A few things

    - Understatement of the day: an email to me beginning, "Dear customer, as you've shown an interest in books ..."

    - Most delayed book of the day: The Tiny Wife by Andrew Kaufman ("a weird and wonderful modern fable" about which I've read many good things) was sent to me by the publisher back in July and has just arrived having been languishing in a neighbour's house for four months!

    - Request of the day: a student reading for an MSc in Publishing at Edinburgh Napier University has asked whether anyone who is a member of a book group (it doesn't have to be our one) would care to answer a few questions on the kind of books they like reading, what attracts them to a book, etc., for a project she is doing. If you'd like to take part in that short survey, please email me in the first instance (click on the link under 'About' in the right-hand sidebar and mark your message 'Publishing Survey') and I'll put you in touch.

    - Note of the day: re. the book group, and thanks to MelD for highlighting this point in her comment, I do make an effort to ensure that books chosen for the group are available free, i.e. in libraries. Every month I check the catalogues of several library areas in Britain to make certain that my chosen title is there and thus in circulation generally, I always dismiss books which are obscure or fairly recently published and thus unlikely to have percolated through the library system, and without beginning to search abroad (because that would be never-ending) do my best to pick something that 'everyone' can get hold of. I also always direct readers to The Book Depository, too, because while of course their books aren't free, they are discounted and delivery (both within the UK and internationally) is free, so if your local shop or library doesn't have the title in question, it is obtainable easily and at reasonable cost no matter where in the world you are. More than that I cannot do.

    - Satisfied customer of the day: my friend Sophie to whom I passed my copy of Ann Patchett's State of Wonder. She has just finished it and is "speechless"; "what an extraordinary story", she says. I knew she'd like it!

    - 'I was there' moment of the day: in the paper this morning is an obituary of Ramaz Chkhikvadze who "caused a sensation" when he appeared as Richard III at the Edinburgh Festival, the performance (without subtitles) given entirely in Georgian. I was there, and it was astonishing - although I was pretty young at the time, I can still recall it and the actor's amazing presence. It remains the most memorable theatrical experience I've ever had.

Comments

[Dark Puss]

I didn't see the performance of Richard III you refer to, but I did meet the cast at a party during the Festival and although sadly I had to have a rather brief conversation via an interpreter with some of them (including Chkhikvadze) I too remember their "presence".

[Sharon Moreland]

One more thing. Have you seen any of these?

http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2011/11/29/142910393/the-library-phantom-returns?sc=fb&cc=fp

[Cornflower]

Not in the flesh, but there has been lots of coverage, including an item on the radio programme I was on last week of which I caught some, but it's a lovely, intriguing story.

[Yvann]

I've had those "as you've shown an interest in books" emails too. They always make me chuckle.