The most amazing time ever

I am back from two weeks of pure heaven on the Greek island of Kefalonia (sob). Two weeks of chilling, reading, swimming, eating, exploring.

We stayed on the Ionian island of Kefalonia but we also did some island hopping and made it over to four other islands – Ithaca, Meganissi, Lefkada and Skorpios (the island that Aristotle Onasis bought for Jackie Kennedy Onasis). We hired boats and found secluded beaches and coves, we drove over mountains and swam in the sea, we sat in cafes on the seafront in little fishing villages and we lay round the pool in the sun.

I will be posting about the books I read (I managed to get plenty of reading in alongside the exploring) in a few days but for now I will leave you with some piccies of my amazing holiday.

Pool at our villa

Boat trip round the coast

Taverna at sunset

Our pool

Our pool and gardens

Secluded cove

Beach on Kefalonia

Jackie Kennedy Onasis' house

Beach on Ithaca

No, he isn’t dead but it is still a sad day indeed…….

It breaks my heart to even write this, but my suspicions have been confirmed – my lovely postman, that happy-chappy, deliverer of big brown, book-shaped parcels on an almost daily basis, is no more………

I had suspected as much when I started discovering little red and white  pieces of card in my mailbox instead of said book-shaped parcels. These little red and white pieces of card were from the Royal Mail asking me to go into the sorting office in town and pick up the parcels myself! Not only that, but I had to wait a minimum of 24 hours (sometimes 48!!!!) hours before I could collect them. *swoons in a faint*. Do you have any idea what torture that is for a book-lover?  Of course you do.

Early readers of my blog will remember these posts (here and here) I did about my lovely postman back when I started blogging and parcels of books started arriving. Ever since our relationship was cemented over a brown paper package, I have been like an excited dog waiting for its master to come home whenever I hear him come up the garden path. There I stand, wagging my tail and salivating over the contents that are about to spill out on to my kitchen worktop. He probably just thinks I’m a wierdo but who cares? I got me new books!!

Anyway, at first I thought that maybe my lovely postman was on holiday and business would be resumed as normal in a few days. But no

Yesterday I was out and about and I saw him! “Mr Postman!” I yelled from across the street, “Where have you been?” This is now a solemn moment as I tell you that he has……….. changed routes. Please pause for a moment of silence, if you will.

  *pause*

Now, I am sure that my new postman will soon get the hang of not making me go all the way into town for my parcels. Indeed, old postman promised that he had told new postman to leave my books in the recycling bin for me and lo and behold yesterday there was one sticking out of the letterbox when I got home. That’s more like it: I feel that this could be the start of another beautiful relationship.

So, much as I will miss the dulcit yorkshire tones of my old postmans “morning, love!” let’s end by celebrating the beginning of a new partnership – he brings me books and I beam from ear to ear like a lunatic. Lovely

Edit/ Check out what message that cheeky Mr Whisperer left underneath:

“I have it on good authority that he requested a new route, as his entire basic salary was being spent on chiropractic treatment due to the volume, weight and frequency of deliveries to our home address! Mr (the long suffering) Whisperer.”

  Some fun for the weekend

I’ve just read this post over at Stu from Winstonsdad’s Blog and who in turn had read it on a few others, and I love getting to know the people behind the blogs I read so I thought I’d share mine too:

  Four jobs I’ve had in my life:

1) I currently work as a Business Manager at a global information company which is cool because I get to work from home when I am not out in client meetings (I’m not very good at being tied to an office chair so arranging my own diary and having varied weeks suits me just fine)

2) I was a chef in Cyprus once, which is ironic because I HATE cooking!

3) I worked on a moshav in Israel, in the dessert on the edge of the Joradanian mountains, picking cherry tomatos and clearing melon fields in the blazing hot sun

4) I was a chambermaid in a hotel in Cornwall (I apologise if you ever stayed in Newquay in the summer of 1992 – I was young, bored, wanted to be out partying instead and I used to spray on your perfume!)

  Four books I would read over and over:

1) Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (the setting, the characters…..I was there!)

2) Life of Pi by Yann Martel (won’t leave my head even 7 years later)

3) Animal Farm by George Orwell (amaing book! I laughed, I cried)

4) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (a true classic – I love this book!)

  Four places I have lived:

1) Yorkshire (where I grew up and where I live again now)

2) High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire

3) Cardiff, Wales

4) Ra’anana, Israel (about 20 mins north of Tel Aviv) where I lived for a year as an Au Pair

  Four books I would recommend:

1) The Magus by John Fowles (read it, read it, read it!!!)

2) The Help by Kathryn Stockett (wonderful book)

3) The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (massive romp of a read & such fun!)

