Monday 7 May 2012

Book Doctor

April 23rd. World Book Night. And where else would I be other than the local library - offering my services as The Book Docotor. Bored with your bookshelves? Hacked off with your holiday reading? Then come and talk to me.... I've done this a few times now, and it always starts off the same. People are a little shy, then they notice the home made Madelaines and the bottle of Maderia ( a nice Proustian touch I thought) and then pretty soon there's a queue. First up was a charming woman who just lost her sparkle with reading. "I regularly go to Waterstones, but I look at all the covers on the 3 for 2 tables and I end up buying stuff that I just know I'm not going to like" A common problem madaam, and one I can sympathise with. We had a chat about older books and she went off clutching a prescription for some Angela Thirkell, Sylvia Townsend-Warner and Molly Keane. Next up was an Irish girl who only really enjoyed science-fiction and "nothing with monsters in" Marge Piercy it is then... An elderly woman who wanted something modern. A Visit from The Goon Squad was soon on loan from the library. Two very assured teenage girls who 'rather enjoyed speculative fiction'. Gulp. And loathed Harry Potter AND Twilight were given I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith and the woman who was splitting up from her partner and needed a joyous good read - well - there's was only one choice really - Nancy Mitford. Natch. The queue was now out of the door and I had great fun writing prescriptions for some classics, some moderns and some mates books too.... especially Every Vow you Break by Julia Crouch - now THAT should help the insomnia (evil laugh) Really looking forward to the next time - perhaps by then I will have got myself a white coat.

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