As the summer draws to a close and those gluts of produce are finally pickled and preserved so we also find ourselves with an abundance of freshly published books ready for the new season. There is so much to write about this month so let’s get started straight away and as we go into Autumn there may be no better place to start than home cooked food.

The Hairy Bikers have made a name for themselves on giving us simple recipes that are full of flavour and their new book, Hairy Biker’s Ultimate Comfort Food (Hardback, £25), offers more of the same. These recipes are designed to be affordable, easy and quick to put together and able to satisfy the entire family in one go. If you aren’t quite ready to let go of that summer feeling yet, Malton’s very own James Martin brings that Iberian feeling into our homes with his new book, James Martin’s Spanish Adventure (Hardback, £27). Featuring recipes taken from his recent televised trip around Spain, this book showcases the very best of Spanish cookery and offers James’ own versions of recipes from right across the country. A must-mention here is Rick Stein’s Simple Suppers (Hardback, £28). This recipe book has a classic feel and aims to give you all the tools you need to create those effortless yet sophisticated meals we all dream of being able to rustle up. Recipes include dishes such as: easy croque-monsieur, puff-pastry fish pie and coconut prawn curry. Tasty food, simply done.

Food writing also takes a distinctly comforting turn this month with the creative and clever compilation The Dinner Table by Kate Young and Ella Risbridger (Hardback, £25). Both excellent food writers in their own right, Young and Risbridger have pulled together over one hundred pieces of writing on food to produce a dinner party in a book. Each entry sits ‘in dialogue’ with the entries around it to produce the effect of the conversations at a dinner party and it makes the book almost unputdownable as you are carried along on the flow of the gradually evolving topics. However, if you are more the stay-at-home type, there is a foodie book for you! The Bedside Companion for Food Lovers by Jane McMorland Hunter (Hardback, £22.95) is a delightful anthology of food writing that covers recipes, poetry, fiction and non-fiction from all manner of writers and all manner of locations and eras. With an extract for each night of the year, this makes a fabulous gift for any foodie.

You know we love our pets at Kemps so we are very pleased to see so many cat and dog related books this month. Dogs often get all the fun of popping to Kemps to see us so, for today, we’ll give the cats centre stage. Japanese fiction is sweeping the nation at present and it’s easy to see why when the stories in The Goodbye Cat by Hiro Arikawa (Paperback, £10.99) represent just the kind of uplifting and heart-warming tales that are to be found from these writers. If you enjoyed the Tales from the Café series by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, The Goodbye Cat is your new must-read! A bit of a cat classic comes next with Antonia White’s Minka and Curdy (Hardback, £12.99). This reissued book recounts the story of Victoria, a writer who takes on two very different kittens: a playful marmalade kitten and an aloof Siamese. It is a beautifully told story envisaged as a children’s book but equally enjoyable for cat-loving adults. Now for a more scientific look at our feline friends with The Hidden Language of Cats by Dr. Sarah Brown (Hardback, 16.99). This is a fascinating book that delves into the world of cat communication. Using case studies, historical records and modern scientific research, Dr. Brown teaches us how cats use a variety of means to communicate with each other and their human friends. Following on from the hugely popularity of Cat Family Christmas in the shop last year, we are pleased to say that the Cat family has taken a trip to the museum this year. Cat Family at the Museum by Lucy Brownridge (Hardback, £14.99) is a fun and quirky novelty book for children that takes them on a delightful tour of people and places you’d find in our finest museums. With over 140 flaps to lift with lots of details on every page, this guarantees hours of fun for curious young minds of any age.

One of the most thrilling stories of ancestry on the BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are was surely Dame Judy Dench’s discovery of her familial links to Kronberg Castle, the Danish castle that is said to have been the inspiration for Shakespeare’s Elsinore. Judi’s memoir, Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench (Hardback (£25), is equally as riveting. In this revealing and often witty book, Judi uncovers her life on the screen and stage, giving us an insight into her Shakesperean roles from Lady MacBeth to Ophelia. Another iconic actor who whose roots lie in Yorkshire releases his long-awaited memoir this month. Making it So: A Memoir by Patrick Stewart (Hardback, £25) offers an insight into the life and work of the Star Trek legend in his own words.

Finally this month, we can squeeze in a few marvellous children’s reads. First up is The Legend of Ghastly Jack Crowheart by York author/illustrator Loretta Schauer (Paperback, £8.99). Plucky young tavern maid Lil takes on a mangy set of highway robbers with only the help of her two good friends, Scratch the baby crow and servant Boy, Ned. It’s a funny and clever story that is sure to charm children 8 years and over. Lil herself would have loved Storyland: Children’s Edition by Amy Jeffs (Hardback, £14.99). Adapted from Jeff’s original book for adults, this book introduces children to the myths and legends of Great Britain. Inventive and imaginative stories passed down from centuries ago are adorned with atmospheric illustrations that will certainly spark the imagination of many a youngster who reads this book.