Category Archives: Reading a novel

May 7, 2012 · 6:24 pm

It’s just a ‘Wet Bank Holiday Monday’ sung to the tune of ‘Pleasant Valley Sunday!’ or making a novel memorable

The Monkees song ‘Pleasant Valley Sunday’ was rolling around my head but more the tune to words ‘It’s just a wet bank holiday Monday!’ At this point I would like to pay a tribute to Davey Jones who died at the relatively young age of 66 years in March this year.

I admit it. I was a member of the Monkees Club when I was very little. That dates me doesn’t it and it prompted me to browse on the internet for the rest of the real lyrics and I was taken aback by the timeless nature of verse two:

‘See Mrs. Gray, she’s proud today
Because her roses are in bloom,
And Mr. Green, he’s so serene,
He’s got a TV in every room.

Another pleasant valley Sunday,
Here in Status Symbol Land,
Mothers complain about how hard life is,
And the kids just don’t understand.
Creature comfort goals, they only numb my soul,
And make it hard for me to see.
Ahhh…thoughts all seem to stray to places far away,
I need a change of scenery.’

If you’d like to read the whole song click on this link:

Lyrics

Wow, what a pertinent message from what I considered to be a frivolous pop band. Isn’t that what a lot of people are striving for today; moving away from ‘Status Symbol Land’ towards something more worthwhile?

The wonderful thing, and sometimes irritating, about a catchy tune is the fact that we cannot get it out of our heads and even more amazing, years later, sometimes we still remember all the words too. Mind you it could be a person, time or place which triggers the memory.

How many novels stand the test of time in the same way? Of course there are the classic we are all introduced to at school but how many others. I could count on two hands those novels which have made such an impact on me that I could call them unforgettable and those are the ones I like to keep and they are not necessarily well known, they just met a particular need at the time. Like songs too, their messages often stand the test of time.

How can we as authors strive to achieve this impossible feat?

  1. Writing the best written novel we can. Goes without saying.
  2. Writing a series perhaps.
  3. Linking a story to a particular setting so that the place stirs memories of the novel and characters for the reader.- ~ a good holiday read maybe
  4. A unique plot line.

What do you think? How are you striving to achieve the impossible?

What can I remember about ‘Pleasant Valley Sunday’?

1. The Monkees sang it.

2. ‘Charcoals burning everywhere’ and

3. ‘no one seems to care’

Not bad I suppose for a song frm the ’60’s’!

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March 19, 2012 · 12:30 pm

Is the Paperback Book nearly Extinct?

Is the paperback a dying breed? In twenty five years time will pristine copies of certain paperbacks be auctioned on the Antiques Road Show and will people be remarking,

‘I took one just like that to the Oxfam shop twenty years ago. I knew I should have kept it!’

I personally don’t think so. What will you take to read to the beach? Or will it be frowned upon by then to relax at the sea side, even with a sunshade? I certainly wouldn’t leave my latest e reader or Kindle hidden under my towel while I have a swim. Would you?

When on holiday, I love to browse in gift shops and book shops for a local flavour, both in fiction and non-fiction. A click of a few buttons on Kindle just doesn’t do anything for me to fill that gap. I know we’ve got at least ten walking books in Cornwall which we always forget to take with us but that’s not the point. What else would fill an inclement afternoon with the same amount of pleasure?

When there’s nothing on TV, and even with all these Freeview channels there’s still little to inspire me at times, and I’ve been staring at a computer screen all day, the last thing I want to do is curl up on the sofa with yet another screen.

I was talking to a fellow lover of real books in Horatio’s on Saturday, who was also devastated that the Ampthill bookshop is closing, and she said she’d always prefer to enjoy the feel and weight of a real book. It’s a pleasure turning the pages in anticipation of more delight or excitement, secure in the knowledge that you’re not even half way through and there’s so much more to enjoy. Then there’s the tension as you are nearing the last few pages. Should you save it for another day and switch off the light or snuggle further down under the covers until the last sentence is read? Will we have a voice a bit like a bored Sat Nav speaker saying in stilted English, ‘YOU NOW HAVE 27% REMAINING.’

