As I've mentioned before, Jasper Fforde is one of my favourite authors. His latest book "One of Our Thursdays is Missing" is a brilliant work of fiction - but contains a rather worrying flaw. Well, I say a "worrying flaw" - I mean an error. All books contain errata - I think that's a given - but outside of academia, Jasper Fforde is the only author I know who offers upgrades to his books. …
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I was reading this article on Armed Services Editions of books distributed during World War 2, when I came across this extraordinary propaganda poster. Original image is from The Boston Public Library on Flickr under CC BY NC. What strikes me is how detailed the poster is. The power of the quote. The sheer neutrality of the sentiment. Books - any book is a weapon. Whether it is The…
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Thanks for all the suggestions on which eBooks I should read on holiday. I didn't get through as many as I would have liked (crappy flights and too many pre-lunch cocktails!) - but here's what I did read and what I thought of them. Anathem Neal Stephenson's Anathem By rights, I should have loved this book. But I didn't. I couldn't even get 5% of the way through. Perhaps it was the…
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The unsurpassed guru of mobile phones, Tomi T Ahonen, has released his latest book for free! The book, "The Insider's Guide to Mobile", is an invaluable guide to anyone in the mobile industry. I've read through a few pages of it and it is smart, funny, useful and a hugely important tome for anyone in the industry. There's just one small niggle I have with it. It is released as a PDF. PDF is…
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I'm an utter bookworm - on holiday, I like nothing better than to lie by the pool reading a good book. I generally average a book a day. Me reading a Kindle on the beach.... Last year, I took a mixture of eBooks and physical books away with me. This year, I'm only taking eBooks. That's where I need your help, gentle reader. Which books should I take? Which books do you recommend for a…
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Two of the biggest "mass market" brands are using QR Codes in their advertising. ASDA - the UK arm of Walmart - and Martina Cole - one of the UK's best selling authors. Here's the poster in situ Here's a close up of the code It's a reasonable physical size and the information density isn't particularly high - so well done on that front. I'd place a bit more whitespace around the code - but…
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It's always a thrill to hear an author read their work aloud. It's even more of an honour to be at the author's début. Last night, 100 people crammed into the function room of Canal 125 for the launch event of Girl With A One Track Mind Exposed by Abby Lee aka Zoe Margolis. Sitting around her in a semicircle, it was like Jackanory for adults. Despite never having read her work in public …
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I'm a manic book reader. When I'm on holiday, I like to try and read a book a day. So, my recent two weeks off was the perfect time to indulge. Here, for those of you that care, are what I read and what I thought. In no particular order... Shades of Grey - Jasper Fforde Jasper Fforde is one of the few truly original writers. The plot is so-so (a mystery, a quest, a conspiracy) but the…
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Jasper Fforde releases upgrade patches for his books. If he has made an error of fact, created a plot hole or missspelt a word - you can download an upgrade for your book. How cool is that? He also has a "cut scenes" repository where you can see the chapters which were cruelly cut by his editor. There's even a director's commentary available. Along with behind the scenes material, …
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A small disclaimer. My mother & the author's mother are great friends. I remember going round to play with Ellie when I was 7 and she was 8 and a half. Back then she towered over me with the intellectual and physical superiority that only children recognise. I was terrified of her. Ellie Levenson has written a book about moden girls and feminism. Take a look at the cover of this book. Pink,…
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