The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark

I'd read this before but it's a sort of desert-island book; you could read it again and again and find more in it each time.

Muriel Spark expertly interweaves past, present and future in this complex and compelling novel set in 1930s Edinburgh. Miss Brodie appears first as a wholly-admirable character, free-spirited and declaring that she is in her prime (which is an excellent idea! This will be the prime of Ms A Fifecat!) Gradually we become aware of the flaws in her character ...

By complete contrast and as I have books to catch up on, I read Terry Deary's Vicious Vikings (part of the Horrible Histories series written for children and teenagers). This was amusing, and I think I would have found it hilarious when I was younger. The illustrations were particularly funny. It was even proper history too, because nothing was presented as truth which could have had any doubt about it (sources and their likely reliability were examined). A good read, but possibly one which parents would buy for their children rather than the children buy themselves.

Day 230; Book 223

The Jupiter Myth by Lindsey Davis

This is another Falco mystery, and this one is set in Londinium itself. What a dump, according to Falco! There are bodies in the Thamesis of course and dodgy goings-on with a gangster takeover bid, and there's also tragedy for one of the characters.

Speaking of the ancient world, I really fancy a pair of those gladiator sandals! (Shallow, moi?) I think they would make my legs look stumpy though ...

Also off the agenda is a trip to the Bass Rock, a literary location as featured in R. L. Stevenson's Catriona. It would cost £190 for two though, so I think I'll look for a cheaper literary location to visit in the meantime. Any suggestions?

Day 229; Book 221

The importance of grammar

On his 74th birthday, a man got a gift certificate from his wife. The certificate paid for a visit to a medicine man living on a nearby reservation who was rumored to have a wonderful cure for erectile dysfunction. After being persuaded, he drove to the reservation, handed his ticket to the medicine man and wondered what was in store for him.

The old medicine man carefully mixed a potion, handed it to him, and with a grip on his shoulder, warned, "This is powerful medicine and it must be respected. You take only a teaspoonful and then say '1-2-3.' When you do that, you will become more manly than you have ever been in your life and you can perform as long as you want."

The man was encouraged. As he walked away, he turned and asked, "How do I stop the medicine from working?"

"Your partner must say '1-2-3-4,' he responded. "But when she does, the medicine will not work again until the next full moon."

He was very eager to see if it worked, so he went home, showered, shaved, took a spoonful of the medicine, and then invited his wife to join him in the bedroom. When she came in, he took off his clothes and said, "1-2-3!" Immediately, he was the manliest of men.

His wife was excited and began throwing off her clothes. And then she asked, "What was the 1-2-3 for?"

And that is why we should never end our sentences with a preposition.

YOU COULD END UP WITH A DANGLING PARTICIPLE ...

Thanks to Scoot for this grammar-related cautionary tale!

Once Were Warriors by Alan Duff

This is a hugely-powerful book, the sort which leaves you feeling as if you have been punched in the stomach. It's a tragedy of Shakespearean dimensions but one which admits of the possibility of redemption too. You'll be thinking about this for days after you have finished reading it. Emotionally, it's not an easy read but it is worth it. The best books can immerse you completely in a world you knew nothing about before. In this case it is the present-day lives of the Maori. The author doesn't shrink from attributing blame wherever he thinks it is deserved, and apparently the book was controversial.

The Tipping Point is another book well worth reading. It uses the principles of the spread of disease epidemics, and translates them into sociological and psychological terms. Why and how do street fashions spread into the mainstream? What techniques do successful marketers use? Who are connectors and mavens and why are they so important? This is all explained in a fascinating and easy to read book. It almost tempts you to try to start your own epidemic - if only some of the social components weren't so hard to come by.

Finally I enjoyed another Falco mystery, with the Roman detective this time finding himself reluctantly back in Britain (cold, damp and full of ginger natives, according to him). Plenty of bodies and the welcome return of Larius the teenage nephew, now all grown up into a hard-drinking, foul-mouthed bundle of hormones. Hilarious!

Day 227; Book 220 (eek!)

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