4) Wild Swans by Jung Chang (moving, incredible, unbelievable, touching, amazing……)

  Four places I have been:

1) China – I’m fascintated by all things China so this was like a dream come true

2) Iceland – one of the most breathtaking places I have ever been

3) Morocco – the food, the atmosphere, the sights and smells

4) Indonesia – the islands of Bali and Lombok for our honeymoon

  Four favourite foods:

1) Mr Whisperer’s chile con carne – YUM!!!!

2) Strawberries dipped in melted chocolate – heaven

3) My sister-in-laws passion fruit pavlova – melt in the mouth

4) Mr Whisperer’s fresh pasta pesto – proper italian flavours

  Four favourite drinks:

1) Coffee (hot, strong and often!)

2) Lemon Fanta (reminds me of being on holdiay)

3) Peach belini – another holiday drink

4) Water (plain, simple and thirst quenching)

  Four places I’d rather be right now:

1) In bed (with a book naturally)

2) In a bookshop

3) Lying round a pool in a remote part of Kefalonia (Greek Island) like I will be in 35 sleeps!

4) In a log cabin on  lake by some mountains reading a good book

  Four special things in my life:

1) Mr Whisperer – the love of my life who graciously (most of the time) puts up with my rather obsessive book habbit

2) My cats – Phoebe and Princess Saffy are my babies and reading companions

3) My family – mine and Mr Whisperer’s

4) My books – don’t touch them without permission, don’t ask to borrow them unless invited and definitely don’t put them back in the wrong place!!!

  What would be your top fours?

Question:

What’s better than eleven days off work with the sun shining and spending time with family, at friends BBQ’s, reading on beaches and book shopping with bibliophile friends?

Answer:

Not much!

First stop – London. I was due to meet two bookish friends at Trafalgar Square but I got there early and grabbed myself a coffee and sat with my book in the blazing hot sun while I waited.

After walking round what felt like the whole of London in 30°C heat and visiting various historical landmarks (including the Tower of London) we finally made it (wearily) to Waterstones in Picadilly which is the largest bookshop in Europe and set on 6 floors. It was a lovely airconditioned respite after our days trecking but despite all those tempting gems stretching for miles, my feet would not allow me to do much else apart from collapse in one of the chairs and watch while Tisha and Kirsty loaded their arms with bookish goodies. I did manage to pick up a couple of things though (I was tired, not dead!)

The next morning I headed off to Marylebone to check out Daunt which I have been dying to go to for ages (all the books are categorsied by country which satisfies both my book geek and culture geek).

After 2-3 hours blissful browsing (and buying ) in Daunt I headed over the road to sit at an outdoor table in the sun at an Italian restaurant to admire my purchases, read my Kindle and eat a big fat pizza!

Next stop: West Sussex on the coast for 5 days with Mr Whisperer’s family. Lots of fun (and managed to sneak in some reading on the beach too )

Next stop: My parents back garden for lunch al fresco

Final stop: Pugneys Lake near where I live for a picnic and reading.

A brilliant week and ½ off work. Lots of sun, fun and reading. Hope you all had great bank holidays too?

Tomorrow I will be showing piccies of my new goodies!

Pussy cat, pussy cat where have you been?

OK, I haven’t been to see the Queen, but I am going to London on Friday.I’m going to meet two lovely bookish friends, Tisha and Kirsty (one from California and one from Manchester) whom I have been part of an book group on Goodreads for the last 3 years with. We met up last year when Tisha was over from America and she’s over again this week so we are all excited to meet up for gossip, sightseeing and (of course) book shopping.

This is where you come in:

What bookshops do I absolutely need to visit in London? It would be a crime not to check out some of these lovely bookshops that I keep hearing about on people blogs (but always forget to write down). There are a few in particular I would like to go to if possible: one is a shop that has books from or set in all the different countries in the world, another is one in Notting Hill but I can’t remember what either of them are called.

Which are your favourite London bookshops? Which ones can I absolutely not leave London without visiting?

Where has it gone?

After a Christmas holiday of trash TV and magasines (my brain couldn’t cope with anything else) I was looking forward to business as usual where my books are concerned and resuming my usual two-a-week pace in the new year.

So how many have I read so far in 2011? None.

NONE, I TELL YA!

What’s up with this picture?

OK, I may not have completeted any books yet in 2011 but I have started and am still reading two but I can only manage to get through about 20 or so pages a day. Even when I do have some quiet time and the opportunity to curl up with my book I find myself unable to take anything in and realise that I have read several pages and have no idea what I have just read.

  Am I sick?

“I’m sorry, Mrs Whisperer: I’m afraid it’s bad news…”

"Hmmm, it doesn't look good..."

  Or maybe I should see a shrink?

“This is not normal behaviour, Mrs Whisperer: There must be something wrong with your brain.”

"Lie back and tell me all about it"

Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever lost your reading mojo? If so…

  HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO GET IT BACK???

