Way back, it seems, in the last quarter of 2010 I read a book called Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath it’s all about how we get drawn to ideas and how they stay with us. It really is an excellent read. About the same time I was also looking into getting some new knowledge and skills under my belt, autodidact that I am, and so the idea of learning about Social Media and particularly @Twitter came about.

Mix in a love of books and we’re nearly there.

Digging around in Twitter eventually turned up this idea of weekly sharing of what people are reading, called #FridayReads – conceived by Bethanne Patrick when she was with Book Studio, now defunct I believe. Ping! The lightbulb moment arrived when I discovered that this brilliant idea called FridayReads was dragging along with between 300 and 500 participants weekly. This was in about September/October 2010.

So, as a personal experiment initially, I decided to follow the rules set out by the estimable Heath brothers in their book. My aim was to see if I could get #FridayReads to grow.

And you know what, I was right and the techniques of engagement and publicising of the idea really worked. FridayReads started to grow, and grow. I didn’t stay on my own for long though as certain other great people joined in with me to form a core: @erinfaye, @adamslisa, @littlefluffycat and @shelfmagazine. Naturally this caught Bethanne’s attention as the buzz around FridayReads began to increase. It is undeniably a brilliant idea and perfect for the Social Media (though more Twitter and Facebook than the oddness that is Tumblr).

The participation in FridayReads on Twitter has lately stuck at around 5000-6000 weekly (which is great) though the Facebook page has a little under 10,000 ‘likes’. It’s rather a shame that Bethanne went in to Book Riot as it is a shadow of the potential that FridayReads had and nowhere near as good an idea, ah well, she didn’t ask what I thought and they do seem to be rather well funded.

But where next. Well, data. I quickly saw that there was potential for a Best Read List, a regular listing of the top books mentioned by the participants. To this end I devised some algorithms and wrote some computer programs to analyse the data from the Twitter #FridayReads stream. @erinfaye maintained the list on her blog of FridayReads (initially on blogspot), later this moved to the fridayreads.com website and was still maintained by @erinfaye and myself.

My third child was born in March and as a result I was somewhat distracted from the goings on in FridayReads and apparently this was also around when the monetization started.  I only became aware of the fact that money was being made much later on. This would be totally fine had there been an air of openness around the subject and a clear willingness to share. As it was I had invested a considerable amount of time, ingenuity and some of my own earnings in producing the Best Read Lists and resented the move to own/take over the work I had done.

Negotiations were entered into but I decided that as the relationship had been soured through a loss of trust that I would no longer publish the Best Read Lists on fridayreads.com, they now live at BestReadList.com which is a new site I run with @erinfaye. The Best Read strand was the single most popular item on the FridayReads website so it would be a shame to flush it all away.

So there we are. FridayReads is still a great idea but rather marred  of late by the controversy. I still take part as I believe that the sharing of the knowledge of what we are reading is vital. I also love watching and mapping trends and where better than Twitter.

Other sites:

Bethanne Patrick on FridayReads

Jennifer Weiner Post about FridayReads

What do you use your screen for?

It is highly unlikely that you will be reading a printed copy of these words. We live in a world of blended media today and that brings with it a few new features. The chances are that you have several screens and devices to choose from every day.

I have just come back from a Connected TV conference organised by my employers (MediaTel) which was all about the implications, and current state, of the technology. A lot of time was spent discussing advertising (indeed the event was sponsored by Rovi) and the whys and wherefores of the new advertising models being created. Fascinating stuff but what I’ll be discussing here is the nature of the technology we are now using every day and how we can use it.

Technology. Books. Television. What’s the link?

Actually it is wider and deeper than you might first think. Let’s get a few bullet points down…

• printing. Since the Gutenberg press with its solid type we have seen printing develop to the point where we can print a book in a few minutes on a laser printer. But this is old hat now..
• consumption. You can now read the book or listen to it being read by Stephen Fry, for example. If you want a difficult time you can get the text-to-speech program to do it for you instead of listening to Mr Fry’s mellifluous tones
• more consumption.. this is where I give up on bullet points

One of the technology points that kept recurring at MediaTel’s Connected TV Experience was that there is an increasing emphasis on multiple or companion screen usage whilst watching TV. For example; say you are watching a movie and need to know more it is very simple to pick up your smart device (Android, Apple etc) and check the details on IMDB for starters.

So the companion screen is clearly going to be of major importance, the next 3 to 5 years will bring some maturity as well as new developments; I’d suggest that gesture based controls will be come more prevalent, this much is clear from the advent of the XBox Kinect device.

Back to books. One of my recent obsessions has been to think about and look at the different ways we now consume our literature. The list is here:

• Paper
• Computer screen at work or home
•  Ebook (kindle, sony, vook..
• Tablet
• Smartphone

But hang on.. it isn’t even that simple. This is the blended bit.

I love the feeling of holding a book, turning the pages, all those sensual associations we develop with objects. However it isn’t always possible to lug around that massive copy of Lord of the Rings – which is where Blended Reading comes in.

Blended Reading is my name for the act of moving across different media to continue our reading experience: this implies continuity of reading the text or enhancing the reading experience by discovering additional information and content for ourselves; this in turn may include Social Media conversations and recommendations which lead to more reading matter or video/images/advertising.

Lord of the Rings is an interesting example because Peter Jackson very deliberately tried to retain the storytelling style and the events of the original book when making his films. When reading the book, or watching the film, it is easy to blend the two because of the effort put in to remain faithful to the book. You won’t necessarily learn a great deal from this particular blend but it serves as a starting point.

Implications and Analysis

Of course Blended Reading is much more than switching media. Book in hand I look up the extended bio of the author on my smartphone, I check out their other books. I download the next in series to my smartphone and read it anywhere I can.

Search for Tolkien on Gnod > Literature Map

View across the side of Skiddaw

I have just returned from a wonderful family holiday in the English Lake District. The area is widely known as one of the country’s most spectacular places to visit. There are plenty of tourist brochures that will tell you the same.

The Lake District has been an attraction for many years and home to many authors and poets. So how about a few names and locations.

Beatrix Potter lived at Hawkshead and is known for her anthropomorphic characterisations of the rabbit, hedgehogs, frogs, ducks and more.

