Bit of a sinful last week all in all and this week may be worse, I was in London yesterday.
Shakespeare For All Time by The SP and preparation for my annual assault on The Bard and a new play each winter.I have armed myself with the recommended read for those of us brave enough to own up, in present company, that we like but don't love but want to appreciate more.I haven't made my final decision on which play yet, I've done about 20 over the years, this may help me decide.
I'm intrigued by So Many Ways to Begin by Jon Mcgregor and, as this was proving the most elusive of the Booker-thon's to get my hands on without paying any money, I caved in and slipped it into the Amazon order.Also in that parcel Books, Baguettes and Bedbugs by Jeremy Mercer, noted by the Offspringette as one that may be of interest to me, the Parisian Left Bank world of the bookshop Shakespeare and Co.Plus The Unburied by Charles Palliser after the fulsome apology over on the Hill blog we must give the man a chance.I never quite made it to The Quincunx. 
Missed off the pile because it's upstairs and I'm lazy, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.A graphic novel (cartoons to the rest of us) on growing up in Iran.I think Jonathan from Bookseller Crow recommended this after I mentioned Maus by Art Spiegelman and a huge thank you because I would never have found it and I'm loving it.More on that soon and I've ordered a few more graphic novels, I love the association my brain makes between the comics of my childhood and the seriousness of the content of these modern day versions.
Mr Thundermug by Cornelius Medvei arrived as promised from Susan Hill's very generous "you must read this and to make sure you do I'll send free copies" offer. I have.
Danny Rhodes very kindly sent me a preview copy of Asboville published by Maia Press later this year, watch this space for thoughts on that, Scott Pack rates it highly.
Two republished children's books from new publisher Fidra, Orders to Poach by Olivia Fitzroy and
The Far Island by M.Pardoe.These are my promised manna after this glut of contemporary fiction.
Finally, The Tinker loves Dickens, I don't quite, but we did read The Old Curiosity Shop in serial mode together a while back and we both enjoyed nattering about that so this winter we will be giving Little Dorrit the same treatment.The Tinker does gallop on a bit fast though,always worried that the grim reaper might spoil his fun and he may never know the ending. I'll have to keep up.
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