The Book Thief

Much as I adore books, I have yet to acquire one by indulging in a spot of larceny!

In 'The Man Who Loved Books Too Much: The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World Literary Obsession', journalist Allison Hoover Bartlett introduces us to John Gilkey, who has a passion for books. Unlike most criminals however, he steals for love and not money. Enter Ken Sanders, a rare book dealer and detective manqué, who is determined to bring Gilkey down. Bartlett also explores how people have developed a passion for collecting and stealing books throughout the ages.

If this has whetted your appetite, then you can read an extract for free (!) on Bartlett's website

From Blog to Book to Film

I've just seen the film Julie and Julia all about Julie Powell, a bored New York office worker, who decided to work through Julia Child's 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking' in a year. She charted her progress on a blog, which developed a following and attracted media attention. It ultimately led to a publishing deal and now a film.

The film juxtaposes Julia Child's life in France, where she learnt to cook at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and got involved in writing her famous cookbook, with Julie Powell's culinary trials and tribulations in her tiny kitchen in Queens and her late night blogging. I found it both hilarious and uplifting. In one scene Julie bakes a chocolate cake that looked so mouth-watering, I wanted to put my hand through the screen and grab a slice!

The film also touches on the perils of co-authoring, the importance of choosing the best title and the trials of finding the right publisher.

Check it out and Bon Appetit!

Are You a Bookaholic?

This is a rhetorical question (as far as I'm concerned)!!!

If you are too, then you'll enjoy reading this recent article in The Guardian. It describes the all-too familiar symptoms of being addicted to books and discusses the new cross-industry Bookaholism campaign.

Freelance marketing consultant Damian Horner, who is driving the campaign, goes into more detail in this interview and discusses branding (if you stay true to yourself as a person, the better your brand), the power of Amazon and the author-indie bookstore relationship.