Arthur Ransome wrote Swallows and Amazons initially inspired by the Lake District scenery though he later moved to East Anglia, about as different as you can get!

William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Robert Southey were known as the Lake Poets and took their inspiration from their surroundings. Easy to understand when you can stand on top of a mountain and see for miles in every direction. Wordsworth was born in Cockermouth is buried at St. Oswald’s church in Grasmere.

Melvyn Bragg, broadcaster and writer was born and grew up in Wigton, Cumbria. He is well known for presenting arts programme The South Bank Show. His novel The Maid of Buttermere was published in 1987 is based on the life story of Mary Robinson, who was mentioned in William Wordsworth’s Prelude.

Ernest Hemingway was inspired by the area and it is a recurring theme in his novella The Torrents of Spring.

This is just a small sample of the writers and authors who have taken their inspiration from the Lake District so if you feel the need to walk with a few literary giants then pay a visit. Be warned though, the lakes are there for a very good reason. The Lake District is the wettest place in the UK, take a raincoat, umbrella and wellies because it could rain at any time – or all the time.

The Budapest Protocol

Publishing house Beautiful Books (@BeautifulBooks) have been kind enough to allow me to Give Away (yes!) ten copies of political thriller The Budapest Protocol by Adam Lebor.

The book was inspired by Declassified Intelligence Reports produced in 1944 by the US intelligence services. The result is a sinister and gripping conspiracy thriller.

SYNOPSIS

Nazi-occupied Budapest, winter 1944. The Russians are smashing through the German lines. Miklos Farkas breaks out of the Jewish ghetto to find food – at the Nazis’ headquarters where he is handed a stolen copy of The Budapest Protocol giving details of the Nazis post-war plans. Miklos knows it must stay hidden forever if he is to stay alive.

Present day Budapest. As the European Union launches the election campaign for the first President of Europe, Miklos Farkas is brutally murdered leaving his grieving  journalist grandson Alex to track down the killers. He soon unravels a chilling conspiracy rooted in the dying days of the Third Reich, one that will ensure Nazi economic domination of Europe – and a plan for a new Gypsy Holocaust.

The hunt is on for The Budapest Protocol. Alex is quickly drawn into a deadly web of intrigue and power play, played for the highest stakes: the very future of Europe. But Alex must battle his own demons as he uncovers a shadowy alliance that the world thought had been defeated for good. Powerful, controversial and thought-provoking, The Budapest Protocol is a journey into Europe’s hidden heart of darkness…

If you enjoy books by Robert Ludlum then you’ll surely enjoy this one.

The Giveaway is now closed. I shall announce the ten winners during #FridayReads on Friday 12th August 2011.

Expect to see this title turning up when I do my #FridayReads this week!

Other Links

Budapest Protocol on Facebook don’t forget to LIKE!

Adam LeBor’s website http://www.adamlebor.com

Adam LeBor on Twitter @adamlebor

@BeautifulBooks page the-budapest-protocol

Small Print

To be eligible for the giveaway you must be in the UK and use the entry link above. Please enter once so everyone has a fair chance.

There is plenty of conversation going on and it is interesting to see the little groups that form in orbit around the @thebookmaven supergroup. The graph is absolutely huge and in fact uses only about half of the data available from last week.

The arrow points in the direction of the mention. So if we look at this snippet we can see plenty of conversation occurring.

Conversations around FridayReads

The full size graph is about 6MB in size and you can view it by clicking HERE. Your browser may resize the image so you might see the magnifying glass with the + sign in it. There’s an alternative view HERE with a slightly different layout

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If you’re interested in the technology then @ajaxlogos is a good place to start. He’s done a load of work on them and is being very creative.

I’m watching the #fiw11 stream on twitter and it sounds as though there are some great creative publishing ideas coming out.

Permalink to this post

One of my gripes is that when walking into the shop they will happily sell you a book, as long as they don’t have to break off their conversation with each other for too long. This isn’t really how to get the best out of your relationship with the customers who support you.

I’ve spent a lot of time, in the past, working in a retail setting where I was taught that you don’t sell anything unless you communicate with the customer. This was my father’s shop where he sold antique furniture (mostly restored Pine, much of it restored by me) to people from all over the world. Engagement with and education of the customer were vital to keeping the money flowing in.

I also used to sell second-hand cookery books in a local cookshop and it was remarkable how the decision to buy is affected by how attentive you are to the customer. Too much attention and you can lose the sale, too little and the customer will just wander away money unspent. You know your subject why not help you customer with that knowledge.

This is my checklist for bookshops that want to fully engage using the social media:

• Make the link between talking with customers, creating loyalty and the online equivalent of finding new followers/fans.
  You get lots of chances as a local bookshop. People will always be passing by. However, have you created a strong bond with them so they think of you, not Amazon, first. Online you may not be so lucky, once you’re unfollowed that’s usually it, you have to maintain the conversation.
• Check out what others are up to. An excellent example of an independent making good use of Twitter is @gutterbookshop in Dublin. Lots of chat and they always respond to mentions on Twitter. What are the big guns like @Waterstones up to and check out the smaller chains like @Foyles.
• Does your literature show your social networking places? Whether it is bookmarks, postcards, posters or flyers you need to tell people in the ‘real’ world about your presence in the virtual marketplace that is the Web.
• Are you on the map? Can potential visitors get your location and directions easily? This is where your website, or Facebook page can come in very useful.
• How well do you support local authors? Not all local bookshops do as much as they can for their locally based writers. It may be down to the writer, their publicist or the haughty response you give them which puts them off. Do yourself and your community a favour and promote local writing.
• Don’t just chat to your colleagues, it’s downright rude. Quite often people will want to talk about what they are buying. You can help validate that decision and ensure repeat business.
• Unfamiliar face? Say hello, make yourself available to chat. Not very good at that sort of thing then employ someone who is. Remember, first impressions last. If you get the double entendre there then you will know that it works both ways!
• If you’re on Twitter or Facebook then make sure you are keeping the conversation going. @Foyles have fun competitions running every week and people just adore winning books!
• There is a distinction between organic growth and SEO based growth so it is worth discovering what they differences are. I’m largely organic myself.

I should run a course on this really.