Christmas is my favourite time of year. I love everything about it; the dark nights, the smell of food, the twinkling lights, the cheesey christmas songs played in shops, wrapping up in hats and scarves, snow, and snuggling up in front of the fire with a really great feel-good book.

I already have several Christmassy books on my pile waiting to be devoured in the month of December (in fact I have cheated and alreay started reading one ) and I want to hear your recommendations too.

Which books really get you in the christmas spirit? Do you like chicklit, mysteries or classics? Personally, I like all three so recommend away! I will do a post in a week or so when I have collated some recommendations.

Where’s the books?

Not actually me

So this is how I have spent my Saturday…..whizzing up and down hills, through water and mud at what felt like 100mph on a quad bike – I LOVED IT! Who knew I was such a speed demon?

And then home….

What better way to unwind?

“You may go anywhere you wish in the castle, except where the doors are locked, where of course you will not wish to go.” 

By pure coincidence I am going to be in Whitby this weekend and I am still reading Dracula.

If you’ve never been to Whitby, it’s a little seaside town on the east coast in Yorkshire (about an hour and a half from my house). It has a harbour, some cute little streets (with several lovely book shops!) and overlooking the whole town is the Abbey which stands proudly on top of the cliff at the top of the steepest (and most knackering) steps up.

“We are all drifting reefwards now, and faith is our only anchor.”

In the book Dracula, one of my favourite parts is when a freak storm descends on Whitby and a strange and seemingly abandonded ship manages to stear its way into the harbour with no crew on board. Once the ship docks, a large lone wolf jumps off and runs towards the Abbey and all the townsfolk find on board the ship is the captain who is dead and tied to his wheel and the ships log that details the mysterious and frightening things that have happened on board. Fabulous!

“The man was simply fastened by his hands, tied one over the other, to a spoke of the wheel. Between the inner hand and the wood was a crucifix…”

The Demeter arriving in Whitby

I am enjoying this book so much and I’m thrilled that I can take it with me to Whitby this weekend; the town will take on a whole new meaning now.

Mwahahahahaaaa

Have a great weekend everyone.

Blue Lagoon at Olu Deniz, Turkey

Hello everyone

I’m back from the most wonderful week in Olu Deniz in Turkey. I landed back in the UK at 4.20am yesterday and was greeted by the rain and cold

This is the third time that Mr Whisperer and I have been to this area of Turkey as we have always had such a great time there. Guaranteed sun, great food (and lots of it!), beautiful scenery and amazing places to explore.

The Intrepid Explorers

Whenever we go on holiday we like to go off exploring and finding new places. We have already explored a lot of the coast around Olu Deniz on previous holidays when we hired cars so this time we decided to hire quad bikes and head to the hills.

The mean machine

It was the BEST thing we did – it’s the most amazing feeling to feel the wind rushing by as we hared down country roads surrounded by pine forrests and views of the coast. We found some secluded beaches where we stopped for a drink and a couple of hours of reading and swimming in the sea before getting back on the bike and seeing where we would end up next.

Tucked away and a wonderful respite

We visited a village called Kayakoy which is now a ghost town of about 500 houses on a hillside. It was inhabited by Greeks until the population exchange after the Greco-Turkish war, when in 1922 the entire population fled and the village has remained abandonded ever since. It’s so eery to see all these hundreds of houses and churches and imagine how this was once a thriving community of people living and trading. Along the main road, a handful of restaurants and cafes and the odd hotel has sprung up to cater for tourists but it still keeps its quiet and peaceful ambiance and made a lovely stop off for us on our quad tour.

Kayakoy, the ghost town

And of course, what is a holiday without books? I managed to get through four books (either round the hotel pool or on our little stops along the way).

Chilling with my book on a pit stop at a beach

  One week, four books

I love reading on holiday – OK, I love reading anytime but there is nothing like lying round a pool with the sun beating down, only laying my book down to dive into the pool or take a cheeky snooze. Bliss.

The books I read were:

Faithful Place by Tana French

The Ice Cream Girls by Dorothy Koomson

Pictures of Lily by Paige Toon

Daddy's Little Girl by Mary Higgins Clark

Reviews for all four will be coming up shortly.

  Mr Whisperer reads…

Miracle of all miracles has happended….Mr Whisperer read two books this holiday!

 Who is this man and what has he done with my husband?

I persuaded him that he would enjoy The Hunger Games series and I was right. He ripped through the first two books and loved them. I had to laugh several times when I heard the the famous words “just let me finish this chapter…” as that is one of my own catch phrases. In fact, several times when I was trying to get his attention and I was met by a zombie-like stare made me feel like I was looking in a mirror.

