The Edinburgh Fringe Festival was fantastic and the Edinburgh International Festival was lovely, but I was the most excited to go to the Edinburgh Book Festival when I was across the pond visiting Lar. Why? Because I always love the Decatur Book Festival, which is next weekend (yippy!), and Edinburgh is my favorite city, so how could the Edinburgh Book Festival not be amazing?!
I was not disappointed! The festival hosts 800 authors and writers for two weeks in Edinburgh’s New Town and it’s glorious. There are multiple tented author venues, two giant book store tents – one just for kids, a courtyard with literary deck chairs, and a cafe at every venue.
Lar and I were like kids in a candy store. We spent some time walking around, checking out the festival – including walking on the giant wordle platform in the courtyard.
We both walked away with four books each – some of them were free thanks to The Guardian book swap. I can’t remember all the books that Lar got, but here’s my list:
1.) I had to buy an Alexandar McCall Smith book being in Edinburgh and all, so I got this one.
2.) Lar encouraged me to purchase this novel and I’m so glad she did. I read it in 5 hours during my flight back home and already want to reread it.
3.) Got this book for free at the book swap. I’m still reading it and plan on leaving it at a local cafe when I’m done.
4.) I had to get this cute picture book for Troy.
There’s something about holding a stack of new books that makes me feel so rich – more so than clothes and home goods combined.
Lar and I were too cheap to go see any of the authors at £10 a pop, but felt we got our literary fill and spent the rest of the day lugging around our books in our Edinburgh Book Festival tote bags. *sigh* It was wonderful!
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Dearest Lar,
I’m so happy we got to experience the Edinburgh Book Festival together and really, really wish you could come Atlanta next weekend for the Decatur Book Festival. You’re going to miss funnel cake!
Have you read all of your books yet? Did you ever go back to the book swap and leave one of your books? I really enjoyed This is Life and want to read more by Dan Rhodes.
So glad we got to Skype today – it always puts me in the best mood 🙂
xoxo, Cath
Oh my lordie, Kitcath. These posts make me miss you so much! Why are you not still in Edi?! Oh right, because Decatur needs you at the Book Fest! I so wish I were going to be there too. This is the first Decatur Book Festival I’ll miss – boo. I can’t wait to see all your photos from it though. I’m guessing you won’t be wearing a jacket and tall boots though — ahhh, heat, I miss you!
I’m so glad you liked “This is Life.” Isn’t it a wonderfully unexpected gem? Have you seen it much in the states? I now see it all over the book stores over here, but when I got it from the library a few months ago, I hadn’t heard a thing.
I hope you have a beautiful week and that tropical storm/hurricane Issac behaves for everyone in the southeast (praying for Nola!).
Love you and Miss you!
Lar
It looks like Amazon.com sells This is Life, but I haven’t seen it around the shops here – probably because it is a British writer.
The weather should be much warmer than Edinburgh this weekend, but Issac is suppose to help cool it down a little bit, which would be fantastic!
I’m keeping my fingers crossed for New Orleans too – they don’t need another direct hit.
Writing these posts always makes me miss you more, but are also some how cathartic.
love, cath
What a fun festival! And I love your book recs. I hate to miss the Decatur Book Festival-it’s the best- next weekend, but I’m not too sad because I’ll be in LONDON!
Lucky you!!! London is an amazing city. Have you ever been? You won’t even think twice about missing the Decatur Book Fest with all the distractions London has to offer. Say hello to Catherine Middleton for me! 😉
Yes, I’ve been, but not in several years! I can’t wait!
HOW FUN! I love books and have soooo many of them I don’t have enough shelves. I haven’t bought new books in a while because I have a great library, but I love going to used bookstores for books anyway, so I keep my stock up 🙂 I have been super curious about Alexander McCall Smith, but haven’t picked him up yet. I think I actually have been given a couple of his books, but again, they’re just on the shelf staring at me! hahaha.
I have the same lack-of-shelf-space problem. I always tell myself that I won’t buy anymore books and that I should use the library more. However, as soon as I smell that new book smell that bookstores have, I can’t help myself.
Alexander McCall Smith is most well known in the states for his No. 1 Detective Agency series set in Africa. But my favorite are his novels set in Edinburgh – of course 🙂
Who knew I would love a book with a resilient baby, a hairless performance artist, and a very repented stone throwing hero.
Dan Rhodes’ This is life is a wonderful read.
I knew you would like it just as much as Lar and I did. Let me know if you find any of his other novels at the library!
ah, the uk. so cultured! i’m in atlanta but i had the wonderful opportunity to live in the uk for a little while. the local reads section looks interesting *virtually picks up the book on the top left*
The Local Reads was my favorite!
awwww I MISS U GALS!! hope all is well with you two fabulous sistars!