What is your experience of independent bookshops as a customer and if you run an independent bookshop you can use the comment forms to tell me I’m wrong or that it’s just too difficult and you’ve given up. Success stories to inspire others are encouraged!

Poetry Takeaway in Action

This is *the* most brilliant idea. Well done guys!

Basically you go and order a poem which after a short time is delivered, performed, to you by the poet. You can then take it away if required.

Hamburger poetry!

http://thepoetrytakeaway.com/

You can find them on Twitter at @poetrytakeaway

I Love Reading

To many people there is this thing called the ’30 day book meme’ which is a kind of survey where you write a blog entry in answer to each of the questions.
An example of one is here http://ohemgillie.wordpress.com/2011/04/30/30-day-book-meme-day-30/ and you can see each of the days has been filled out by @OhEmGillie. There are many, many examples of this over the web and it’s rather popular.

I can see the appeal as it is a great way of talking about what you love; Books, reading and literature.

The concept of a Meme first appeared in Richard Dawkins’ book The Selfish Gene. Quoting from WikiPedia:

The book also coins the term meme for a unit of human cultural evolution analogous to the gene, suggesting that such “selfish” replication may also model human culture, in a different sense. Memetics has become the subject of many studies since the publication of the book.

There are other book and literature related memes around, here are some I found:

• http://harrietdevine.typepad.com/harriet_devines_blog/2009/02/book-meme.html from @drharrietd
• http://geoffarnold.com/?p=2876 Geoff Arnold’s The ‘Pretentious’ books meme
• http://rhapsodyinbooks.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/abc-book-meme/ copied from Lost in Books
  
• http://mamamusings.net/archives/2006/11/21/science_fiction_book_meme.php a Science Fiction meme
• http://practicaltheory.org/serendipity/index.php?/archives/643-Book-Meme.html this one doesn’t seem to have a name.
• http://gryniewicz.com/blogs/dang/2008/11/13/closest-book-meme/ Closest
• http://karenedmisten.blogspot.com/2009/06/book-meme.html from @Karen_Ed (author & blogger)
• http://oldenglishrose.dmi.me.uk/2011/01/03/the-end-of-year-book-meme-2010/ End of Year
• http://erewolf.deviantart.com/art/Comic-Book-Meme-116073443 a Comic Book Meme (funny!)

I notice a feature of these memes is that some of them involve ‘tagging’ which seems an ideal thing for Twitter. Not used much in that way though.

Do you do or have you ever joined in a ‘book meme’? If so tell us about your favourite one here, make sure you include a link in the comment so it can be found.

I’m happy to be corrected by know-alls and so on but this is my reasoning…

Its all to do with Shoemakers!
If you know that a last is the form a shoe is made on then the phrase takes on a different shade of meaning. A last is often a wooden form made to the shape of a client’s foot though it is also the foot shaped anvil on which the shoes are made.

Something that is made to last is therefore becomes made to a pattern, so it isn’t durability but reliability that becomes the watchword.

I found this link which is about shoemakers and cobblers motherbedford.com/Shoemaker.htm though it does nothing to back up my possibly fanciful suggestion. I’m sure the folks at QI (@qikipedia) and the estimable Stephen Fry (@StephenFry) would have an opinion on such deep matters of etymology.

What do you think, was I possibly a little overtired?

My favoured method for a long time has been to just start reading the book, sometimes after I’ve read the blurb but not always. This works really well particularly when browsing in bookshops or someone’s bookshelves. If I find that I’ve got to the third page of the book without any effort then I’ll probably read the whole thing.

Familiarity with an author is a great way to choose as well. It doesn’t always work out so well though when you find you prefer their earlier work to their later output. Short stories are a potent way of discovering whether you like an author’s style, I’ve sometimes found that the short stories are better than the full length ones or vice versa. What is interesting about that is that the short stories are often about the author finding their ‘writing self’ so you can see development and experimentation going on.

Recommendations are another useful way of finding out what to read. There are the algorithmic, computerised, methods used by Amazon, Goodreads and LibraryThing on the one hand and personal suggestions on the other. Personal recommendations might come from friends, colleagues or family or via FridayReads or forums/discussion groups on places like Goodreads and LibraryThing. It’s interesting how people will ‘sell’ you the book that they really enjoyed, they might not even realise you hate romantic fiction – but there’s a first time for everything.

I’d love to know how you discover what you want to read next. Join the conversation using the comments below.

Science Fiction author Stephen Hunt (@SFCrowsnest) started the ball rolling with his vitriolic response to the coverage. Subsequently he has put together a petition of as many of the UK’s Science fiction authors as possible. Naturally the BBC is defending itself over the programme and subsequent discussion. There’s a good Guardian piece here with a bit more background.

So what do I think?

I reckon that Stephen Hunt is right to criticise the BBC. At present they are coming across as having a somewhat elitist view of what constitutes a good read without, it appears, having done any research. Hunt’s observation that the BBC was limited in outlook certainly stands. If there had been any evidence of joined-up thinking someone would have pointed out to the editors of The Books We Really Read and subsequent discussion programme that the BBC has a big SciFi output. Dr Who or Torchwood anyone?

In that case What Do People Really, Really Read?

I compile the Most Read list for FridayReads every week and there are always a few surprises but what always delights and amazes me is the sheer variety of books that people read. Only a small part of it fits in to that odd category of Literary Fiction. In fact I’d go so far as to say that Literary Fiction is the exception rather than the rule when readers make their choice.

Here is the most read list from FridayReads on 8th April 2011. I’ve added the Genre classifications, you can tell me if you disagree.

The top three are heavily promoted but do include real reading data so I’ve left them there for this list. If you have never joined in FridayReads before then you also need to know that the list changes every week. This is real reading data and is not based on sales data (eg Amazon).

The data is gathered from participants World Wide! It’s a global thing (thanks to @ibc4 for the prompt).

Recently it was World Book Day in the UK, celebrating the value of reading and promoting reading to children and their families. Great stuff. However the one thing that brought me up short was this excerpt from the letter to parents.

Children can come to school dressed as a book character from a children,s
book or from a traditional tale. We are asking that children stick to these two
categories rather than including comic heroes or film/cartoon characters. We
are aiming to use the day to promote reading good children’s books as much
as possible.

My italics!

So just what is wrong with comics? I can’t think of anything so I’ll state a few things that occur to me.

