Today I have been interviewed by writer of short stories and poems and bookseller, Jen Campbell, for her blog (I highly recommend regular visits to http://jen-campbell.blogspot.com/ for author interviews, advice for authors, etc.) Jen has recently turned the content of her blog to gold when her idea, Weird Things People Say in Bookshops, was picked up by…
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The organisers of the World Book Day have now announced the top 100 from which the final 25 will be chosen. Over 8000 books were nominated by 6000 readers, giving a fascinating view of the nation’s best-loved books. The shortlist is to be announced on 12th October. http://www.worldbooknight.org/your-books/the-wbn-interactive-top-100-books

http://www.7longport.co.uk/ The perfect bed and breakfast, as recommended by Jane, Rough Guide to England and Sawday’s.

So the age of 3-for-2 offers is coming to a close – as far as Waterstones are concerned, that is. For years now, we have been lured in by the tables at the front of the shops, bought the two books we actually wanted and cast our  wild card vote, sometimes concluding ‘Well, at least I didn’t…
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Autumn is my favourite time of year. In our house it is birthday season and that always means that a couple of treats are in store – this year’s include planned trips to Canterbury and Rye. Despite the shorter days, I have more energy after the heat of summer gives way to gentler days, the comfort of woollies,…
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To me, the appropriate response to the saying, ‘you cannot have your cake and eat it’ has always been ‘why?’ (or as John Heywood first put it, “wolde you bothe eate your cake, and have your cake?” to which the answer is, of course, ‘yes!’) Sadly, all has finally become clear. Matt’s father came to stay in the…
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Many persons read and like fiction.  It does not tax the intelligence and the intelligence of most of us can so ill afford taxation that we rightly welcome any reading matter which avoids this.  ~Rose Macaulay  

“We don’t need to have just one favourite. We keep adding favorites. Our favourite book is always the book that speaks most directly to us at a particular stage in our lives. And our lives change. We have other favourites that give us what we most need at that particular time. But we never lose…
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The strangest comparison of yesterday was made by Mike Bobbu, interviewed by Helen Croydon for The Metro on the subject of polyamory. “Why can I only love one person and not others? Yet I can have a favourite book and I still love other books?”  Unfortunately, he has lost me even before I begin to fret at…
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I have never claimed to have a good memory, but now it seems even things I thought I knew are incorrect. For the past few years I have been happily telling interviewers that my favourite book while growing up was Alan Garner’s The Owl Service. Having now purchased and re-read it for the sake of nostalgia, I find…
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