Ok, apart from being hot cross bunnies with this weather (28 degrees and fur; not a good combo) there is a definite buzz in the office this week as a few people have been rabbiting about us, or rather, Twittering. It’s great to see there is some excitement about our return! So basically, if you’re not getting the latest Tweets from the Rabbit, then you are seriously barking (book lovers’ site or pet shop? Discuss). Anyway, what I’m trying to say (badly) is follow us on Twitter and become a BookRabbit fan on our Facebook page. DO keep up!

Nicola Barranger got in touch with us this week to say she was very happy to see that BookRabbit was coming back, and to tell us about her site The Interview Online – check it out, there are lots of audio interviews with authors. You can listen to her latest interview with Sarah Dunant, talking about her new book Sacred Hearts. It’s the third novel in her Renaissance trilogy, set in a convent in 16th Century Italy. Good luck with the site Nicky, I’m sure our BookRabbiters will be all ears!

Back at the Warren we’re continuing with Operation Roll Out the Rabbit, with more user testing, and more design tweaks (such perfectionists these arty types). Here are some fresh-off-the-press things for your eyes only (“let me hear you say oooh!”)…

While we’re on the subject of design, an old friend and worker bee of ours, Kate Forrester was recently commissioned to re-design the cover of Au Revoir to All That- a lively attack on Michelin-starred French restaurants by Michael Steinberger. Take a look at Kate’s blog for more news on her latest projects and her design work (which, naturally, we think is all rather splendid).

More news – good or bad – it’s Richard and Judy’s last show on Wednesday, after 21 years of daytime TV. We liked this article which focuses on their contribution to the book world. You can’t deny the impact they had, take for example Simon Kernick’s Relentless – before it became a Richard and Judy ‘Summer Read’ in 2007, he had four books out that were shifting a combined 259 copies per week . In 2008 his average weekly sale was somewhere in the region of 9,000 copies a week. R&J was always a hugely hot topic on the BookRabbit discussion boards, so we’d love to know your thoughts.

Someone who is unlikely to have ever heard of Richard and Judy let alone read one of their recommendations is Brett, another member of Team Rabbit, who is currently far more interested in talking to the animals:

I’m not sure why, but I have taken it upon myself to suffer read On the Origin of Species, although I never usually manage more than about a page a night. It’s actually really interesting both for the subject itself and the fact that it was written 150 years ago and the style of writing is very strange in the modern world. I think I now know more about the pollination process of holly than I really need to. I have read probably everything Alastair Reynolds has written, and just got my new hardback copy of Zima Blue. Can’t wait until Terminal World is released in October. I’m secretly hoping that I can get this as a pre-release from Gollancz who are clearly the best publisher in the known universe. I love them soooo much I think I’ll mention their name again Gollancz, Gollancz, Gollancz, Gollancz, Gollancz, Gollancz, Gollancz, Gollancz, Gollancz, Gollancz (is that enough plugging to get a proof copy?) Having finished all of his books I am looking for someone to recommend me a similar author.

Ah, we do like a challenge – send your suggestions to us here at the Warren, and make Brett’s day.

Happy reading, and come back soon for the latest news on the site launch – so close you can almost reach out and touch those bookshelves!

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