The comic form teaches narrative. There is an order to the frames and the frames contain speech bubbles and action. Sometimes the story is conveyed without any speech bubbles at all. We learn, visually, that there are many ways to tell a story. The Beano is so brilliant for this as there are so many different kinds of story there, especially when they run ‘Billy the Cat’ which is for the older kids.

Stereotypes and Archetypes appear throughout cartoons and early on introduce children to them in a visual manner. Whether you are looking at Spiderman and Superman comics or the Beano these characters are there. Super hero or super ordinary there is a metaphor for behaviour in there to learn from and discuss.

Exploration of Mores and Morals. The Green Goblin fought Spiderman, The Fantastic Four fought Doctor Doom, Superman took on Lex Luthor and Roger the Dodger continually tests the patience of those around him. Each time hero meets villain or naughty schoolboy tests his parents we see the characters exploring the outcome. Think bubbles are so good at helping us explore motivations, after all we can’t always be sure what the other person is thinking. Life isn’t like an episode of The Mentalist so the visual metaphors in comic books help us learn our way round relationships and means of communication.

The Comic Strip is one of the greatest storytelling forms ever created and has been around since before the written word. The stories told on the cave walls at Lascaux in southwestern France tell us the stories of Paleolithic hunters and their dreams and escapades.

I realise this is a rather boy-centric view from the titles I’ve mentioned but I’d be interested in knowing what you think of comics and their place in the literary pantheon. There’s probably a thesis in here somewhere…

I’ll be doing my best to get down there and join in the buzz.

Follow on Twitter: @StokeyLitFest

Event Homepage: Stoke Newington Literary Festival

Facebook: StokeyLitFest

The novel was written in 1951, only a few years after the end of the Second World War and before the end of the period of austerity imposed during the war. In this context some of the themes of the novel become clearer: The idea of the destruction of humanity, by weapons or a terrible accident; Dealing with shortages of food and other related themes.

The production values don’t match up to the amount spent on today’s drama but the story telling is very faithful to the original story. Quite a relief when you see how badly some movies get chopped about in the name of entertainment. Overall it is rather a bleak story and the fact that it is possible to have produced it without fabricating a happy ending is a good thing.

I thoroughly recommend the book and if you feel inspired then watch the drama unfold 1981 style.

Day of the Triffids – SeeSaw

Buy from Amazon UK

Buy from Amazon.com

The obvious reason is that the accountants and politicians in their wisdom have decided that the cost of staffing libraries and maintaining the buildings does not produce a sufficient ‘return’. 

The world is going through an economic slump at present and it seems short sighted to reduce the level of education of the population. Libraries are a social centre where people go to explore new knowledge and deepen their existing understanding of subjects.

The issue of saving libraries is about far more than buildings full of books, it is affects society as a whole. Losing a single library devalues a community, to lose them more widely affects a whole nation.

FridayReads - Modern Love Anthology

As a special treat for all you dedicated FridayReads people we are being treated to a FridayReads Modern Love Anthology for Book Lovers created for us by Margaret Brown (@shelfmagazine) of Shelf Unbound Magazine. She and her designer have been working like crazy to get this ready in time for this week’s #FridayReads. There is a foreword from Bethanne Patrick (@thebookmaven) ceator of #FridayReads.

Inside you will be treated to some great examples of modern writing. Take a look now and then Share the FridayReads Love with your friends and family.

The guys at Zinio (@zinio) have been working with Margaret to produce an online, shareable version of the anthology.

Here are the Zinio links:

View the FridayReads Modern Love Anthology Online at Zinio.com or you can download the Offline version from Zinio too. If you’re a iPad owner/user (lucky you) there is a Zinio app you can use to read stuff from their website: zinio.com/ipad

A very special thanks go to Jason Desmarais at Zinio who went the extra mile and made this work for us and you too!

You can download a PDF of the anthology from this link if you wish: FridayReads-Modern_Love.pdf (You will need a PDF viewer to see it)

Happy Reading and do, please, share your #FridayReads on Twitter or Facebook. Do tell your friends and followers and get them involved too!

Do let us know what you think!

Keep track of what’s going on here: FridayReads on Twitter and find out more on the FridayReads blogspot homepage and if you are on Facebook you can go to our FridayReads page there.

Last but not least you can add a Twibbon badge to your Twitter picture at Twibbon.com.

These are only a few reasons why I enjoy participating in the #FridayReads. Blog your own and let me know so we can make this thing bigger!

Ian

@bookmeme

Taking part in FridayReads is, in part, an acknowledgement of the fact that reading is such an important part of life and has been recognised as such for some considerable time. However, it is not only essential but it is often fun and that is a huge part of FridayReads too.

Where does it happen?
You can find FridayReads on Twitter, just got to Twitter search and search for #FridayReads. You will need a Twitter account to join in. If you don’t want or have a Twitter account but are on Facebook you can go the the FridayReads Page and join in there.

What’s my incentive?
You need an incentive?  Well, if you really need it then you should know that taking part in FridayReads makes you eligible for some amazing, book related, prizes and giveaways. This can include signed copies of books and it has been known for people to win chocolate, which is often vital when reading Romance novels.

What counts?
Anything that you read but most people submit the books they are reading. Your children’s bedtime stories count too and it is great to see children’s titles appearing on the list. There are always classics on the list and the range of titles and genres is enormous. Magazines, manuscripts, ebooks. In fact anything that is written down. If you’re listening then yo can use the #FridayListens tag on Twitter instead. The Book at Bedtime slot on BBC Radio4  would count for this for example.

You can keep up to date with #FridayReads on Twitter or Facebook by asking us questions and generally joining in the fun. Look forward to seeing you there and maybe congratulating you in winning a prize!

Two facts for the price of one:
Dick Whittington was a real person, he lived from 1354-1423 and was a rich merchant and politician.

In his will Whittington set aside money for the creation of a library.  Another fine example of seeing the value of the collected knowledge that is accessible through reading. I only mention this because at the time of writing there is huge pressure to close or reduce funding to libraries in both the UK and US.

The Whittington Charity still exists today. Nearly 600 years after his death.

OK, it was three facts.

