Bookwitch

As I cross the landing, even in the middle of the night, I’ve got used to hearing Stephen Fry in Daughter’s room. Sometimes it’s Nathaniel Parker, but usually Fry. They’re not just there to send her to sleep, which I suppose makes them sound boring, but to keep her company whenever she’s awake at night.

Those audio books are a blessing. They are so dreadfully expensive, but when I consider how heavily used some of them are, the cost per hour must be quite low.

At first they were mainly used for the children either before they could read very well, or to provide more complex “reading” than a book. Now, they are simply companions. Some were made to be listened to, like The Hitch-hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Son listened to that at an early age, and can still quote far too much from it.

Now he has a nightly diet of old radio series, regular crime and classics. Some you can no longer buy, which worries me for the day they collapse and they can’t be replaced.

Daughter has listened her way through most of Jacqueline Wilson, before settling on a very steady diet of Harry Potter and Artemis Fowl. But they are lovely boys, so I see no harm in it.

The bookwitch, who has steadfastly refused to read the Lord of the Rings, or for that matter to see the films, has listened to all thirteen episodes of the excellent BBC radio dramatisation of the book. So, I sort of know what it’s like.

With Harry Potter day approaching, I’ll need to fork out for the last in the series with Stephen Fry. But for the first few days, at least, we should be kept busy with the book book.

Then I’ll just have to do a lot of ironing.

The super organised Caroline Lawrence has sent me these links, with a special hello to readers outside the UK.

The trailer for the television series can be found on YouTube. What would we do without it?

Last Sunday’s Go4It on Radio 4 is available until the end of the week. Very interesting, so hurry before it disappears.

For the games players try the CBBC website that offers the interactive games Caroline helped write. They also have a free audiobook of The Thieves of Ostia, which is the first Roman mystery that barely gets a mention in the television series.

And what do people think now that the first two episodes have been broadcast? Daughter and I love them. They are well done, considering that an hour per book is incredibly little time. What has to be in there is there, and it’s very attractive.

“Mum, Mum, the Roman Mysteries…!” shrieked Daughter last night, so the dinner making was abandoned for a quick look. It was the first trailer for the new TV series we’d seen. Looks good.

Mysteriously, the one hour episodes of the Roman Mysteries have turned into half hour episodes, starting on Tuesday 8th May at 16.30 on BBC1. A quick look at Caroline Lawrence’s website suggests that the second half hour follows, but on a different channel. This is beyond me, but do watch on Tuesday. It’ll be good.

Caroline will be appearing on Blue Peter tomorrow 3rd May to talk about the series, and on Radio 4 on 13th May at 19.30 in Go4It. After all that exposure Caroline will be really famous, and we can only hope she won’t forget her oldest and worsest fans.

There will also be some sort of interactive games on the BBC website that Caroline has written, which apparently is a first. Being old I don’t understand games very well, but I’m sure they will be fun.