I’ve read that there will be fewer paperbooks but, to satisfy our unquenchable thirst for tomes to fill our bookshelves, hardback books will return to popularity and you’ll only keep copies of those really precious reads you’re likely to revisit, or ones which remind you of a particular phase in your life. You see, a bookshelf is a bit like a record collection; it tells another story of your life and gives away some of your secrets.

‘I never in a million years thought you’d read ‘Chick Lit!’

‘Oh, you know how it is.’ I reply red-faced. ‘It’s sometimes good to relax with something light and humorous!’

So, I believe that the paperback book is still worth backing. I’ve decided that my next novel, which I hope to tell you a little more about shortly, will be published in both paperback and as an e book. It is also tempting to read the signs and plan for a limited Christmas edition in hardback too.

Watch this space!

If you would like a direct email about my next novel then please send me your email address by email or contact me via Twitter messages or Facebook.

dianariduna@yahoo.com

Riduna on Twitter

Diana Jackson’s author page on Facebook

Look forward to hearing from you.

All the best

Diana

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March 12, 2012 · 9:11 am

Horatio’s Independent Bookshop, Ampthill, Closing at the End of March

Happy Memories at Horatio's Bookshop

Happy Memories at Horatio's Bookshop

When I heard the news that Horatio’s, Ampthill’s independent bookshop, was closing at the end of March I felt as if a friend had died. I have happy memories of my first ever book signing event when I was made so welcome by the proprietors, friends and strangers alike; a wonderfully protective environment for my initial meeting of the public.

I went in to talk to Rob this Saturday and the place was buzzing with people, a far cry from recent visits when we’d have a long natter about the publishing world, book selling, e books and e commerce. Rob explained that he’d given the place three years to prove that it could be viable, including evenings of book ordering, planning and family discussion of ideas to improve the store; every Saturday and for a while Sunday at the shop on top of a full time job elsewhere. You see it was very much a family venture and I admire each member for their enthusiasm to make the project work.

Is this a sign of the end of the independent bookshop?

Are we, the public to blame?

Do we treasure our local shops and facilities or do we take them for granted?

Is the end of the paperback book in sight as the e revolution grows and grows?

After posing these questions I thought of the significant events of the last three years which have a bearing on the argument.

• We have experienced a recession and yet Waitrose car park is still full to overflowing most Saturdays. How many of those shoppers think of the interesting and varied shops a few minutes from the car park, or do we all too often walk past quickly on our way to the bank machine, chemist or Post Office?

• Kindle has been launched on the world. I still have my gift of a Kindle sitting here unused. We have no Wi Fi you see, and so I cannot use it. Is it 20% of the book market now through e books? That still leaves a large market for the real thing doesn’t it? Would you like an ebook for a birthday present? Would you treasure those ebooks you love in the same way you see the books on your bookshelves – memories of a moment in your history?

• Was the demise of Borders a sign of things to come? I still believe that there is a place in the world for bookshops to browse and choose books with relish, savouring the moments of being surrounded by a world of literacy and information. Nevertheless the internet has certainly revolutionised the way we shop. It is excellent to browse what there is on offer; to make choices in the comfort of your own home. If you’ve read two books in a series and you want to start the next, it is certainly great to click a few buttons and it’s on your doorstep within a day or so, (or instantly as an e book for those of you already switched on) but can you make the same judgement about a book unknown to you or do you rely on reviews?

I would like to say a big thank  you to Rob and all his family for giving up their time for the people Ampthill, Maulden, Flitwick and surrounding villages and for adding such a special place to Amptill over the past few years. A bookshop is not just a business it is a service to the community.

My next blog will be about why I think real books will survive but the message to all of you in towns and villages around the country if you have a local store, bookshops or otherwise:

IF YOU DON’T USE IT YOU’LL LOSE IT!

And I’m ashamed to say that, to our cost, we have!

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