Mr Whisperer will be making his debut on my blog in the coming weeks when he writes his very own reviews of The Hunger Games series. I can’t wait to see what he writes as we enjoyed some really good conversations about books and styles and plot etc when he was reading these, and he noticed some things that I didn’t which I found really interesting.

  Back to reality

I hope you have all had great weeks and read some good books. I will by stopping by your blogs when I can in the next week to catch up

In the meantime, here is a picture of what the sky looks like where I am today

Rain, drizzle and grey skies

I’ve won an award…

…..from Shannon at Giraffe Days who reads SO many books and writes great reviews. I love checking out her blog – especially when she goes on a book-buying binge as I love drooling over all her purchases (and I thought I had a problem )

The rule is that I have to share 7 things about myself that you might not know. So here goes:

1) I once got deported from Cyprus and banned from going back for 4 years!

Oh yeah! Back in 1994 when I’d left Israel (where I’d worked as an Au Pair) I got on a ferry and ended up in Cyprus (the plan was to go on to Greece but myself and a friend got so drunk on the ferry that we got off in Cyprus as our hangovers were not compatible with the swaying of the boat). We hitched a lift to Ayia Napa where I worked in a rock & indie bar for 3 months until the bar was raided by the police one night for employing 5 British workers. I was arrested and deported. I went back to Israel for another month before getting to the same ferry back to Greece – but when it stopped in Cyprus I couldn’t resist seeing if I could get away with stepping off on to Cypriot soil without anyone noticing. They didn’t and I spent a lovely day pottering round Limasol flipping imaginary birds at everyone.

2) I used to work as a table-dancer in Faliraki, Rhodes.

It gets better, doesn’t it? The hilarity was that I used to wear Doctor Martens (when everyone else had kitten heals and strappy sandals on) and most of my other attire was either ripped or tie-die. Oh, I also had a ring and a silver spider in my nose (I was 22 – it’s allowed!). Once I had finally managed to get into Greek waters this time, I stopped on the island of Rhodes to meet up with some friends I’d met in Jerusalem but I had about £3 left in the world so I needed a job and quick. I sat in a bar until the owner finally gave in and told me that my job was to mingle with the holiday-makers and get them to spend loads of money at the bar and whenever he blew a whistle I had to get up on a table and dance. Whenever I think back I laugh out loud thinking of what I must have looked like – I was so untypically touristy that I must have stood out like a sore thumb!

3) I have visited a total of 25 countries

I am as passionate about travel and culture as I am about books. I love going to different places and expolring (I also love lazy beach holidays where I can do nothing but lie horizontal with my book too). I have been to the following places: France, USA, Canada, Iceland, Norway, Belgium, Holland, Czech Republic, Spain, Monoco, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Morocco, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales. Some of the above I have been to on many occasions as I love it there so much (France 8 times, USA 7 times, Greece and Turkey 3 times each etc).

4) I used to play the piano

I played the piano from the age of about six or seven through to age 18. I wasn’t bad at it, actually, and used to play it while the kids walked into assembley at school and then play them out again. I gave up after my A Levels before going off to Uni and have never played a note since. Actually, that’s not true – I tried having a go on a hotel piano when nobody was looking once and I couldn’t even make my fingers go in the right place. I can’t remember a thing about how to play – it’s a shame really.

5) I once owned 8 cats in a one-bedroom flat

When I was single I had my own flat in High Wycombe and it was just me and my old rescued cat, Izzy. Then I met Mr Whisperer and he moved in and we bought Phoebe as “our” cat. A year later we got Madison because she was so fluffy and cute and we couldn’t resist her and before we managed to get her spayed she got in the family way and the next thing we know 5 kittens have been born and we had 8 cats in a one-bedroom flat. We only have two these days (Phoebe who’s now 12 and Princess Saffy who is one of Madison’s kittens who is now 9 years old).

6) I am the daughter of two Teachers

Actually I am the daugher of two retired Teachers now. My Mum taught both primary school and also worked in a 17th century house where kids go on school trips and dress up for the day and actually live for a day as they would have back in the 1600′s. My Mum was the Lady of the house and used to supervise activities such as spinning, lace-making, butter-making, roasting meats on the spit and telling stories to the children.

My Dad worked in a secondary school in the middle of a council estate and taught PE. He was pretty strict and earned himself the nickname of “Bomber”!

7) I believe in ghosts

OK, not the white sheet types with holes for eyes, but I do believe in the after-life. I believe that we all come back many times to learn lessons and move on and that we have soul-mates that we reincarnate with (in different relationships each time).

