chesilbeach

I've just seen that co-author of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Annie Barrows, has a new book out in the summer, called The Truth According To Us. Will be interested to read this one. http://www.transworldbooks.co.uk/editions/the-truth-according-to-us/9780857523273

Your next book bag … https://twitter.com/thinkgeek/status/568142240943640576

We went to the pictures this afternoon, then went out for a late lunch/early dinner. It's been a good day.

Rats! I wondered if the blog would disappear I do like their new site design, it's much cleaner and faster, and I used to find that it would stop responding almost every time I searched for any books. Perhaps it'll come back eventually, and they're still working on the main site update at the moment.

We went to see Shaun The Sheep Movie this afternoon … absolutely brilliant, and as it's half term, the cinema was packed with kids, and apart from the odd comment from the younger ones, they were captivated and didn't hear a peep out of them. As usual with an Aardman film, spent the entire time spotting familiar Bristol buildings and streets

Here's an interesting article from an author on why you probably wouldn't want to be an author! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/11422473/14-reasons-why-you-shouldnt-dream-of-being-a-full-time-author.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/31530528 This looks like a fantastic idea. I love the fact it's online and therefore anyone can go, as so many events are so often centred on the London area, that is prohibitive for most people to get to. Lots of great authors lined up, and looks like it could be a really good event. Here's the full list of authors involved http://www.wbdteenfest.com/teenfest-line-up-announced/

Thank you! I love that song - so much melody just in his voice and the fantastic use of percussion, brilliant. Made me feel like a teenager again I've had to follow it on with...

Almost finished The Ruby Circle and loving it, but then I never expected anything otherwise from Richelle Mead. [/fangirl]

It's very much in the YA vein of supernatural and romance, but I like those type of books. Having said that, I've read a lot that I thought were too generic and just picking up ideas from other writers, but this had more originality to it than that. The good thing is the romance, while crucial to the story, isn't the main focus and it isn't a swoony type of romance. I think you'd certainly find it a quick read, if nothing else!

Well done for even attempting Game of Thrones and even more well done for finishing it! I know lots of people have good things to say about it, but I can't summon up any enthusiasm to read it, whereas at least you can explain why you didn't like it, and it'll stop people pestering you about it in future!

Well, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell is part produced by BBC America and their website says it "will premiere on BBC AMERICA in 2015" and we have to have it before them, so hopefully it will be sooner rather than later.

I love it when dogs are reunited with their owners … even after a short break, they go nuts! Glad you're having a lovely time with them

Good day so far … sorted out a few bits and pieces that needed doing and had tea and toast in the café with a read of my book. A very pleasant, civilised start to the day!

I'm going to have to disagree with this. Firstly, the people who baulk at the RRP of a book are almost certainly not the same people who can afford to pay hundreds of pounds on a painting. Secondly, a painting is rarely something that may have taken a few days to paint. If you're spending any sort of money on a painting, it's got the same amount of research as a book would. The artist will have had to decide on the subject, make sketches, preliminary paintings, and even "edit" the final version, before being prepared to put the work up for sale. But, the buyer is buying the exclusive rights to that painting, sole ownership of a piece of art, whereas with a book, you're buying a copy of it. And then, if you're getting into artists who have a body of work, you're also buying into that, where the name on the painting is significant and can increase the value of the book. There is then also the increasing value of art, which goes on long after the artist has died, as the painting is still an original, unlike a book, unless you're talking about a rare first edition of a highly valued book, often again, long after the author has died. There's also the issue of publishing. On our behalf, publishers do spend large amounts of money obtaining some books for us. They then own the rights to reproduce the manuscript into whatever format they wish and sell it to us to recoup their money, and hopefully, sell enough copies to make money. But as a book buyer, you're buying an unknown. You might read a couple of pages in the shop, or download a sample to your ereader, but for the most part, you have little knowledge as to whether you will enjoy reading what you buy. You don't buy a painting having only seen a square inch of the bottom right corner … you've seen the whole thing and been able to judge whether you like it. Of course, you could read a book without paying for it by borrowing it from the library, but then you are probably still paying for it through your taxes which keep the library going. Then you have to look at the books people buy. I don't believe that people do stop themselves from buying certain books at a higher price if they think it's warranted. I think for authors they know and trust, people will spend more on a book than they might normally, but again, they're not just paying for that single book, they're paying for the name and the value of the book to them personally … it's why there's still a market for hardback books to be published ahead of paperbacks. If no-one was buying hardbacks, the publishers would not produce them .. they cost more to make and transport, and they still have to then publish later in paperback anyway, so they only do it if there is a demand for them. There's also the issue that once an artist has sold a painting, that's it, they'll never see any more profit out of it, and even if the value increases exponentially based on later works, that painting still sold for say £100. Not true for the author … even if their publisher paid them a meagre sum for the rights, once the publisher has made back any initial payment, some of the profits from further sales will go to the author. They'll also get PLR from any library loans … if an artists painting goes in a gallery or museum, that institution will make profits from any entrance fees they charge for the public to view the painting they own. I'm not saying it's easy for authors or that they are valued, but the comparison to art and artists does not stack up in my opinion.

I'm sure this news will delight a lot of fans of this popular children's book author. More details at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11421532/Long-lost-Dr-Seuss-book-to-be-published-in-July.html I've never actually read any of his books. I think we've had a discussion about his work before on the forum, but I don't even remember seeing them when I was a child, and later on when I found out about them, I always assumed they were more popular in American than here.

Been bucketing it down all day today I'm sure even the ducks don't like it this wet.

Doesn't your kindle talk to you? Am I the only one?

Pizza tonight … something quick to chuck in the oven for an early meal before I go out for the evening and leave OH in peace and quiet, which I know he's looking forward to.

For me, the main problem with being an author would be having to spend so much time alone in a room writing. It's never going to happen anyway as I don't have the imagination to come up with anything original (I know that doesn't stop a lot of authors ). Also, it's such a personal, creative activity, so it must be incredibly difficult to work to a deadline, and then also lose your ownership of the book when it comes to things such as editing, cover design and promotion, which you will do unless you're in the very top ranks of authors in this country, as your publishers will probably have the last word.

Apart from me throwing you a curve ball with Long Lankin

My family has a bit of a thing for Jack Russell's … my grandparents had one when I was little, and my aunt had a whole host of them over the years. They've got such great personalities and as far as they're concerned they're in charge and they do what they want to do! Hope you have a great time dog sitting.

Started The Ruby Circle this morning and already halfway through Going to carry on with it once I've made myself a coffee, but I'm out this evening so probably won't finish it today. I did pop into my local bookshop this morning, but nothing took my fancy … at least not enough for me to buy it … probably a good thing as I have plenty to read at the moment.

Hang on a minute … it's your review that's convinced Kylie to buy it! I blame the BBC, as I only bought it after they discussed it on A Good Read on Radio 4.

A couple of authors I follow on twitter were raving about The Norfolk Mystery by Ian Samson last summer, saying how it was their favourite book of the year, so he's been on my radar for a little while now. It looks like The Norfolk Mystery is the start of a new series he's writing, but I hadn't spotted The Mobile Library series he'd also written. I like the sound of both series, and now I've seen someone here actually read one and like it, I'll think about reading them in the future.