Susan Hill's Long Barn First Novel Prize

More excitement than can be good for this "Devon based bookaholic sock knitting quilter who happens to be a community nurse in her spare time" and the culmination in London this week of a recent and very exciting reading project.
I've been a judge!
I was asked some time ago (and took about a nano-second to agree) to read the longlist for Susan Hill's First Novel Prize this year and then join judging deliberations for the short list.This also involved travelling up to London, discussing all the novels with Susan and the other judges and then partaking of an excellent lunch, but needs must, I managed.
It's been great for the Royal Mail but less great for Jim our the postman as the manuscripts arrived and he heaved them to the house and we've had to hand quite a few bacon sandwiches out of the kitchen window to keep him appeased.
Don't ask me how many books I've read over recent weeks.However it may all go some way to explaining why I took a mysterious little diversion off the Booker-thon route mid-course and you kept getting pictures of animals made from vegetables.
The shortlist of five has now been announced on Susan's blog and website and I will add my congratulations to each and every author whose novel I have read and my thanks to them all for giving me so much reading pleasure.Being a person of the "no novel in me" variety I'm impressed with anyone who can put together that many words.You've all written cracking first novels and my special thanks to Susan for asking me in the first place.
I mustn't forget the bookhound who has basically done what he always does. As well as keeping the fridge full and the rest of us fed so that I could read, he has added doing the washing and hanging it out on the line to his portfolio.I do still wash the kitchen floor, only I see the need for that apparently.
It's all been a truly memorable experience and keep an eye on Susan's blog, she has some exciting announcements coming up and part of the first chapter of each of the shortlisted novels to whet your appetite.