8. I once cleaned an airport for the arrival of Bill Clinton

When I was living in Israel I was down to Eilat (the southern tip of Israel) for a couple of months and worked as a cleaner of hotels. This compirsed of sitting on a wall every morning from about 6am with about 20 other travellers waiting for the owners to turn up and pick us for jobs that day. Once I was picked to clean Eilat Airport for the arrival of Bill Clinton on 26th October 1994 when he was coming over for the signing of the peace treaty with Yitzhak Rabin and King Hussein of Jordan. There were 3 of us and the airport was shut for a few days while we scrubbed and laid down the red carpet. Clinton also stayed in a hotel over-looking the marina where I was living on someones yacht but alas I never actually got to see him.

I hope you liked your little insight into the world of The Book Whisperer. I don’t normally like revealing too much about myself so you should be able to dine out on this little lot for quite a while.

And you thought I was just a book-nerd!

In the words of the mighty Cliff Richard:

“We’re all going on a….summer holiday! No more working for a….week or two!”

 Oh yeah baby – a week in the sun here I come!

Oh how I have longed for this day to come – a week in a 17th century converted farmhouse with its own pool in the Dordogne in south west France for a whole week. I went to the Dordogne with my parents and brother when I was about 11 and I remember loving it even then (when I wasn’t as fussed about trailing round quaint little villages and shopping in the markets etc). This time I am obviously going with Mr  Whisperer and these are my plans for the week:

• Read at the airport
• Read on the plane
• Drive hire car to property
• Settle in and unpack
• Read
• Swim
• Read
• Drink wine and eat yummy food
• Read
• Sleep
• Read
• Drink morning coffee by pool (while reading)
• Read
• Swim
• Read
• Eat
• Read
• ………….and repeat!

Dordogne, France

Obviously when preparing for ones holiday one must take care to plan carefully about what one needs on such a vacation. Here is how my holiday preparations went:

• Narrow Mt.TBR down to a manageable 20 books
• Throw bikini and some sun cream in my suitcase
• Umm and ahh over which books to take out of “possible pile”
• Pack toiletry bag and chuck in suitcase
• Pat myself on back for managing pile down to twelve
• Chuck in a few vest tops and shorts (and a dress or two for the evening)
• Panic because I can’t decide which books to leave out
• Throw passports into bag
• Throw a little party because my pile has shrunk to eight
• Sleep on it
• Re-examine pile and put one of discarded books back in it
• Check suitcase – yep, all done
• Spread books out on the floor and ask the cat to pick
• Grumble under breath at cat who doesn’t cooperate
• Play eenie-meenie-minie-moe
• Narrow books down to five
• Sleep on it
• Take 2 books out and replace with two previously abandonded ones
• Throw evil looks in direction of Mr Whisperer who is starting to despair (he doesn’t understand!)
• Finally choose final five and feel pleased with myself
• Start to worry that as soon as we get to the airport I will have the old “I should have brought those two as well” conversation with myself

Does this sound familiar to anyone else?

So here is my final selection:

True Things About Me – Deborah Kay Davies (currently reading)

The Lagacy – Katherine Webb

The Summer House – Marcia Willett

The Radleys – Matt Haig

Beside the Sea – Veronique Olmi

(Please see sidebar for pictures as I have packed my camera and can’t be bothered to get it out to take photos of said chosen ones)

YUM YUM!

Back in a week. Happy reading in the meantime and look forward to catching up with you all when I get back

Your Honour, I confess!

I have a huge problem! HUGE!!! My crime? I cannot stop buying books! Honestly, I think I have a book-buying disease. I swear only last night as I was fishing around my shelves for my next book I decided that I need to stop this madness once and for all. Why did I decide this? Because I found myself surrounded by a pile of several hundred books and they were all crying my name and pleading “pick me, pick me!”. Oh my poor, poor neglected books: my heart broke for them all lying there staring up at me praying that they would be the chosen one. So there it was: my new hard-core resolution!

“Thou shalt not buy any more books until thy hast read at least 10 of said several hundred already owned.”

Well, I felt empowered! Yes, I thought adamantly, I will do this! Strong like bear!!!!

So what is my problem I hear you cry? I’ll tell you what: today I was up in Newcastle for some client meetings with a colleague and we found ourselves with 2 hours spare in the middle of the day. Now, I’m not familiar with Newcastle at all, so Alex told me to meet him in the centre of town and we could grab some lunch in the sun (yes, the SUN!) before our next meeting. Great idea, I thought. Anyway, there we were chatting away while walking down the main street and Alex bumps into someone he knows and they start talking. Instead of standing there like a lemon I start to look around and take in my surroundings and guess where we were stood right outside? I swear, Your Honour, that it wasn’t in any way engineered. Honestly, this must have been what the Three Wise Men felt when they looked up and saw that glowing star and just knew they had to follow it. There it was – the huge W, winking down at me like a huge beacon of light, calling me to follow.  Waterstones – my holy grail! In my daze I barely even remember telling Alex that I would meet him at the next meeting and before I knew it I was inside this emporium of treasures. Here I am, my lovelies, here’s mama!

