What are you reading on holiday?

LitPig is stacking his rucksack with holiday reading. With several full bookshelves to choose from it was a tough decision on what to pack, but he's plumped for these (in no particular order):

The Lie - Helen Dunmore
Recently heard Helen talk at Chichester Waterstone's and she signed this copy too! Another friend who attended the same talk reckons this is Dunmore's best work to date.
Helen confessed that she was unlikely to write a final book to conclude 'The Siege' and 'The Betrayal', as the story could never end happily.

Bad Mothers United - Kate Long
We LOVE everything written by Kate Long and this sequel to the excellent 'Bad Mothers Handbook' will be quickly devoured. (Just wondering when Kate will bring out The Hamster's Diary in paperback... though he'd probably use if for nesting material)

The Humans - Matt Haig.
Really enjoyed 'The Radleys' and a writing chum has raved about this one.

The Lie of You - Jane Lythell
The Indoor Writer recently met Jane at a workshop on 'writing radio drama' in Brighton. This is Jane's debut novel, which looks to be an intriguing crime thriller. Can't wait.

Hmm now wondering when LitPig will get time for hill walking - the whole point of the holiday, but then he has to live up to his literary name ...

What have you been reading or planning to read on your holidays? Please share if you've read any good page turners over the summer.

Toil and trouble

At a secret location (we believe it was somewhere in darkest Sussex) three top international super spies met for their annual coven (sorry, that should be convention) to discuss world literary domination. Our agent believed they were posing under cover as writers (who'd fall for that one!) and overhead the dastardly trio discussing such topics as alien abduction (Agony Christie, centre, had the scar to prove it), how to eat a Devon cream tea (the jam HAS to go on before the cream, which MUST be clotted) and murder! Yes, this innocent group of women (don't fall for those smiles) happily shared killing methods and how to avoid the well-worn theme.

Please be vigilant and watch out for these plotting scoundrels, they could appear in your area at any time. No village teashop is safe. KJ Rolling Pin (far left) regular appears under a pseudonym in popular women's magazines pretending to write short stories, as does her arch rival Agony Christie. Whereas the infamous Hilary Mantelpiece (right) masquerades as a writer of quirky flash and short fiction. Don't be fooled! These are dangerous individuals - they will assault you with publication statistics without hesitation. If spotted then approach with caution, but only if you are prepared to endure several hours of rejection rants, which can turn nasty ...

The truth is stranger than fiction.... or is it? If your like your fiction to be well-rounded, you might like to read my friends' accounts here and here for the whole story.

The photograph above was taken (at great personal risk) by our agent G (his real name can't be released for his own safety). However, G was later seen leaving the establishment in the company of Agony Christie ... hmm could he be a double agent?