I was reading about the music industry at the weekend and how there is a surge in purchases of good old fashioned records.  Some labels are only releasing new stuff on vinyl.  I like that.  It feels authentic.  And so does my refusal to be sucked in by the endless quicksand that is social media.  Sure, I still do all of the above but not when I am supposed to be writing. 

I am one of those writers who becomes wholly absorbed in their work.  Hell, I don’t even play the radio when I’m writing.  I need peace.  Silence. Endless acres of imaginative potential.  I see writers Twittering away all the time and wonder how they do it.  Do I envy them?  No.  I prefer to give everything I have to the work at hand.  For me, social media drains my work of vital energy.  So I might at times feel like a party-pooper but frankly I prefer writing in joined up sentences to producing endless 140 character soundbites.

While you’re there, check out her new book: The Ice Cream Girls.  As thought-provoking, warm and insightful as her other books, this is sure to be a huge hit.  Here’s what the blurb has to say:

As teenagers Poppy Carlisle and Serena Gorringe were the only witnesses to a tragic event. Amid heated public debate, the two seemingly glamorous teens were dubbed ‘The Ice Cream Girls’ by the press and were dealt with by the courts.

Years later, having led very different lives, Poppy is keen to set the record straight about what really happened, while married mother-of-two Serena wants no one in her present to find out about her past. But some secrets will not stay buried – and if theirs is revealed, everything will become a living hell all over again . . .

Gripping, thought-provoking and heart-warming, The Ice Cream Girls will make you wonder if you can ever truly know the people you love

The Optimist’s Creed

by Christian Larson

Promise Yourself …

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness, and proseprity to every person
you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something
worthwhile in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism
come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to
expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you
are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater
achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile
to every living creature you meet.

To give so much time to improving yourself that you have no
time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong
for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the
world, not in loud word, but in great deeds.

To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side,
so long as you are true to the best that is in you.

Have an amazing 2010!

There’s a brilliant team at Maidenhead and they not only know about the books on their shelves they clearly care that their customers go away happy.

Here’s a pic of Mark and I comparing remaining stock at around 2.30pm. I’m trying not to look too smug…

Including age guidance on books does a great disservice to the group who should matter most – young readers. Already divided by an industry that decrees girls should read books with pink, sparkly covers while boys manfully cope with rearing beasts, they are now segregated into age groups which are meaningless.

As any educationalist will tell you, biological age has little to do with reading age. My 8 year old daughter reads four to five years above her age and adores those beasty books meant for boys. Surely this is about knowing the individual child and feeding their reading needs accordingly?

And to help those confused adults buying books as Christmas presents, nothing can replace a well-informed bookseller. There are any number of them to be found up and down the country running independent bookstores, sharing their wealth of knowledge with customers and providing the type of service supermarkets and faceless chains simply cannot match…

I know there are authors out there who hate the very idea of meeting their readers. Solitary creatures by nature, they would rather impale themselves upon their pens than have to deal with the public. Me – I love it. But that’s because I come from an acting background and positively thrive on interaction. OK, I admit it. I’m a sucker for applause.

Some of the most genuine comes from the kids I encounter when out and about. After all, if kids hate you, you soon know about it. They tend to give you that dead-eyed stare. My most recent event bears that out – I had the pleasure for the second year running of attending the Kids Lit Quiz London heat at Broxbourne School. The appreciation we received from young readers was brilliant. (And hello Herts & Essex High – it was lovely meeting you). You can read more about it here and next week I’ll be at the national final in Oxford.

At a time when the media loves to moan on about kids abandoning books for electronic devices and the internet, I am buoyed up by the breadth of literary knowledge displayed by the participating teams. These are not just a bunch of questions about Harry Potter. The quiz covers everything from obscure Russian folk tales to the nuances of Alex Rider.

Well done to City of London School for Girls 2 for winning and congratulations also to Herts & Essex High 1 and Blackheath High 1 for coming second and third respectively. The KLQ is a testament to the lasting impact of the good, old-fashioned book on yet another generation. While others shake their heads in despair at the encroaching ebook, I believe there is hope for all book lovers yet. A big thumbs up to Wayne Mills, who masterminded and runs the entire worldwide event.

Here’s my latest video – the Biker Goddess stock signing tour to promote Kumari. I spent a day whizzing round the major Central London book stores on the back of a Triumph Bonneville clad only in a sari, a pair of Raybans and a dodgy leather jacket. Move over Isadora Duncan…

The five page special focuses on what it flatteringly describes as the ‘best local writers.’ Not sure how Hanif Kureishi feels about being left out but there you are. In case you missed it, there was another piece a couple of weeks ago about my forthcoming event at the shiny new Shepherd’s Bush Library. You can read that one here.

Here’s me talking about my writing life at the Thoroughly Modern Heroines event which took place at Waterstone’s in Notting Hill – beside me are fellow authors Josa Young http://oneappletasted.com and Kate Morris http://katemorris.co.uk. Click on this entry to see the video and for more check out my Youtube channel AmandaLeesTube…

This is not because of any lack of love of books but rather the result of an intense burst of writing that has seen me publish a trilogy and start two completely new projects in a short space of time.  Compared to the other members of the panel and the audience, however, I classify as a wimp.  In one small area of West London there are eleven known book groups and probably many more beavering away anonymously.  Judging by the discussion that ensued, they are well-read, positively keen to overlook hyped up bestsellers and hungry for excellent writing both classic and new.

The debate bore out the old adage that you should never underestimate your audience.  Publishers sometimes make the mistake of thinking that dumbed down sells.  Maybe in Dan Brown’s case but then he is an exception to every rule.  What was apparent is that people everywhere, from all walks of life, still love and appreciate a good book.  We need more festivals like this to bring together such passionate bibliophiles. 

All praise to Torin Douglas (pictured) for his superb organisation of the event which attracted such luminaries as Michael Frayn, Jacqueline Wilson, Antonia Fraser, Anthony Horowitz, Sir Ian McKellen, Michelle Paver…and me.  All the money raised went to support three worthy charities.

For more about the festival visit:  http://chiswickbookfestival.org

As for that perfect book club book…there isn’t one.  The book club members I met were far too diverse, erudite and interesting to be pinned down to a genre, never mind a single book…