FridayReads was created by Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven

Looking around the tube train carriage on the way to and from work I often see about half of the passengers reading something. Magazines, books, documents and so on. It’s like a vast travelling library.

FridayReads is another great way to get an insight into what everybody is reading at the moment. Not just those near to you but from all over the world. I think that makes it a very cool thing to be involved in.

Here are just a few reasons for the coolness:

• The list of books is gathered globally. As soon as Friday starts in Australia and New Zealand. Tonga is one of the closest places to the International Date Line – See Tonga Time
• Anyone can join in. It doesn’t matter what you are reading, or listening to in the case of #FridayListens.
• Sharing what we are reading provides great real time feedback for authors and publishers.
• We’re not looking at sales of books we are seeing the actual books that people are reading. This is different to the live best sellers lists you see on Amazon or other book sites.
• You get to meet many people who love reading and literature as much as you do. I’ve met many lovely people on Twitter and look forward to meeting many more. You don’t have to be enjoying what you are reading to join in!
• Many people participate for the fun of #FridayReads and many join in because there are regular giveaways. Some are the official, organised by Bethanne Patrick (@thebookmaven) and there are many others from publishers, publicists and authors chipping in and offering free eBooks.

FridayReads participation is huge. There are over 5000 people take place each week and over time our participation is – easily – over 25,000 people (I promise to work that figure out one day). You can join in on Facebook or Twitter by using the #FridayReads hashtag. Avid audio book fans can use the #FridayListens hashtag.

The official FridayReads website is now live (17th June 2011) Check it out at fridayreads.com and it is maintained by @erinfaye

The #FridayReads phenomenon was started by Bethanne Patrick (@thebookmaven) as a fun way of celebrating reading. It’s a great way to find out what books other people are in to and possibly choose books for you to add to your reading list.

Anyone with a Twitter account can join in but it has been known for some people to tweet what their mum or gran is reading. It’s all about enjoying, and celebrating, reading.

If you’re logged in to Twitter just use the form below and add the title of your current book (a new window/tab will open so you can finish reading this article)

The #FridayReads data is maintained by @thebookmaven on The Book Studio website. Prizes are awarded when targets are reached.

If you have a smartphone then here are some instructions in QR code form. Just point your barcode reader at the image and read the text, it’s a bit of fun really

QR Code instructions for #FridayReads

Some notable supporters of #FridayReads include @erinfaye and @shelfmagazine but there are many others including @Joe_Hill who picked up the meme and told lots of people about it.

@erinfaye has also produced a brilliant #fridayreads FAQ that you can take a look at. This now features top lists of the books that appear in FridayReads. Compiled by me.

Join us this Friday and every Friday, we look forward to seeing your name listed and whatever you are reading.

My eldest son is a great fan of Anthony Horowitz and is building up a collection, currently working his way through the Alex Rider stories. There weren’t that many tickets left when I booked but I got one for my son and we invited his friend Ollie along too.

Treats were in store. Emma Forbes was the interviewer on this occasion and  we were treated to a great interview. Subjects ranged from Anthony Horowitz’s early life to his latest book. There were lots of laughs and at the end the audience got to ask questions.

Some of the things we learned…

• Many of the characters in the books are taken from Anthony Horowitz’s life.
• Anyone who has upset Mr H will probably meet a sticky end – on paper at least.
• His father was a rather mysterious man who died when Horowitz was 23.
• His mother used to tell him horror stories from the age of about six.
• All the locations in the books are researched by visiting them, with the exception of the Moon.
• He went to Rugby public school.

We were treated to a reading from Scorpio Rising the next in the Alex Rider series. A rather disturbing passage which will make your skin crawl, but no spoilers here.

There was a book signing afterwards and my son swore that he would never again wash the T-shirt he was wearing because he’d rubbed shoulders with Anthony Horowitz when I took their picture.

Thanks again to Walker Books not only for the tip but for having published approximately half the books my children read!

I’ll be on the look out for more author events like this one.

Here’s my list, very incomplete but you have to start somewhere! If you’re not on there it doesn’t mean I don’t read you…

• Jenny Colgan @jennycolgan Very funny lady!
• Sarah’s Book Reviews @sarahsreviews Loads of excellent book reviews. Cute kitten pic too.
• Rebecca @bookladysblog 2010 is the Year of Reading Deliberately, check it out.
• Amelia Gregory @AmeliaGregory Every time I go back here there’s something new and interesting.
• L J Sellers @ljsellers Interesting items to read about writing.
• Karena Sedgwick @karenasedgwick Excellent fashion site, blog, style guru place on the web.
• Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven Bethanne does quite a few other book related activities as well as her blog.

More updates when I have a sec. Add yourself or sites you like in the comments if you want me to check them out which I’ll gladly do.

Ian

Stoke Newington Literary Festival 2010

The First Stoke Newington Literary Festival begins on Friday 4th June and promises to be a really high powered event. It’s very exciting to live in an area where events like this happen.

Stoke Newington has a long history of links to famous writers. Daniel Defoe is remembered with a street to his name just off Stoke Newington Church Street. Other famous writers include Joseph Conrad, Anna Sewell and Edgar Allen Poe. There are many more to add to the list.

The events start on Friday 4th June kicked off at the newly refurbished Assembly Rooms on Church Street by Diane Abbott MP. There is an event packed weekend ahead with plenty of organised events happening.

There will be many well known authors and presenters present and there is plenty of scope to learn more about the craft of writing. There are three workshops set up to help writers, aspiring and experienced, to hone their skills.

If you’re new to Stoke Newington there are plenty of excellent pubs, bistros, cafes and eateries along Church Street. Clissold Park is having lots of work done at the moment to make it even more lovely but there’s usually space to sit under a tree with a book and a coffee and snack from the Spence.

There aren’t any literary events for children this year but it is the first so I hope that they will be catered for next year.

Update via Twitter:

@StokeyLitFest @bookmeme Storytelling with Secret Seed Society on Sat 11-2 at farmers market, then more at Bookshop on Sunday from 2pm.

I’d love to see something like a Readathon in the park or some illustrators doing outdoor classes for children. My son is an avid reader and artist.

The festival has been organised by Liz Vater, Jo Adams of Stoke Newington Books and Anne Beech of Pluto Press.

