So much going on over here, I’m not sure what to tell you first BookRabbiters! There was great excitement deep down in the Warren on Thursday when our new signage went up outside to tell the world (mwa ha ha!) that BookRabbit had arrived in… London? Paris? New York? Oh no Sir-eee… Henley is where it is seriously AT. Our humble little offices were transformed into a gleaming glass tower of magnificence with the addition of our BookRabbit signage. Here are some snaps, just for you:

We then got another delivery from the good news van when our press release detailing the forthcoming launch of the site was immediately picked up by industry heavyweight, The Bookseller. The article, BookRabbit back in business is a jolly good read so take a look when you have a moment.

We touched on Twitter in last week’s blog, and how it was great that people were starting to tweet about our comeback. Well, given that so many BookRabbiters are also members of the Twitterati, we thought we’d pay it forward. When the site launches (oh so soon!) there is now a little gizmo whereby you can allow us to tweet for you, so every time you select your ‘currently reading’ book or write a review, we’ll post a tweet to Twitter (trying saying that fast after a couple of scoops) to let your followers know about it.

How nice are we?

And if you were ever in doubt over the power of Twitter – it has now gained entry in the dictionary. We’ve even built a kind of BookRabbit Tweet Shrine on the homepage – we’ll have more on that for you next week. Ooh, and don’t forget to become our fan on Facebook – we now have a new direct link.

Anyway, speaking of tweets (or should that be tweeting of tweets?) Some of you more bright-eyed rabbits might have noticed my tweet a few days ago when I popped in to see John Sandoe Books while up in the big smoke. It’s a nice little buzz visiting independents to see what gems they’re going to unearth from the precariously over-stacked shelves out the back! John, who has owned and run the shop since 1986 suggested the following when I said I was looking for something a little different to surprise and challenge our BookRabbiters… thank you John, who is also a novelist himself, check out Dreaming Iris

John’s top 3

24 for 3 by Jennie Walker. A perfectly crafted, funny and moving masterpiece about love, family, passion and whether or not one should play by the rules.  Nicholas Lezard in The Guardian said:

This is a little marvel of a novella. It’s funny, clever, illuminating, deeply kind-hearted, and doesn’t outstay its welcome. It’s not self-indulgent: things happen in it, surprising things, like in an old-fashioned novel, yet it’s perfectly contemporary; and every word has been chosen with subtle care. It is, on its own terms, just right. I wonder if it’s too late for it to go on the Orange prize shortlist.

The Dig by John Preston. Summer, 1939. While Britain is busy preparing for war, on farmland around Sutton Hoo House in sleepy Suffolk Mrs Pretty has asked local archaeologist Basil Brown to excavate the enormous earth mounds on her land. And what Basil finds proves earth-shattering. David Robson in The Telegraph said:

Preston is a master of the deadpan, and this immaculate novel, blending pathos with dry humour, excavating something numinous and life-changing from the earth of Suffolk, sees him at his absolute best. It is a delicious read, with hardly a weak character or clumsy sentence.

One More Year by Sana Krasikov. In these eight engaging short stories, the Ukraine-born author explores the tribulations of those who are fleeing or have fled Russia in search of a (hoped-for) better life in America. Carrie O’Grady in the Guardian said:

This debut collection of her short stories comes lavishly garlanded. Two of the eight tales here were first published in the New Yorker, and four in other august literary magazines; authors have queued up to praise her work. It’s no surprise: the short-story genre could use more shots in the arm like this one, and the common stereotypes of modern immigrants (stalwart labourers/workshy freeloaders/incomprehensible aliens) could use more kicks in the teeth.

We hope you’re inspired to try one of these suggestions, or perhaps you’ve read one (all) of them already? Either way, let us know - we’d love to hear from you.

And finally, we have a new member of the Team – Peter (Rabbit) has joined the madness that is the Warren, we’ll let him do the introductions…

I’m the youngest member of the team, having just finished college. Working here is definitely a great way to spend a gap year, especially given that I’m planning to study English Literature when I (eventually) go to university. At the moment I’m sorting out small parts of the site; turning the designers’ concepts from what’s displayed on your profile page into reality, as well as thinking about what nifty things we can do for an iPhone version of the site. As for reading, I’ve just finished A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce, which was fantastic. Next up is Ulysses. I’m also dipping in and out of I am a Strange Loop by Douglas Hofstadter; a fascinating look at the way that consciousness and the concept of ’self’ arises from the basic organic matter of our brains.

Welcome to the fluffy fold Peter, and if you get cracking on that iPhone application we’ll share it with all our BookRabbiters next time.

Always good to end on a back slap don’t you think? So, thank you Cassandra for making our week! Describing our blog as “Downright pretty” – you’ve made us bunnies blush! But just wait till you see the site…

Have a great week and happy reading!

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