There is something so comforting about being in a bookshop that only other bookaholics will understand – it’s my home from home. Infact, given the choice I would rather live there than in my actual home. So as I wondered and admired and cooed and the temptation grew stronger and stronger I thought to myself  “maybe just one – I deserve it; afterall it is a Tuesday”. So I browse some more cradling my one book like a newborn babe, and then “oh, maybe just one more; afterall I have driven 2½ hours already and will have to drive the same back home again, so it’s only right that I should compensate for my lengthy car journeys with 2 books”. I browse a bit more, still cradling the twins, and finally “no, really I should have 3 – afterall it’s Wednesday tomorrow and everyone knows that Wednesday is the worst day of the week ‘cos you feel like you’ve been at work for ever but really you’ve still got 3 days to the weekend so to cheer myself up from these inevitible midweek blues, I really should buy three!”

And that, mi’ Lord, is how I came to end up with these three beauties:

My babies

Sylvia’s Lovers by Elizabeth Gaskell (‘cos I just read North and South and loved it)

The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole (‘cos I’ve heard it’s really cheesily over the top and that makes me want to read it!)

by Alexandre Dumas fils (‘cos my French friend Virginie recommended it)

La Dame aux Camelias 

And here are those books again, this time with my other fame-hungry cat The Boof:

My other baby - The Boof

…That little Tiger doesn’t

Picture the scene: There’s me propped up on cushions, cat on my lap, book in hand, happily flipping pages interspersed with the odd chuckle or sigh or tsk. On the next sofa is Mr Whisperer, joystick in hand, silently working out with on which building the enemy may be hiding behind, waiting, waiting, and BAM! fingers and thumbs flicking madly – down they go!

Yep, you are witnessing a fairly normal evening Chez Whisperers: Miss Piggy lying in her own filth – OK, not as disgusting as it sounds but I do regulary have it pointed out to me that I would rather read a book than load the dishwasher after dinner (erm yes – and the problem with that is….?) and Mr Tiger hunting down his prey. Both of us are relaxing after a days work.

But Pigs and Tigers don’t go together do they?

Actually yes. Mr Whisperer (Tiger) and I (Piggy) have been together for eleven years and I put that down, in part, to our extra-marrital activities (that being books and XBox games,  people!). Only occasionally has Mr Whisperer looked over at me and said “would you have prefered to be with someone who reads?”. OK, so when I joke around I say I should have married a millionaire with his own library but in reality, I like that the books and the reading are all mine. The thing is, we share almost everything: Mr Whisperer is my best friend as well as my husband, we go everywhere together and I like it like that. But the reading……that’s mine!

Is yours a Piggy or a Tiger?

The reason I got thinking about this is ‘cos loads of people who I have spoken to lately (who are as obsessed about books as I am) who have partners who don’t read and it struck me as funny. When I say don’t read, I mean picking up a book is their equivalent of me wanting to walk through a pitfull of snakes.

Does your partner read / or is as obsessed as you are about books? Do tell!

Help me!

Maybe it’s because the sun has moved into Libra or Pisces or something , or maybe it’s because the tide has turned but for whatever reason I appear to be completely unable to make a decision today!

What’s going on?

Since the weekend I haven’t even started anything new to read (I know – I must be getting a fever or something, it’s the only explanation!). I have read about 100 pages worth of about 10 books and I just can’t stick to one. I can’t even decide on a genre or era or style. One minute I want something light and breezy (a chicklit or another Mary Wesley), then I want French lit, then a mystery – no, definitely not in the mood for a mystery – then I want something long and epic to really get my teeth into and then I think that’s not a good idea if I’m in such a fickle mood. I have in fact managed to narrow it down to two books right now, but ask me again tomorrow and the likelyhood is that it will be something different.

To change theme or not to change theme

This is where I need your help please. I am thinking about changing my blog theme. I like the colours of this one but the font really bugs me and I’d quite like a 3 column one too. I found another theme that I liked and changed my blog last night. This morning I changed it back. I just can’t decide!

So, here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to let you lot have a say! Here is the link for the new theme (for anyone who reads this before I change it over). What do you think? I need your help!

OK, not strictly true. I am no longer freaking out right now, but I was! I had the bookish-freaks over the weekend, over my first Readathon weekend no less. Yes – sweaty palms, hot flush, severe state of panic and all because………I couldn’t find anything I wanted to read! “Arrrrrrrrgggggghhhhhhh!!!!” Now, I understand that to a mere mortal this little episode may seem somewhat banal or maybe even curious (something to be poked and prodded under a microscope perhaps – “is this girl for real?”) but to a bookaholic it truly feels like the world is ending. How can I not want to read anything? Fortunately, it lasted no longer than 24 hours. Unfortunately, it occured on the weekend of the 24-hour Readathon.

