Choose a genre
Bestsellers
Hardback
  1. The Front Patricia Cornwell
  2. Speaking for Myself: The Autobiography Cherie Blair
  3. A Death in Tuscany Michele Giuttari
  4. Eclipse Stephenie Meyer
  5. Blood Noir Laurell K Hamilton
Paperback
  1. Death Message Mark Billingham
  2. Book of the Dead Patricia Cornwell
  3. Long Way Down Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman
  4. Operation Sunshine Jenny Colgan
  5. Maximum Impact Jack Henderson
Audio
  1. Book of the Dead Patricia Cornwell Read by Mary Stuart Masterson
  2. Long Way Down Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman Read by Mark Bonnar and Rupert Degas
  3. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Alexander McCall Smith Read by Adjoa Andoh
  4. Rubicon Tom Holland Read by Andrew Sachs
  5. The Careful Use of Compliments Alexander McCall Smith Read by Hilary Neville

Don't talk about anything remotely significant

Anna Blundy on landline phones and playing Christmas games.

1. What is your favourite Christmas memory?

All of them since my son was two. The children's excitement is infectious. I love it when they find the chewed carrots and mince pie crumbs that prove He's been and I love wrapping on Christmas Eve in front of the fire and under the tree and watching Love Actually.

2. What is the worst present you've ever given or received?

It was the year that my husband decided to do stockings for his parents.
He didn't get anything for either of our children and spent months thinking of sweet little things to go in his parents' stockings. Then, on Christmas day, it turned out he'd left his present to me in London. He gave it to me a few days later and it was a landline phone for our flat, unwrapped. Hands down worst present ever.

3. What are your plans for this Christmas?

We're going home to Italy where we'll sit by the fire and be generally idyllic. It usually snows and our village is magical and remote - right on top of a mountain.  Christmas shopping in Lucca is all cobble stones, big wooden drawers with brass handles full of leather gloves, hot chocolate, tiny candles on all the churches and obligatory fur coats.

4. Are you giving any books as gifts this Christmas?

I would like to give Alice Miller's The Drama of Being a Child to pretty much everyone. But I won't.

5. Is there a certain book which you'd love to receive this Christmas?

I'm hoping for the full set of Standard Edition Freud in hardback. Fat chance.

6. Any tips for surviving the festive period?

Overspend on presents and don't talk about anything remotely significant. If someone is psychocompetitive game player, don't play. You can pretend to be too pissed.

Posted 05/12/2007 10:55:24 by Anna Blundy with 0 comments.

Comments

Post a comment

  • Security code
Subscribe to this blog