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Behind-The-Books Blog
Letters of Note
Friday, April 30th, 2010
Blogging is an ephemeral business: if we have second thoughts about a blog there’s always the option of erasing it from the online world. Which makes me wonder whether this is the reason we are becoming more fascinated with the letters of yester year? Were people more decisive or opinionated when the missive was a [...]
Wednesday Cover Story: The Boys in the Trees
Wednesday, April 28th, 2010
I was on Dovegreyreader‘s book review blog the other day, and was scrolling down the list of books she has featured under her 2010 reads when one cover caught my eye – even as a thumbnail. It was The Boys in the Trees, by Mary Swan. Those daubs of red stood out against that emerald [...]
Happy Freedom Day!
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
Today is Freedom Day – South Africa’s National Holiday. So, tonight I’m inviting a few of my South African friends over for dinner to celebrate – really just an excuse to impress them and cook up some recipes from our new release The South African Illustrated Cookbook, by Lehla Eldridge. On tonight’s menu: Darling Evita’s [...]
The Fair, Flowers, and Fanahan…
Monday, April 26th, 2010
While hardly reeling from the London Book Fair (half my meetings were with overseas agents and publishers who didn’t make it due to ‘volcanic action’), I’m actually quite glad to be in the office again. I have been sorting through the various catalogues, flyers and whatnot I’d picked up at the fair, when I came [...]
Volcanoes, The Digital Future, and good ideas
Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
The last day of the London Book Fair is always the quieter of the three days, but as I walked through the hall at Earl’s Court it was obvious that the travel mayhem caused by Iceland’s volcano had hit the fair more than I had expected. There were empty stands – still unpacked where foreign [...]
Wednesday Cover Story: The Hungry Ghosts
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010
On the platform of the northbound Northern Line at Waterloo (where I spend a minimum of a minute every morning heading into the office) there is a poster for The Hungry Ghosts, by Anne Berry (basically the book cover blown up to poster proportions). I have spent the last few weeks admiring this image, so [...]
Election Debate
Tuesday, April 20th, 2010
Did you watch it? It seems that a fair number of us apparently apathetic voters around the country did tune in for the first leaders debate on Thursday night. It was definitely subjected to a ‘water-cooler’ moment here at the A&B office, as well as at the offices of my husband. OK, so some of [...]
Interactive e-books!
Monday, April 19th, 2010
Interactive e-books here we come! Released just a week ago, the Alice app for iPad by Atomic Antelope has caused quite a stir. See this sneak preview on YouTube: Using the old artwork from Lewis Carroll’s original, it’s a very attractive looking application. Shaking the screen allows you to interact with the illustrations; my personal [...]
Ready for the London Book Fair
Friday, April 16th, 2010
The London Book Fair is upon us – kicking off this Monday for three days. Unlike the editorial and sales/rights team who will be busy with back-to-back meetings with literary agents, rights managers, foreign publishers etc., I get an easy ride at this event. I’ll just popping along on Wednesday, attending the Publisher’s Publicity Circle [...]
Wednesday Cover Story: 1 book, 2 covers
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
I saw a woman reading Hilary Mantel‘s new book Wolf Hall on the tube this morning which has prompted me to bring up the subject of books released with two covers. This particular woman was reading the version with the black cover, but it is also published in white. Our Publishing Director, Susie (who is [...]
Discovering more free apps
Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
As a relatively new iPhone user, I’m still discovering plenty that my new gadget has to offer. A browse through the app store the other day revealed plenty of freebies… From the useful: The National Trust app – suggestions for days out around the UK, might very well use this come summer time. To the [...]
Summer sales begin…
Monday, April 12th, 2010
If your living room needs a new sofa, or you can not live through another summer without an ice-crusher, I have good news for you. There is no need to fight through the crowds and chaos at Ikea, because right now there’s a sale on at Habitat. My favourite find is this lovely glass jug. [...]
Richard Jay Parker v Paulho Coelho…
Friday, April 9th, 2010
What a result! Richard Jay Parker has been shortlisted for the Author Blog Awards, in light of his popular microblogging on Twitter @bookwalter! If you didn’t know this already – read our News. If you did know this already – well, it would be remiss of me to not mention it here too – it [...]
Henry VIII lives on…
Thursday, April 8th, 2010
I’ve recently watched The Other Boleyn Girl which I absolutely loved. I suspect my enthusiasm may have stemmed from the rather delicious Eric Bana playing the part of Henry VIII. How someone this good looking could possibly have been cast as the king who in actual fact was rather less pleasing to the eye, is [...]
Wednesday Cover Story: New Look for Harry Potter
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010
Bloomsbury has announced that they will be rejacketing the entire Harry Potter series this winter to appeal to the ‘next generation of fans’. They are calling it The Signature Look. Great news for the artists and designers behind the revamp, although the first image released doesn’t excite me at all. Am I the only one? [...]
Easter cheer and all that
Thursday, April 1st, 2010
It’s Good Friday tomorrow. At least I’m hoping so, because it ain’t such a Good Thursday here in London. We’re seeing the first of the April showers (Spring, oh Spring! Where art thou Spring?!) and a recent fire at the BT Exchange in Paddington (where was the blessed rain then, I ask?) is creating havoc [...]
Currently we are...
…Reading
Dark Places, by Gillian Flynn. Chiara: I was captivated by Gone Girl and both Sophie and Rachel Caine recommended this earlier book of hers so have opted for this as my holiday read. It's a long flight to San Francisco...…Tweeting
- So #FallofNightTour is over *sniff*. But we had a blast with @rachelcaine and the #Daylighters competition continues: http://t.co/TyCp56egZJ
(about 14 hours ago) - @batmanVsherlock Hope you are also allowing time for food, drink and a bit of sleep! Follow us back so you can DM your address.
(about 14 hours ago) - @Lauren2905_ sounds like you need to pay a visit to the blood mobile! Good luck entering the #Daylighters competition.
(about 18 hours ago) - Do you have any favourite books you've recently re-discovered? http://t.co/fZ9n9g4Ysy
(about 19 hours ago) - @sophieemay97 Hi! @rachelcaine was there for a school event the other week, @wstonecardiff might still have some signed copies though.
(about 1 day ago)
- So #FallofNightTour is over *sniff*. But we had a blast with @rachelcaine and the #Daylighters competition continues: http://t.co/TyCp56egZJ
(about 14 hours ago) - @batmanVsherlock Hope you are also allowing time for food, drink and a bit of sleep! Follow us back so you can DM your address.
(about 14 hours ago) - @Lauren2905_ sounds like you need to pay a visit to the blood mobile! Good luck entering the #Daylighters competition.
(about 18 hours ago) - Do you have any favourite books you've recently re-discovered? http://t.co/fZ9n9g4Ysy
(about 19 hours ago) - @sophieemay97 Hi! @rachelcaine was there for a school event the other week, @wstonecardiff might still have some signed copies though.
(about 1 day ago)
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