Pussy cat, pussy cat where have you been?

I’ve been to London to see the Queen!

Ok, not exactly the Queen, but a group of UK book bloggers instead (far more exciting!). This meet-up was organised by Simon of Stuck In A Book and 18 of us turned up to chat, eat and swap books.

I managed to get a couple of London book shops in before I met up with the gang – a seconh hand bookshop that had nooks and crannies everywhere where I managed to pick up a couple of Amos Oz’s books (which I have been dying to read as he is an Israeli author and I used to live in Israel). Then I found Foyles which is the largest independent bookshop in London and I was like a kid in a sweet shop! All these thousands of beautiful books just calling my name from the shelves (it would have been rude to leave them all there so I got 3!) I got Mary Wesley’s The Camomile Lawn as I have just read another of hers and adored it, Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon (for Nymeth’s 1930′s challenge) and Edward Rutherford’s The Forrest which I can’t wait to read as I love books with nature and animals.

My lovely new books!

Then I headed over to meet ithe others in the Persophone book shop which was so pretty: all these gorgeous books piled high with matching bookmarks for each. Again, how rude would it have been to walk out empty handed (so I got 3 again!) After a quick pit-stop in Starbucks we headed down the road to The Lamb, where Simon had hired us a room and here are the lovely peeps who I met:

Annabel (Gaskella)
Claire (Paperback Reader)
David (Follow the Thread)
Guy (Pursewarden)
Hayley (Desperate Reader)
Jackie (Farm Lane Books)
Katy (5th Estate)
Kim (Reading Matters)
Kirsty (Other Stories)
Lizzy/Marcia (Lizzy’s Literary Life)
Naomi (Bloomsbury Bell)
Polly (Novel Insights)
Rachel (Book Snob)
Sakura (Chasing Bawa)
Simon (Savidge Reads)
Verity (The B Files / Verity’s Virago Venture)

One of the highlights of the evening (as any bookaholic will know) was our book lucky-dip! We all donated a book (wrapped) and then picked another out of the pile.

It was like Christmas!

The book I picked up was from Sakura and although it’s not one I have heard of before it looks really good. It’s called The Makioka Sisters by Junichiro Tanizaki. I have heard that there is a group read going on for this book sometime in the summer so I will look out for that.

It was so lovley to meet up with so many like-minded people on Saturday and yes, the conversation was all about books, books and more books (with a hefty does of recommendations that I will, of course, now have to seek out for myself.)

A competition for the chance to decide the plot of an authors book!

This is a prize if I ever saw one. My fabulous friend Lori, over at The Next Best Book Blog, has a competition open until 15th May where not only can you win a copy of a book called The Book (which sounds really good – especially if you like dystopian fiction as I do) but also there is an opportunity to have your idea turned into the authors next book with your name up in lights in the book itself when it comes out.

All you have to do is write the outline of a plot (about anything at all) in less than 300 words! I will be entering myself as I really want a copy of that book if nothing else. Hop on over to Lori’s blog to check it out.

1930′s mini challenge

I am jumping at the chance of joining in this mini challenge as I have read a few books lately that have been set between the wars and so the 1930s sounded right up my street. The lovely Nymeth of Things Mean A Lot has come up with this challenge and I have already started on my first book – The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley.

I have a few more already lined up and ready to go like some Dorothy L Sayers, more Mary Wesley, Dashiell Hammett, a couple of Persophone’s etc. Any one else fancy joining in?

My beauties!