We’ve three alcoves in our house that are rammed full of books.
Two which house the humdrum, run-of-the-mill novels that are apparently very good for adults to read. Apart from a few choice authors, I can’t say I pay that much attention to them.
This is the only bookcase that counts in our house.
The one with the good stuff in it.
The one where the kids and YA novels live.
It used to be bigger, until our third child was born, then I lost a shelf to jigsaws and games. A sad day it was, as I chopped out books that in reality I wanted to keep.
It’s still a collection I’m proud of, a mass of dog-eared proofs from my time working for Ottakar’s Bookstores, first editions that I had signed, and a number of titles that I’ve been lucky enough to work on whilst at Random House and Simon and Schuster.
I thought I’d show you the first books that appear, the “A’s”, as that’s where Mr Almond lives. Without ‘Skellig’ I would never have started writing for young adults. I re-read it frequently, just to remind myself how good it is.
I’m lucky enough to have a signed first edition as well. A treasured possession.
Further along the top shelf are Kevin Brooks’ books, another reason I write for teens. When I first read ‘Martyn Pig’ it was a revelation. I couldn’t believe the risks he took as a writer. It’s a bravery I try really hard to capture in my books, but I have a long way to go to match the great man…
The award for the most battered and loved book on my shelves is definitely ‘You Don’t Know Me’ by David Klass. One of the best first person YA narratives I’ve ever read. I was lucky enough to meet him when I was a bookseller. A lovely lovely guy, who scribbled this in my proof…
One of the things I’m proudest of in terms of work, was being a small part of the David Fickling Books team. David is an incredible editor, with a hit rate unmatched by anyone else in publishing. To be allowed to read ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’, ‘Before I Die’ and ‘Solace of the Road’ by Siobhan Dowd, before they were released was a huge honour. David also produces gorgeous proofs, and I’ve squirreled them away on the shelves.
It’s impossible to say which is my favourite book on the shelves. It changes with every passing day, but if I had to save one book from a fire, I think it would be my HB copy of ‘The Book Thief’ by Markus Zusak.
I absolutely love that book and to work on it was a ridiculous pleasure.
We were lucky enough to meet him when he came over, and I can’t help looking at the signed title page without a huge stupid grin on my face
Hope this has been interesting, cheers for bearing with me…
Two which house the humdrum, run-of-the-mill novels that are apparently very good for adults to read. Apart from a few choice authors, I can’t say I pay that much attention to them.
This is the only bookcase that counts in our house.
The one with the good stuff in it.
The one where the kids and YA novels live.
It used to be bigger, until our third child was born, then I lost a shelf to jigsaws and games. A sad day it was, as I chopped out books that in reality I wanted to keep.
It’s still a collection I’m proud of, a mass of dog-eared proofs from my time working for Ottakar’s Bookstores, first editions that I had signed, and a number of titles that I’ve been lucky enough to work on whilst at Random House and Simon and Schuster.
I thought I’d show you the first books that appear, the “A’s”, as that’s where Mr Almond lives. Without ‘Skellig’ I would never have started writing for young adults. I re-read it frequently, just to remind myself how good it is.
I’m lucky enough to have a signed first edition as well. A treasured possession.
Further along the top shelf are Kevin Brooks’ books, another reason I write for teens. When I first read ‘Martyn Pig’ it was a revelation. I couldn’t believe the risks he took as a writer. It’s a bravery I try really hard to capture in my books, but I have a long way to go to match the great man…
The award for the most battered and loved book on my shelves is definitely ‘You Don’t Know Me’ by David Klass. One of the best first person YA narratives I’ve ever read. I was lucky enough to meet him when I was a bookseller. A lovely lovely guy, who scribbled this in my proof…
One of the things I’m proudest of in terms of work, was being a small part of the David Fickling Books team. David is an incredible editor, with a hit rate unmatched by anyone else in publishing. To be allowed to read ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’, ‘Before I Die’ and ‘Solace of the Road’ by Siobhan Dowd, before they were released was a huge honour. David also produces gorgeous proofs, and I’ve squirreled them away on the shelves.
It’s impossible to say which is my favourite book on the shelves. It changes with every passing day, but if I had to save one book from a fire, I think it would be my HB copy of ‘The Book Thief’ by Markus Zusak.
I absolutely love that book and to work on it was a ridiculous pleasure.
We were lucky enough to meet him when he came over, and I can’t help looking at the signed title page without a huge stupid grin on my face
Hope this has been interesting, cheers for bearing with me…
Comments
Fab
Am now hugely jealous of the signed The Book Thief!