This was a big writing week for me, and I spotted more computers than books as I worked at various spots around town (the MacBook Pro appears to be the laptop of choice in Hong Kong coffee shops). I saw a lot of people studying and a fair number were also writing. I'm working on a travel memoir about my time in Hong Kong. I've found great places like this terrace in Central (Kosmo Wellness Cafe) that are perfect for soaking in the noises of the city as I try to tell its story.
I saw two people with Hong Kong guidebooks this week, one near my home and one in line for the chocolate afternoon tea at the brand new Ritz-Carlton. It is currently the highest hotel in the world, by the way. I saw a very determined woman rushing through the MTR station with a yellowed paperback in hand, and a young girl standing quietly on the train reading a new English hardback. I saw four Chinese books this week and one graphic novel.
What are people reading in your town this week?
Several people I've talked books to recently have been reading Jo Nesbo, the Norwegian thriller writer. I've read him too - The Snowman. That's the title of the book, not his nickname! Good, I thought.
ReplyDeleteHow was tea at the Ritz? Was it all you expected it to be?
ReplyDeleteI always thought a good PR idea for a book launch would be to pay people to read your book in public places, like on the the tube in London. I'm not sure if that's ethical or not though. :)
ReplyDeleteI saw a guy in a coffee shop reading a book with a title that was awesome: How to Change Things When You're Not in Charge. Ha ha!
I've also heard that Jo Nesbo is very good. I really enjoyed the Stieg Larrson books. It seems like Scandinavian thriller writers are having a good couple of years!
ReplyDeleteThe tea was magnificent. I actually had the dark hot chocolate, which was impossibly rich. The best part was the view from the 103rd floor. It made literally every building in Central look short, and I could see all the way to the shipping port outside Victoria Harbour.
I don't know if you would need to pay people, but you could at least ask everyone you know to read your book in public on one particular day. They could even take a picture of themselves and their location and send it to your blog.
Photography and digital art books. But maybe I notice those because that's what I blog about. I also noticed folks reading James Patterson and Ian McEwan - two of my faves.
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