We had a taste of spring in Suffolk yesterday with sunshine and blue skies, only to be plunged back into winter today with snow and rain - and gloom, it has to be said. I'd prefer some warmth and longer days but, for the moment, it means evenings with the curtains drawn, a roaring fire, curled up with a good book - and that's not so bad.
The publishers are urging us to look ahead, though. Ever since the turn of the year they've been releasing details of the books coming out in the next twelve months. It does feel as though we're wishing our lives away!
This week one particular title gained attention on the national news.
Bestselling children's writer Julia Donaldson has written a third Gruffalo book, called 'Gruffalo Granny', with illustrations of course by Axel Scheffler. It's brought great excitement - so much so that it topped the charts for online book sales. But it's not published until...September!
It's lovely to have something fun to look forward to, of course, though that seems a little too far ahead for me to think about.
Having said that, I've just booked another author visit to Woodbridge at The Riverside and though our guest won't be joining us for a few months yet, I am so excited that I haven't been able to resist opening ticket sales straightaway.
We're welcoming a hero of mine, the newsreader Sophie Raworth, and she'll be talking about her memoir 'Running on Air'. It tells of episodes from her life working for the BBC, and her family, all in the context of her, fairly recent, passion for running. It's an inspiring read. It certainly made me want to get my trainers on - but then it started raining.
Scroll down for details and buy your ticket now to have something to look forward to in the next few weeks?
Thank you for reading!
PS This month is slipping away, so we have just one more week before our book group meetings for both Woodbridge and Framlingham. Scroll down for details and do let me know if you're coming along. Looking forward to seeing everyone again and finding out what we all think of this month's books!