It did get me to thinking though. Thinking about all the bookish freak-out’s that I am periodically cursed with:

Exhibit #1

The “I don’t feel like reading anything!” syndrome

Have you ever been surrounded by a mountain of books and still can’t find anything you want to read. You pick one up, a book that only yesterday you would have orbited the moon to read such was your excitment and anticipation for this beauty, only to discard it back onto the shelf whence it came with and sigh and a heavy heart. What starts as lethargy quickly descends into blind panic as you survey the growing mound of discarded books around you. “What’s wrong with me?!!”. I have even been known to read several pages of at least 10 books in a row and then have to deal with the guilt of them all looking woefully in my direction in their freshly assembled heap of cousins as I frantically flip the pages of another, willing it to be the one!

Exhibit # 2

The review-copy mountain

Ahh, the thing that is guaranteed to give any book blogger the shakes! Review books! Now don’t get me wrong – I LOVE review books. I LOVE being contacted by authors and publishers asking if I, me, Boof, would like to read their book. Who me? Really? I’ve only been blogging since December and I still love the thrill of getting that email with descriptions of some as-yet undiscovered gem that hasn’t even hit the shelves. And then when they arrive on my doormat, all wrapped in brown (courtesy of my NBF of course) staring up at me like a child to its mother in that instant bond of adoration, it is like all my birthdays have come at once. I rip open the package and coo, stroke, sniff, and smile lovingly at my new beauty. All is well with the world. Then I go upstairs. And I spot them. All of them. All staring at me forelornely and whispering “I thought you loved me?”. Yep, it’s all my other review copies. Each one anxiously waiting their turn. And I panic! I freak out! How am I going to read all these? What about my own stuff that I really want to read too? Will I let the publisher down if I don’t read it now? What if I don’t like the book? What if I can’t finish it? How will I get the time to read them all, alongside my day job, eating and sleeping? Should I forego a few nights of sleep or maybe skip a few meals? No, I can’t do that – so when then? You see, I’m FREAKING OUT!

Exhibit # 3

The “I’ve got 5,000 books on my shelf but the only book I want to read is the one that another blogger just reviewed and raved about, and I want to read it NOW!”

Ah, another familiar story. I perhaps don’t actually have 5,000 books on my shelf (maybe only 4,000 ) but despite this, why is it always the one that I haven’t got the one I that I absolutely HAVE to have right now! Yes, this happens a lot. It’s the only book that will do. In a feverish frenzy I scour the pages of Amazon and Goodreads looking at reviews of said book, reinforcing to myself that I am right and this is the book I absolutely have to have now. “Everyone says it’s great, they love it, I can’t miss out, I can’t not have it, what if a giant asteroid hits the earth this weekend and then I’ll never know what happened, what if this is destined to be my favourite book and I never got round to reading it, I must have it, I must, I must, just click the proceed to checkout button, go on you know you want to, you’ll feel so much better, ramble, ramble, inchoherant blathering…..”

Exhibit # 4

The five book pile that refuses to narrow down

So I’ve come to the end of my book and I decide to peruse my shelves and remind myself of the delights that await me. I feel like reading some Victorian literature so off comes 3 hefty Dickens tomes. Or maybe a historical fiction book, it’s been a while since I read about anyone at the guillotine. Off come a couple of Jean Plaidy’s and a Phillippa Gregory. Oh, how about a good mystery? I love a good mystery! Down come a few Mary Higgins Clark and some Val Mcdermid for something a little grittier and ooh, don’t forget that new Jo Nesbo as afterall I loved his last book. Oh, wait, it’s been ages since I read anything set in China and that’s one of my favourite genres. I’ll just grab that new Peter Hessler and maybe an autobiography from the cultural revolution era. Or maybe a chicklit – when was the last time I snuggled up with a single woman and her cat renovating a house and falling in love with her nextdoor neighbour? Ages ago, that’s when. Off come the Katie Ffordes and an Isobel Woolfe. Ahhh, that ought to do it. Only 14 books to narrow down.

OK, so maybe not the Dickens, that would take me weeks and there are just too many books. That leaves eleven. Maybe not the cultural revolution memoir either, I need something a little more uplifting. Ten. I’ll put some of the Katie Fforde’s, Mary Higgins Clark and Jean Plaidy’s back too, I only need one by each. Six. OK, the Jo Nesbo too – I just read one of his, so time for a change. Five.

Five.

Five.

Five!!!

Why can’t I narrow it down? I want to read them all now!

Three hours later:

Here endeth my bookish freak-outs (for now). What do you freak out about?

You can read my other Whisperings here.

It’s a strange and wonderous thing, this book blogging lark. You meet so many new and like-minded people who drool over your lovely, shiny books with: brand new friends that actually congratulate you on your purchases, who coo over your finds and actually want to enter into a conversation with you about your very favourite subject! Seriously, what beats that?

