Travelling without reading

Back from London and sadly without much reading to report, but I had interesting times with the following:

Loving the Bloomsbury area with its tree-lined squares and Georgian buildings, and also the Great Court in the British Museum, not to mention lovely little speciality shops like the bookbinders and paper shop. It was a bit like something out of Harry Potter with assistants rushing about to fetch the paper from huge stacks of shelves they had to reach by ladder.

Pretending to be a business person at City Airport in London but not liking accidentally knocking over a drink (which someone had left on the floor unknown to me) and then a businessman ostentatiously drying his briefcase and glaring at me! I was innocent! I didn't know it was there!

Being approached by a panhandling woman who obviously thought I was a soft touch (correctly). Even without knowing all the means by which you can recognise someone who is telling a lie (I have been watching Tim Roth in Lie to Me on Sky) I could still tell that her story was far too elaborate to be true. Nevertheless I offered her my change. Which came to less than a pound. Which made her stomp off in disgust. (With the change).

I've come back to 2 new books to read on my desk though. Thanks to Mark and Steve for Once Were Warriors and The Tipping Point which both look really interesting. (But which must wait - back to work!)

A work-related book

It's not really a book, more of a booklet, but because it was challenging I'm counting it as one! It's the E-Resources Technical Update by Simon Inger and Tracy Gardner, and it's really the slides of their presentation. Very interesting for anyone working or using electronic resources in an academic or library field. For others, not so much. Good revision for me though before my e-journals meeting in London. Back on Friday with hopefully some travel reading under my belt.

Day 221; Book 217

My feet are wet ...

because I thought it was Spring, silly me. Good weather to stay indoors and read, if you can.

I finished JonBenet by Steve Thomas and Donald A. Davis. It was a good clear account of the case, written from the viewpoint of one of the detectives involved. It was no wonder he had to leave the department if this was what he was up against. The murder remains unsolved.

I was at a loss for something to read on Saturday, so I turned to The Number One Ladies' Detective Agency again. Even when you know how the cases turn out, this is still so beautifully written that it doesn't really matter. A book for restoring your faith in human nature.

Then Jo lent me a few more books (thanks pal!) and I read The Savage Garden by Mark Mills. I'm afraid I hadn't heard of this before but what's not to like about a murder mystery set in Tuscany and featuring Renaissance art and architecture. I thought the characterisation could have been done in greater depth but it was a really enjoyable book all the same.

Day 220; Book 216

In Progress

It's a book about the JonBenet Ramsey case in America (where a 6-year-old beauty pageant contestant was found murdered in her home). This book is really about the police handling of the case (it's written by one of the detectives who was involved). I wonder what really happened?

Just a Phrase I'm Going Through: My Life in Language by David Crystal

I finished this book last night. It's the autobiography of the language expert David Crystal - or is it his memoir? See his blog here for a discussion of these terms. This was a pretty interesting book because the emphasis was on applied rather than pure linguistics - how it could be of use in speech therapy for instance. The biographical elements were cleverly handled so that dramatic events were hinted at and then revealed in due course (some of them were tragic, unfortunately). Of interest to me as a cataloguer was Crystal's time spent working on a "sense engine" so that internet searches could be placed in context despite the varying meanings of words. I suppose this is a use of the controlled vocabulary that lies behind many web resources these days. He applied it also to contextual advertising (on sponsored webpages or forums you will see related advertising appearing depending on the words in use on the main page. As you can imagine this can lead to unfortunate juxtapositions if the vocabulary is not controlled).

Day 216; Book 213

The Basic Guide to Rubber Stamping

At least that's what I think it's called - I'll need to check. For a beginner, this is an excellent book as every technique is described in detail and then projects are given to illustrate them. Some of the projects look beautiful. However some of them are hideous! Mostly the stamping effects are very good though, and you wouldn't HAVE to make things like plant pots with bits of broken up plant pot stuck on the sides ...

ETA: It's The Basics of Rubber Stamping by Inkadinkado (the rubber-stamp company)

Day 215; Book 212

Book Catch-Up

Here's what I have been reading since I last posted:

First was The Savvy Crafter's Guide to Success by Sandra McCall. I bought this because I thought the Rock Chick would be interested in it. It was an easy read with lots of useful advice for the aspiring art or craft designer, maker and (importantly, if you want to eat) SELLER! Encouragingly in a way, some of the art featured was hideous and yet people seem able to make a living from it!

Then I got all nostalgic and read William's Crowded Hours by Richmal Crompton. Fellow fans, can you remember the names of William's Outlaws? These books are beautifully written and very amusing, even for adults. Touchingly for me, it had "Pat Walker, 1930" written on the flyleaf (that's my dad).

Next I read Harlan Coben's Long Gone and Linwood Barclay's No Time for Goodbye. The Harlan Coben was his latest Myron Bolitar and it was up to his usual exciting standards. The Linwood Barclay was his first novel and an excellent debut, reminiscent of Coben with its mysteries and plot twists.

I read two books by Elizabeth Noble (thanks Jo), The Reading Group and The Tenko Club. Both of these are women's books about a group of friends and their relationships, break-ups and families. They are beautifully written with characters you care about.

I also read two books set in very different Scotlands. Alexander McCall Smith's The Unbearable Lightness of Scones is another of his Scotland Street novels with an Edinburgh setting featuring Bertie and his awful mother and the other residents of his street. It's very witty and perceptive. Much bleaker was Garnethill by Denise Mina, which is a murder mystery set in Glasgow, but you will be rooting for the feisty heroine by the end.

The Ginger Tree by Oswald Wynd is about a young Scottish girl who in 1902 sails to China to get married. It's fascinating with all its period and local detail and the character of Mary is well-described as a girl and as she gets older. A surprising and terrible thing happens to her, which she eventually comes to terms with.

I had read Ring of Bright Water by Gavin Maxwell before but decided to read it again when I came across it on the bookshelf. It's honest and beautifully written. I want a pet otter! Apparently there are more books by Maxwell so I must look out for those.

Finally I read Eyes of Darkness by Dean Koontz. This is a bit of a potboiler even though Koontz had revised it years after it was originally published. Dean Koontz is a writer whose development has been amazing over the years but this wasn't one of his most original or exciting. Fortunately this one didn't feature a clever dog or mystical happenings (involving the dog).

Day 213; Book 211