One again

on the way to pick up mail.

       Raymond Briggs's Notes From  a Sofa , published by Unbound, finally arrived in the mail today.  First reprint edition.  It was first published just before Christmas and I pre-ordered (how I hate using that particular usage;  drives me nuts when ever I'm asked if I want to pre-register for something, registering is registering.  End of parenthetical rant) meaning I ordered a copy a copy (a writer is his own worst editor) on Amazon before that publication date, in the hope it might arrive in early January.  Sod's law came into play and, just as I was wondering if I should cancel and re-order, Amazon finally notified me a copy was on its way.  I've just finished a re-reading of Cold Comfort Farm  and was wondering what I might read next. Now I know.  From the publisher: " Dear Reader,  The book you are holding came about in a rather different way to [sic ] most others.  It was funded directly by readers through a new web-site: Unbound. . . . . Publishing in this way means readers are no longer just passive consumers of the books they buy, and authors are free to write the books they really want."  My first wife always corrected me if "different to" happened to pass my lips.  And whilst I'm in a ranty mood:  books are still published;  recordings and films are released.  But that should really be directed at the younger crowd on various social web-sites not the erudite contributors of Blipfoto.

       I digress.  I must quote Raymond Briggs's Acknowledgements in full, as these are now often bloated and almost as long as film credits,

                                       "Naim Attallah
                                          for the idea.

                                      Richard Ingrams
                      for his encouragement and support."

       I think I'm in for a treat.