My New Best Friend

Well, I must now introduce you to my new best friend. Is he a fellow book blogger, I hear you cry? No. Does he like reading? Not so much, he falls asleep a few pages into a book, he tells me. So who on earth could this new found best friend be????

My Postman, that’s who! 

Yes, the lovely man who brings my mail every morning. Allow me to explain. At roughly about 11.30am every day, I hear the gate click. Then footsteps crunch down the path. There is a pause (presumably while he grapples with arm-fulls of lovely brown packages) and then the letterbox creeks and…….THUD! This is the point at which I disengage myself from any work-related task I have been doing (yep, phone-calls are aborted, emails stop mid word) and I fly down the stairs to the front door to greet my new treasures. Come to Mamma!!!!

Now, my new best friend doesn’t just drop these lovelies through the letterbox. Oh no! He also rings the doorbell if there are any especially large parcels or if he happens to see my silhouette mid-parkour-leap down the stairwell. The conversation goes like this:

New Best Friend: Morning, love! (in very loud, very broad Yorkshire accent)

Me: Morning! Oh my, what have you got for me today?

New Best Friend: Eeeh, I knew you’d be pleased. I said to meself  ”She’ll be pleased wi’ this!”

Me: I am, I am!

New Best Friend: How do you find t’ time to read ‘em all?

Me: Let me worry about that, you just keep delivering them.

New Best Friend: Alright, love. See yer tomorrow.

You see, it’s a relationship made in heaven. I get my lovely new toys and he gets paid for delivering them. Win win. Apparantly I am even famous in the Royal Mail sorting office. My NBF says that he calls me “Savant” as he reckons I must be like Rain Man to read so many books.

So here is a little test for you. Look at the two pictures below and answer the question at the bottom.

NB: The top picture is not my ACTUAL new best friend, as I thought that maybe asking him to pose for a photo at my door might sour our relationship somewhat (stalker, much?) so I have used a stand-in.

 

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Can you spot the difference?

 Nope, me neither.

So I’ve been thinking this week about the very serious subject of want vs need when it comes to books. After some serious thought and trips to the bookshop to prove my own point (all in the name of research, you understand) I have come to the conclusion that I was right in the first place.

 There is NO difference between want and need when it comes to books!

Allow me to elaborate: My husband (who’s birthday it is today, by the way – Happy Birthday Mr Whisperer!) has suffered many years of hanging around bookshops with me while I lovingly browse amongst the shelves, touching, sniffing, cooing etc (NB I say “suffering” as that is the word he uses, I prefer to think of it as a little slice of heaven). If he’s had enough of wherever we are (or I have already looked in at least two other bookshops – which is entirely possible – only another bookaholic will understand that if you don’t go in that final one it can ruin the rest of your day wondering what you could have found in there) then I occasionally get timed. Yes, that’s right, I am allowed 5 miuntes from start to finish while he stares alternately at his watch and me which really puts me off and makes me very anxious because I can see down the other end of the shop that there are so many gems just awaiting discovery and I know I will never have time to get to them all. To be fair, he only does this when I have already spent about two hours in the previous bookshops, but still.

So, again, the want vs the need. Mr Whisperer (between sitting playing games on his iPhone on the first available chair he can find in the shop) will spot me, arms laden with books, wander past and say the now famous line “Do you really need all those?” to which I (naturally) reply “Yes”. This is then followed with “No, you WANT them all but you don’t NEED them all!”. Now, let me explain why this comment (after much consideration and research) is untrue:

Imagine, if you will, a heroine addict. Now, I have never taken drugs (probably too busy reading books at the time) so you may think it would be hard for me to imagine, but NO! You see, if a heroine addict was to walk down the street and there was a shops with beautifully arranged packets of white powder in the window with enticing offers like “3 for 2″ and a “Heroine’s Inc. Recommends” shelf, do you think they would be able to walk past and say “Oh, don’t worry I’ve already had my fix for the day. Let’s move on.”? Doubtful. My point exactly.

Let’s have another example of, say, a stressful day at work or a long drive home from a meeting or even just feeling the joys of spring and needing to celebrate (insert own reasons here). You see the bookshop, like a glowing beacon to a sailor in the fog, it’s beckoning you, you’re starting to foam at the mouth in anticipation and finally you’re there. You let out a sigh of satisfaction while you feast your eyes on all the beauties infront of you. Where do you want to be transpored to today? Africa? A post-apocolyptic wasteland? A shopping trip with a handsome beau? A castle dungeon in 1596? The world is your oyestrer, you can go anywhere, be anyone, do anything!!!

So, to conclude: There is no such thing as want for a bookaholic. I have an aholism and I need my fixes.

My name is Boof and I am a Bookahloic.