Mad cows and …… no wait, perhaps it’s just me, the mad book blogger, who heads out when the sky is black and the thunder is rumbling.
10 things to do in a thunderstorm
- Attend a book launch preferably before the storm really hits, then you have a new book to read.
- Read the book you got at the book launch, who can sleep through all that thunder?
- If the power fails, read by torchlight.
- Be too scared to get out of bed until the last minute even though you really, really need to pee
- Try to pee in the dark, as you are afraid to pull the light switch, hoping the lightening will show you the way, easier for women than men to pee in the dark.
- Brave the madness to make sure all your book blogging social networking is “saved” in case the storm knocks out the power.
- Consider using the hours you are awake during the storm to mentally draft up a blog post for the next day.
- Contact all your friends via social media who might also be awake and have a chat about the storm.
- Try putting in your ear phones and listening to music to drown out the noise.
- Get a drink and a snack and watch the lightening show.
And now back to the book launch.
Last evening I went along to The WeySide pub in Guildford (yes the sky was indeed black and the thunder rumbling) to the book launch of Christina Philippou’s debut novel LOST IN STATIC a gritty tale set in a university. There I met Chris’s book publisher Matthew from Urbane Publications who was happy to talk about the work he does with authors, a genuine great guy I was pleased to hear that he has worked on getting Chris’s book placed in several book stores, Waterstones being one of them.
I also met a fellow book blogger Neats Wilson from the Haphazardous Hippo blog do go check out her blog, a voracious reader, she described her reading likes as eclectic. @lilac_hippo
If you missed my review of Lost In Static earlier this week here is a reminder.
Lost In Static is a gritty contemporary drama set in an English university. The main characters are four first year students and we follow their lives from beginning to end of that first year.
Ruby is a tom boy, and a huge football fan, she plays in the uni football team, she’s quiet and insecure at times, but popular.
Juliette is running away from home-life and its restrictions. A chain smoker from a strong religious upbringing, uni gives her an opportunity to push new boundaries.
Callum is the good looking one, but has his own secrets.
Yasmine; cold and callous, ready to use anyone for her greater good and will stop at nothing to get her own way.
As the students meet each other in their shared halls of residence, opinions are formed, friendships made, enemies engaged all with a heavy dose of drinking. Callum likes Ruby, Ruby is friends with Juliette, Yasmine hates Juliette, wants Callum and is jeolous of Ruby.
The book opens with one of these students being taken away in an ambulance after a serious accident. Divisions within the group have been split wide, but why? The story then turns back to the first day of term so that we, the reader, can learn of events which lead to the accident. It is built up in delicious layers where we are drip fed snippets and clues, so we too can build our own opinions.
Each student’s side of the story is cleverly told; Ruby’s narrative includes lots of internal dialogue, emphasising her lack of confidence. Callum tells us his version via e-mails to a secret contact. Juliette uses the fourth wall method of speaking to the reader, while Yasemine’s side is told through well known narrative.
The different POV’s are refreshing and move the story at just the right pace, I enjoyed seeing the slight differences in how events happened with each telling, just like any real-life perception of an event.
An excellent debut novel, showing a great strength of writing and could easily be enjoyed by a wide range of readers, although I wouldn’t recommend reading this just before letting go of your precious offspring for their first year at uni, leave it a couple of weeks at least!
Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
I can NOT confirm that it is or should be easier for women to pee in the dark. Even if the loo happens to be downstairs.
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Ha ha, we even got as low as discussing it is all about the sound…. yes let’s not go there again!
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As my youngest leaves for uni this weekend this is probably not for me at the moment but I shall save it on my TBR for another time 🙂 (the rain hasn’t started here, yet!)
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If you are a bag of nerves I’d leave picking up the book until you feel a little calmer. Perhaps after you’ve had confirmation that they are eating, have made friends, are dong more than drinking and partying and are enjoying themselves.
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Great post 😀 Seems like you had fun despite the storm. Many congratulations, Christina!
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I’m glad I went.
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What a lovely post, delightful pictures too!
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…… and I adore all thunderstorms, the more ferocious the better – am more likely to be in the garden looking at it!!
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Think I might had let out a swear word or two when a humdinger of a thunder clap went off right over head, and a sharp lightening strike must have hit the bathroom extract outlet on the roof because the extract fan mysteriously turned itself on, no one dared touch the cord to turn it off! Slightly close for comfort.
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This sounds like a great book. (And I like the list of things to do in a thunderstorm too).
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Thank you Rhoda.
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Sounds great! I went to a presentation by two authors yesterday. Storms….Any excuse is good! Thanks!
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(Chuckle, chuckle! Enjoyed the post, Rosie.) Congratulations, Christina, on the launch of your novel Lost in Static. Best of luck! 🙂
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Lovely post – looks like you had a great time. I did think of you last night when that thunder started rumbling away. That storm was definitely a bit close for comfort!
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Fun post – congrats again, Christina!
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Great post, Rosie, I really enjoyed reading it 😀
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Looks like you had fun! Will have to check out that blog. Sounds like it was a lovely storm, the kind that makes your hair stand on end!
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Thanks Steph, if not my hair then certainly my nerves were a little spiked.
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Hi Rosie – yes those storms were pretty horrendous, but am glad you got into the venue before all hail let loose. Looks a wonderful venue – where was it? Also sounds like a great story line for a book – while my mind wandered as to your thunderstorm antics … cheers HIlary
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Thanks Hilary, a little pub right on the side of the river Wey in Guildford.
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Looks lovely – wonderful interior … cheers H
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Great post – and Matthew is indeed a great guy. Without him I’d still be unpublished! For more musing on book blogging, writing and making tea, my Idle blogs of an idle fellow is here –
https://tomhocknell.wordpress.com
And congratulations Christina Philippou once again!!
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It’s been on my pile for a long time, can’t wait, so so pleased for her now its finally published 😀
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