Many of the events are ticket only so check the official website for details. stokenewingtonliteraryfestival.com

It’s going to be a brilliant event, have a great time and good luck to the organisers and participants. I guess the Spence is going to be busier than ever this weekend!

There were four unidentified books by Diana Chamberlain, Raymond Chandler, John Grisham and Will Self.

Off to a saucy start with The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous by Jilly Cooper.

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Then there was The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski

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The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and Lucia Graves

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Next is The Children’s Book by A.S. Byatt, who has been in the bestseller lists for as long as I can remember. I see that  Blackwell’s bookshop are pushing this as part of a 3 for 2 offer

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An aspiring acress was seen reading Classical Monologues for Women which is one of the Good Audition Guide Series

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On the way home I spotted…

A woman reading Who’s That Girl by Alexandra Potter

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Then there was a copy of Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie being avidly read by another woman.

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Final spot for the day was unidentifiable but the cover was blue with very curly writing in white. It was being read by a woman in her mid-fiftes. The cover was so hard to read that I thought it said Jumping the Moon.

I have not been able to track down anything of that name or description though. Any suggestions gratefully received. Whatever it is will also get my nomination for the worst book cover design ever.

If you know which book has an image of an ‘L’ plate in the middle of the back cover I’d love to know!

Here’s today’s list.

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

I saw this being read by two different people, as popular as ever.

Hornet's Nest by Patricia Cornwell

Hornet’s Nest by Patricia Cornwell

First time I’ve spotted a Patricia Cornwell book on the tube but her crime thrillers are so popular that I expect at least one is being read on any tube train.

Interestingly hornets also turn up in Stieg Larsson’s The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest no surprise though. They are quite nasty!

The Smoke Jumper by Nicholas Evans

The Smoke Jumper by Nicholas Evans

Around Ireland with a Fridge by Tony Hawks

Around Ireland with a Fridge by Tony Hawks

Interesting to see this book being read. It’s been out a while and if I remember correctly the book is based around the ludicrous idea that comedian Tony Hawks would tour Ireland with his fridge for company. It was on the Radio or TV, not sure which.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Ever popular! I’m sure I saw a film poster for this today as well.

The Neighbour by Lisa Gardner

The Neighbour by Lisa Gardner

Air Babylon by Imogen Edwards-Jones

Air Babylon by Imogen Edwards-Jones

If you loved the Hotel Babylon stories you’re sure to love these too. First time I’ve seen this on the tube.

Sexing the Cherry by Jeanette Winterson

Sexing the Cherry by Jeanette Winterson

The return of another modern classic. Not seen this on the tube for a few years but it’s back.

Mucky Moose by Johnathan Allen

This has to be one of my, and my kids, all time favourite books.

Mucky Moose has some serious personal hygiene issues but seems to have a good set of friends in the smelliest part of the swamp. Applause from the skunks has to be one of the coolest things you can get.

It all goes horribly wrong though when the biggest wolf in the forest decides Mucky would make a perfect meal for him. You have to read the book to find out how it goes wrong though.

This is a really funny and charming book and, if you can get it, I’d recommend it. Great, slightly naive art from Johnathan Allen and a lovely story enjoyable for young and older readers.

We love this book!

This is a really short counting book but it is so fun and quirky that we love it.

A lonely hippo decides to call a couple of friends and invite them over for a little party. Very quickly the whole thing snowballs into a great big out of control hippo party.

Really nice images with friendly looking hippos and lots to look at. Sandra Boynton has crammed a lot of personality and humour into a few pages.

Recurring authors at the moment are definitely Stieg Larsson and Stephenie Meyer.

Blink by Malcom Gladwell

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

Scandalous by Tilly Bagshawe

Royal Flash by George MacDonald Fraser

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

]]> http://bookmeme.net/blog/2010/03/05/underground-books-4th-march-2010/feed/ 0 http://bookmeme.net/blog/2010/03/03/world-book-day-4th-march-2010/ http://bookmeme.net/blog/2010/03/03/world-book-day-4th-march-2010/#comments Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:47:00 +0000 Ian Lewis http://bookmeme.net/2010/03/03/world-book-day-4th-march-2010/ [...]]]>
March 4th is World Book Day a chance to celebrate literature in all its forms. Whether you’re a fan of poetry, autobiography, fiction or spy novels it’s a chance to think about what books mean to you and future generations.


World Book Day has been a regular celebration in the UK and Ireland for some years now and it is of particular importance to schools. Children all over the UK will be going to school dressed as their favourite characters. It could be The Enormous Crocodile, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Alex Rider, Stig of the Dump or any of a cast of thousands.


The website is at http://www.worldbookday.com/


Some very special events are taking place including a One Day Only showing of the paintings for Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings at the Bodleian Library in Oxford. Here is the Culture24 link.

Have a brilliant day!

An interesting range of books being read as well. Not all of them are from the Top 20.

The Eyes of Darkness by Dean Koontz This sounds like a real horror story. A voyage of discovery in search a a dead child – who may not be dead.

No Logo by Naomi Klein Ever felt bullied by the brands? This is the antidote and Ms Klein points out that the only reason the brands have been successful is because of us, the consumers. These days it’s certainly worth considering where our goods come from and how the people who make them are treated.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini The story of two Afghan women thrown together by circumstance. This book has some real rave reviews and is said by some to be better than The Kite Runner. A gripping story by all accounts.

This Other Eden by Ben Elton The end of the world is nigh… and there’s a film to be made which is what Nathan is going to do whatever any one else thinks.

]]> http://bookmeme.net/blog/2010/03/02/underground-books-2nd-march-2010/feed/ 0 http://bookmeme.net/blog/2010/03/02/underground-books-1st-mar-2010/ http://bookmeme.net/blog/2010/03/02/underground-books-1st-mar-2010/#comments Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:16:00 +0000 Ian Lewis http://bookmeme.net/2010/03/02/underground-books-1st-mar-2010/ [...]]]> Brilliant day today. There were loads of people reading today so here are the results…

In an Antique Land by Amitav Ghosh I hadn’t heard of this author until today and having checked his page out on Wikipedia I think I’ll be catching up on my reading. Ghosh has written about 7 or 8 books and is a distinguished professor.

Affinity by Sarah Waters

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters Clearly a good day for this popular author. Both of the Sarah Waters’ books I saw were being read by women.

