... arrived on my Kindle on Thursday (appropriately enough), but I'm ashamed to say I've only just noticed it. Hasanyone else got a copy yet?

Yes, mrs. SkidMarks also picked up a copy of Thursday on Thursday. i will try to finish "The Long Earth" before I start reading it, but i may not be able to hold out....

Just back from the bookshop. I'll settle down now to find out about smoting.

Great book. I have read it through once, but I've got to read it through a couple of times to get all the ideas and plots going on.

I read it yesterday, plenty of time on trains and in he 75 mute interval at the opera.
Loved it, I had a few loud laughs which got some odd looks on the train, first time I've ever guffawed when reading of a (fictional) suicide.
It will defintely repay a reread,a lot went on, and I'll have more time to spot obscure puns/references.

I have to know.

How often do you guffaw when reading about a real suicide?

It hasn't happened yet, I'm hoping it never does, although there is musical precedent, "Well I just had to laugh, I saw the photograph...".

Got it on Friday, finished it this morning. Very good and very funny and will require re-reading to get all the puns. But the one thing that really made me laugh out loud was the following 'book' info at the beginnging of Chapter 35:


"John de Hepburn's Eleanor of Aquitaine tell-all of 1209, 'Bonkeing Kinges for Pleasure and Profite' was the first true celebrity bio. Despite receiving rave reviews and a massive two- figure advance for a sequel, the book did not find favour with King John, Eleanor's son, and de Hepburn was found dead the following winter having apparently "Atempted to swim, with dire foolishness, the river Cherwell while disporting himself chained to an anvile."

As a big fan of Eleanor of Aquitaine, this really tickled me!