My Bonus

Simon;

well done Gerry Johnson. I got one too. Not as much as Gezza's, but then again I was only at W for 4 months in the last financial year, so it ain't that surprising. I'm going to spend mine on next month's council tax, a plumber, and a might stick a bit in the bank. If you've got any spare Gerry, there's a 'donate' button a bit further down on this blog ( I promise i'll let everyone know if you stick a few quid in). Thanks in advance.

The new Murakami came in today. It's called 'What I Talk About When I Talk About Running,. It's so preeeety and I can't beleive Haruki isn't coming over to the shop to sign it. He knows we all want him to the lazy so and so. Here's a wonderful passage from the book, and here's the wonderful UK cover.


naaah, I'm only joshin wiv ya, here it is....


Also, here's the new Chuck Palaneeeoook. It's called Snuff, and it's another gorgeous piece of filth, from the master. It's beautifully packaged, and only £12.99.


we also got the new McSweeney's today. Now here's a beautiful thing. The production value of it is spectacular. It's slipcased with 3 inserts. One booklet with sketches from Art Spiegelman (maus), another booklet with cartoons from David Shrigley, and the main booklet has contributions from Stephen King, Jim Shepard, Jeffrey Brown and many others. Twenty quid and it's yours.
Not a great picture of the book, but these 3 books alone suggest that anyone who simply thinks that books can be translated electronically onto rubbish like this or this (this is an 'espresso book machine!!), are wrong.

Books are beautiful and tactile and special and not to be messed with. Call me a luddite, but the joy you get from sitting in a park/bus/beach with a book, being able to enter your own world of magic, turning over the corner of a page, breaking the spine, flicking the pages is unique. The feel of the paper, the way you hold a book, the joy of finding something on the shelves, reading the back of the book, taking a punt on a new author, finding something unexpected, judging a book by it's cover.

There are a million reasons why books are books and will always be books. I suspect that reference/cookery etc may be something that an e-book may be useful for, but a bookshop is like an aladins cave (if it's any good), and imagine how miserable it would be if the book ceased to be?

I go bed now. I tired. I sleep.