Nautical Books

Whilst the weather may be turning Autumnal there is still plenty to celebrate - bright crispy mornings, lovely long walks through the woods with all the turning and falling leaves and of course the chance to curl up in the warm with a hot drink, slice of cake or even a biscuit and a wonderful book - after all it gets dark so early now ....

So I have two books with a nautical theme and a wonderfully exciting launch party to tell you about today.

Pull Out All the Stops by Geraldine McCaughrean and Worse Things Happen At Sea by Alan Snow may be two very different stories but they share a theme and they also share the wish to make their reader laugh so what better way for their publisher, Oxford University Press, to launch them than a boat trip down the Thames complete with readings and performances from the authors themselves?!

The guests were an eclectic mix of librarians, reviewers, bloggers, booksellers and family and friends of both authors. The evening began with Alan providing a very entertaining presentation and Geraldine and her fellow actors followed him with a wonderful drama performance based on Pull Out All The Stops!

Alan provided some very tasty ship's biscuits (from Botham's of Whitby) which were actually edible (not at all like those of days gone by) and he designed labels with words to that effect himself which he soaked in tea to make them stained and look old fashioned!

Copies of each title were given to all guests and the authors happily signed away whilst guests admired the sites of London.

A very enjoyable evening had by all so it seems.