BAMB Day 2016

Today is a very special day indeed – it starts this year’s BAMB celebrations. Thursday 6 October is the day many great books are released, a flurry of books you might say as Christmas is around the corner (yes I’m sorry I said the C word and it’s very early days) but I can’t  imagine this time of year without giving and receiving books as presents. And when BAMB have such lovely banners as this one – showing the lovely people at Cogito Books, in Hexham it’s even more special! #Onlyonthehighstreet

But BAMB is fantastic for  a whole host of reasons and not just  for checking out the latest books. It’s a celebration of bookshops and booksellers everywhere.

And as well as new books ( I’ve had more than 20 to review which are out tomorrow- but I’m spreading them out of course) but there’s been a definite spike in deliveries of books for today. I’ve started to hide from the postman. If he doesn’t have an arm injury I’d be most surprised. Waiting to see him on the next 24 hours in A&E with a book related injury.

So this week heralds these beauties: excitement rules or what?

Ann Cleeves  and Cold Earth 

Cold Earth is the latest in the Shetland series and it starts with a landslide which buries an old and abandoned house. Once cleared, a body is discovered but the body is clearly someone who was living there, and she’s dressed up to the nines. Who is she and what was she doing there?

Jimmy Perez is on the case. As is Ann – she’s popping over to the Booktrail tomorrow for tea and cakes and to chat about Cold Earth and more to celebrate BAMB DAY

Graham Norton

And another book I’m excited about is ‘Holding’  by Graham Norton – a witty and dark tale on provincial living in the small village of Duneen in County Cork. I did wonder what a novel from such a star of TV would be like, but this is not a “comedian’s book” with jokes on every page, but a really dark and witty story that delves into the people of a small and rural Irish community. I see this book doing really well and Graham trying to interview himself on his sofa. No red chair here necessary but I can’t say the same for some of the very funny characters…bless ’em.

Happy BAMB day – #bookshopday !