25 or 5 for £5 still available - come by and see, and remember if you cant come in person then please use our Amazon affiliate sites to buy your stuff!
http://astore.amazon.co.uk/unicorntreechristianbooks-21 Our Christian Book Ashop
or
http://astore.amazon.co.uk/lincolncentralmarket-21
Our everything Ashop.
Please support us however you can and we would love it if you would link to our Ashops or help promote them, or any of our sites or activites if you can, and remember come by and visit and don't forget the bookshopboss likes coffee with caramel shots!
see you in shop in the morning!

Nearly there!

Nearly there with the big move!
All the fixtures are shifted, religious is now fully housed in the main bookshop now.
Mostly everything is put back together and where it should be, and today the new till arrived and was set up - the new printer/fax/phone unit should hopefully arrive sometime this week too and then we are pretty much fully up and running in our new style shop.
At the moment other than continuing to tidy up and remerch sections as we go we are currently working on redoing Als Arts & Crafts section. It has benefitted from new Slat board and a new outer wall!
Honestly we really do think the stall is some sort of relation to the tardis! as we have moved everything into the main bookstall and increased the space to expand religious/christian books and no we don't know how that happened - well we do but what we cant work out is the physics of it!
So give me to the end of the week and hopefully there will be new pictures up of the new look bookshop!
Honestly it is great - tiring but so good to see it happening and being done with it.
It's all coming together and I give thanks to God for the ability to see it and do it along with the minions.
Minion no. 1 really does deserve the starbucks she has been getting, come to that so do I - lol.
So anyway just to let peeps know - the Easter cards are in (with more to follow!) and there is a great new range of fantastic looking and incredibly cheaply priced bookmarks in from Kevin Mayhew - our favourite: Those who say it cannot be done should get out of the way of those doing it!
Large Ingrams delivery also came in today - so all you sci-fi & paranormal readers have a bumper crop of new releases from the stateside to enjoy!
Anyway sure there is a lot more to say, but as it's another early day start to enable more tidying up and finishing to be done I am signing off with a see you tommorow in the shop.

We are rejigging!

Yep yep - the pictures you see below this post are not now how we look in some part and by the end of the month will not be how we look at all!
yes indeed it's true we are having a major overhaul and face lift - and yes no more would be comics out there with the 'well boss you need' it comments!
So anyway as you can well imagine the place is a bit of a mess as we move all the old stuff out and the new stuff in, rearrange units and change till points and displays, but by the end of the month it will be fantastic!
So far we have relocated all the New Fiction onto nice new units, and a tidy amount of the Secondhand fiction has also been rehomed as well.
We have the sale to end all sales going on at the minute as we have seriously culled both the secondhand fiction and the New Fiction and pulled out anything over 18 months old - these are now for sale at 10 secondhand for £5.00 or 5 New for £5.00.
Whicever way you look at it that's some fantastic bargains going on there. The authors include Dan Brown, Arthur C Clarke, Audrey Howard and other top authors. Honest this is not dross just overstock we needed to shift to make room for the new units and stock!
So anyway Religious books are moving from their 'stand alone and cannot be grown' section in unit 3 over to the main bookstall - this way there is room for expansion - in fact there will be an extra 5 bays worth of space to expand into and some nice gift units and slat wall space as well - This will also put the Christian Books in a much more prominent thoroughfare than they are currently on - and the reason for this??
Because we are not ashamed!
In fact we are not ashamed of anything we do, including our LGBT section which has also been relocated in the move and this is now in a more prominent section as well - situated in the middle gondola of the main Fiction section rather than hidden in the corner!
we are not ashamed and we will not act as if we are - we will not apologise for our beliefs, for our friends or for our outreach!
That said we would like to announce that we are now also stocking Jewish Prayer Books and the Forms of Prayer, and we welcome all our friends from the Lincoln Branch of the Council of Christians and Jews to come by, it was good to meet you and be involved in a very small way with the 'meditation of Advent and Chanukah'. Thank you.
Ok now also whilst I have your attention, Palm Crosses, Paschal Candles and the rest of the Lent/Easter paraphanalia are on order and in some cases even in stock! so NOW IS THE TIME to let me know exactly how many of what you want putting by!!
Pass the word around please - Lent Books are in and orders are being taken for Palms and Candles.
Thank you!
Ohh we counted how many jigsaw designs we had when we had to move them all for the new units! (These went fantastically well at Christmas and are still going well now, probably as we are one of the few places in Lincoln that does them, and we do them all year round and at very good prices as well!)
Anyway that would be just over the 100 mark! These span the gamault from 1500 piece puzzles down to the 8 piece childrens puzzles, with the most number being in the 500 piece range and then followed by the economy priced 1000 piece puzzles, though my favourites are the ones with the Gold and Silver highlighting - particularly the Indian Maid and Fawn one - just lovely! and then also the Shaped Fish & Dolphin Puzzle. Lots of different brands as well, Gibson Games, Jumbo, King, Paul Lamond Puzzles, Falcon, Heye, Classic Deluxe, Ravensburger and a few more as well!
Then there were the Paint By Numbers, both large, standard and small, and 2 different manufacturers styles in those as well. It certainly makes for colourful on top of the new units.
So anyway when the refit and rejig is done and about ten minutes after I stop doing my own victory jig all over the worklorn minions (who actaully have been working! and I have to admit may have some hidden architectural or interior design skills that have a lot to do with making best use of the tardis like propensity of the strange space in a Unicorn Tree domain! Thanks M1 & M2) then I will get out my camera and take new snappy snappies for you all who cannot come in and see it for yourselves.
See you in the shop soon - I am the one with 2 coffee's on the go at the minute as one just doesn't do it in a refit situation.