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh Classic Waugh story about the loss of innocence.  This was adapted for the small screen in 1981 and starred Jeremy Irons. There is also a film which came out in 2008.

Requiem by Robyn Young This is part three of the Brethren Trilogy which is a set of fantasy novels written by the Oxford born author. You can find her website at www.robynyoung.com

When I Lived in Modern Times by Linda Grant You can check out her website at lindagrant.co.uk

Matter by Iain Banks More from the master…

]]> http://bookmeme.net/blog/2010/03/02/underground-books-1st-mar-2010/feed/ 0 http://bookmeme.net/blog/2010/02/28/fahrenheit-451-by-ray-bradbury/ http://bookmeme.net/blog/2010/02/28/fahrenheit-451-by-ray-bradbury/#comments Sun, 28 Feb 2010 20:55:00 +0000 Ian Lewis http://bookmeme.net/2010/02/28/fahrenheit-451-by-ray-bradbury/ [...]]]> One of the books I read in my formative years. It contains a real message about extremism and the ability of people to resist whilst working within a system. Themes of rebellion and addiction are explored too.

If is predictive sci-fi you are after then this book contains the first mention I have seen of wall size television screens. Something that is entirely possible today and we are moving towards the totally immersive experience as well. Avatar 3d and similar films are showing the way visually and the tactile technology isn’t far behind.

If you haven’t read this book then you should. It is a really good commentary on the state of society. Places exist that are still like this book, they shouldn’t but they do.

The Inner Game of Golf by W. Timothy Gallwey

The Way Home by George Pelecanos

]]> http://bookmeme.net/blog/2010/02/26/underground-books-26th-feb-2010/feed/ 0 http://bookmeme.net/blog/2010/02/26/underground-books-25th-feb-2010/ http://bookmeme.net/blog/2010/02/26/underground-books-25th-feb-2010/#comments Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:32:00 +0000 Ian Lewis http://bookmeme.net/2010/02/26/underground-books-25th-feb-2010/ [...]]]> It’s Thursday so lets see what is being read.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F Scott Fitzgerald Classic F. Scott Fitzgerald and was made for film a couple of years ago.

Mercy by Jodi Picoult Another very popular book by a well loved author.

The Awakened Mage by Karen Miller The subtitle of this is Kingmaker, Kingbreaker. I haven’t come across this fantasy series before but the woman who was reading it on the underground was clearly absorbed in the story.

One Day by David Nicholls According the the reviews on Amazon this is an easy read, which helps if you’re usually put off by books with over 400 pages. The story concerns the lives of Emma and Dexter and we follow them through from  1988 at the end of their student careers. I think I’ll be adding this one to my collection soon.

]]> http://bookmeme.net/blog/2010/02/26/underground-books-25th-feb-2010/feed/ 0 http://bookmeme.net/blog/2010/02/25/slaughterhouse-5-by-kurt-vonnegut/ http://bookmeme.net/blog/2010/02/25/slaughterhouse-5-by-kurt-vonnegut/#comments Thu, 25 Feb 2010 22:02:00 +0000 Ian Lewis http://bookmeme.net/2010/02/25/slaughterhouse-5-by-kurt-vonnegut/ [...]]]>

Billy Pilgrim is the time travelling protagonist who flits between Germany of the 1940′s and the world of Tralfamadore. Dresden was bombed flat with incendiary bombs during the war and it is this horrific experience that breaks Billy’s world into pieces.

This books is mentioned at the beginning of Footloose by Ren McCormack (played by Kevin Bacon), he calls it a classic. The uptight adults disagree.

Ren was right. They were wrong.

So it goes! ]]> http://bookmeme.net/blog/2010/02/25/slaughterhouse-5-by-kurt-vonnegut/feed/ 0 http://bookmeme.net/blog/2010/02/23/underground-books-23rd-feb-2010/ http://bookmeme.net/blog/2010/02/23/underground-books-23rd-feb-2010/#comments Tue, 23 Feb 2010 08:48:00 +0000 Ian Lewis http://bookmeme.net/2010/02/23/underground-books-23rd-feb-2010/ [...]]]> Day two of my commuter survey…

Clearly I have an awful lot of reading to catch up on!

Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani This is the first in a trilogy of stories about the Roncalli and Angelini families who live between Manhattan and Italy. It’s a romantic story with plenty of twists and turns. This might not be my kind of novel but I think it must have a mass appeal. I’m sure I’ll see plenty more people reading this in the months to come.

Freakonomics by Steven D Levitt & Stephen J Dubner This is a fascinating book as it takes a look at life from a different angle. It gives an understandable way of ‘getting’ statistics and probabilities and is a very engaging book. Well worth a read.

The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum Jason Bourne is famous for being played by Matt Damon in the movies. However this is where the ideas for the films came from and is a compelling read. There is more detail in the book and the storyline is very different but this isn’t so bad, there are no time limits with a book as with a film. Settle down, strap in and prepare for a gripping roller coaster ride.

A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown This is on the New York Times  best seller list.

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

]]> http://bookmeme.net/blog/2010/02/23/underground-books-23rd-feb-2010/feed/ 0 http://bookmeme.net/blog/2010/02/22/the-potter-pensieve-trivial-delights-from-the-world-of-harry-potter/ http://bookmeme.net/blog/2010/02/22/the-potter-pensieve-trivial-delights-from-the-world-of-harry-potter/#comments Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:13:00 +0000 Ian Lewis http://bookmeme.net/2010/02/22/the-potter-pensieve-trivial-delights-from-the-world-of-harry-potter/ [...]]]> This is a very handy book if you want (nearly) all of the Harry Potter facts together. There are useful lists of characters and locations along with facts about the author.

Karen Farrington is an American journalist who is obviously a Potter fan and she has taken a lot of care with her co-writer to produce an interesting book. It’s more of a dip-in and read a snippet or two kind of book than anything more serious. The style is journalistic but that makes it a very readable book.

Most of the facts are correct but the speed of light is an awful lot faster than the one given in the magic/science section. There is also the little fact missed out about the name of the Pensieve as ‘pen’ in Cornish means ‘head’ so the name is apt on many levels.

I really enjoyed this though and was given it as a gift by my youngest son who knows what an ardent fan I am. An ideal gift for a Harry Potter fan.

