It’s no small secret that Neil Gaiman is a gem among authors you can actually interact with on the internet. He’s a gem of a writer too, but it’s awesome to know that you can send a tweet out into the ether, and he might respond to it personally, with a little bit of tongue in cheek humor that has you throwing things to the ground in your haste to hit the favorite command. In case you haven’t yet experienced the pure joy that getting a tweet or Tumblr answer from Mr. Gaiman, here’s a treat he tweeted out under the radar earlier this week:

The video is 20 minutes. Don’t worry. We will wait for you to take the time to grab some tea, your copy of the book he’s chatting about, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, and settle in for duration. Once you’ve finished, come back so we can gush about it together.

Okay, now that you’ve had the chance to watch the video in its entirety, can we just talk about the great first three minutes in which Gaiman gives what can only be equated to a short love letter to book clubs? Gone from your brain is the stereotypical image of a group of women sitting around guzzling wine while clutching a paperback and definitely not talking about the contents thereof. We want to be part of the wonderful book clubs that passionately debate, defend and rail against the texts they have up for discussion on any given week. Oh wait. That’s why we have the #NerdistBookClub! A good book club is one of the best things a book lover can find, and hearing Neil Gaiman tell you how much he appreciates a good book club will have you signing up for one or creating one on your own fast.

Now, go give The Ocean at the End of the Lane a read if you haven’t already. It really is that good. And if you’re hankering to listen to Gaiman talk some more (his accent really is delightful so we don’t blame you), you can listen to his episode of the Nerdist Podcast from way back in 2011. He and Chris talked American Gods (another great book) and much more.

If you want the chance interact with this great author on the interwebs, follow him at @neilhimself and on Tumblr. He really is delightful – plus you might catch one of these under the radar videos sooner than most if you do.

[Image: The Independent]