Quantum by Manjit Kumar I haven’t read this book yet but it does look very interesting as it is subtitled Einstein, Bohr and the Great Debate About the Nature of Reality.  The philosophical discussion about physics and reality is as lively as ever and shows no signs of going away. I’ll definitely be adding this book to my collection.

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer A friend of mine who works in the book trade told me nearly two years ago that Stephenie Meyer’s series was going to be a BIG hit. She wasn’t wrong. If you like vampires then these are the books for you and I doubt you’ll be disappointed. Already available in film form this has to be one of the quickest franchises for a while. Remember Buffy the Vampire Slayer?  Here is a nice comparison of Buffy vs Twilight.

The Chrysalids by John Wyndham This was one of my first science fiction books. I really enjoyed the story and the impact of it stays with me to this day. It is a story about being different. Being on the outside. I think there are many resonances even today as there are still many people excluded from the main run of society. It is written from a child’s point of view, like a number of Wyndhams’s books and is a really good story.

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer That makes two Twilight saga books in one tube train carriage. So there is no doubt about the popularity of the series. This one is all about Bella’s dilemma… do you want a Werewolf (Jacob Black ) for a boyfriend or a Vampire (Edward Cullen) ?

]]> http://bookmeme.net/blog/2010/02/22/books-on-the-london-underground-22nd-feb-2010/feed/ 0 http://bookmeme.net/blog/2010/02/18/harry-potter-and-the-goblet-of-fire/ http://bookmeme.net/blog/2010/02/18/harry-potter-and-the-goblet-of-fire/#comments Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:02:00 +0000 Ian Lewis http://bookmeme.net/2010/02/18/harry-potter-and-the-goblet-of-fire/ [...]]]> Novel number four. This book is appreciably longer than the other three and spends more time on descriptions of the surroundings of Hogwarts school. The story centres around the TriWizard tournament and we discover that an under age Harry is entered for this perilous event.

As enjoyable as the previous two novels but we really feel for some of the other characters. Some marvellous scenes again and you have to consider whether you could hold a Hippogriff’s gaze long enough to gain its respect.

You normally associate growing pains with getting a bit older and there are some particularly venomous ones in store for Harry here. He has plenty of support from his friends and we see their friendship deepening.

There are yet more wonderful ideas here and the story picks up nicely from the first book.

The magic begins straight away and the story is immediately charming. The reading level is young teenage and you will find as you progress through the books that the reading age increases.

I enjoyed this book and so did my eldest son. I think he really got the magical theme and the horror at the end of this book is mostly psychological. There are some really clever ideas in here too as Harry must face some fiendish tests to win the day.

Stories range from research into scaring children, dosing elephants with powerful hallucinogens and head transplants.

Great read and a great present.

If you want to produce a classic French meal from start to finish then this is your book. Cassoulet followed by Tarte tatin anyone…

Other choices
Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Essentially the plot of the three films is taken from this book. I reckon a quick flick through was done, a few notes made and the film scripts written. Good though they are the books have more depth and an awful lot of plot and excitement.

Robert Ludlum’s novels tend to fall into a similar routine of exposition followed by action and The Bourne Identity is no exception. That said this is a very good story and I really enjoyed it. In fact I enjoyed it more than the films because we actually discover that Jason Bourne actually has friends and find a true companion in Marie.

Exciting, fast paced, gripping and a good read.

It is an insightful book and as long as you are prepared to do a bit of thinking it can be very useful. There are many instances when I have read something and then on considering it have found sage advice.

The edition I have is ably translated by Thomas Cleary.

I was given this book when I was 21 by an older, much older, girlfriend. I think she understood what was going on in my head and my trousers.

A definite good funny read for any horny young men out there. It really helps get things in perspective.

This is a great popular science book with loads of insights into everyday life through a scientific/maths based standpoint.

There are chapters on betting odds, chance, buses, statistics and a whole load of other boring sounding subjects. But in this book they are not dull at all and there is lots to learn while having an entertaining read.

Probably a good book for people who have a strong interest in science and maths. One to dip into now and again.

There is a series of books and so far I have the first two,
]]> http://bookmeme.net/blog/2010/02/17/why-do-buses-come-in-threes-by-r-eastway-j-wyndham/feed/ 0 http://bookmeme.net/blog/2010/02/17/shibumi-by-trevanian/ http://bookmeme.net/blog/2010/02/17/shibumi-by-trevanian/#comments Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:14:00 +0000 Ian Lewis http://bookmeme.net/2010/02/17/shibumi-by-trevanian/ [...]]]> Trevanian was the pseudonym of Dr Rodney William Whitaker who worked in the communications sector having obtained a string of academic qualifications. He wrote under various names and was a published playwright as well as writer. In a lot of his fiction there is a subtle, or sometimes less hidden, message about the ‘masses’ and those who watch over them. Beware the subtexts!

The story concerns retired assassin Nicolai Hel who is reluctantly drawn into a war between terrorists and the US government. During the story we discover his background and motivations as well as the love of caving. The story reaches a bloody climax but not before we have been treated to some specialised assassination techniques and a few sexual tricks too.

Excellent story and definitely should be a film! A good one with a decent director that is.

The relationship between Bond and his controller ‘M’ is very different to the one we are so used to seeing in the films as we get a sense of a more paternalistic relationship. We encounter a Bond who rationalises more than we ever see in the movies. As a result I’m now more sympathetic the character Timothy Dalton played in his time as James Bond.

Well worth reading as you get a real insight into the character and motivation of James Bond as well as an exciting story with some action and romance tied in there.

Interesting and informative with plenty of lovely ideas for meals.

I’ve used some of the ideas here in my own bread making and had some very tasty results. We are so used to the white sliced bread culture cultivated by the supermarkets that we forget what a wonderful thing bread is.

Dan Lepard appreciates the variety and meaning of bread as he explores the recipes of European bakers. You should have this on in your collection.

The book is neatly divided into sections and the photography is excellent. You could almost eat from the page. Grilled Chicken with Thyme leaves and Garlic butter has to be one of my favourite recipes in the collection.

This isn’t really a book for vegetarians but if you are a committed omnivore then you’ll find plenty to please you here.

There’s more to it than just recipes.