What a mixture. My
occasional meanderings around Eastern Europe have reached the border of
Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey, and thus the divide between Muslim and Christian,
Ottoman and Habsburg (ish), Communism and Western Democracy (ish) Slav, Greek
and Turk. Another enjoyable read of bandits, mountains, superstition, and the
intractability of conflict in the Balkans. Then Granite Island as a friend at
work has just been to Corsica. Will make it there one day to smell the maquis
and the cheese. . .
Didn’t really get
At-Swim-Two-Birds, another essential novel I don't understand. Hamilton was a
book I should have read a long, long
time ago, about one of the greatest of the founding fathers. 'John
Adams' is still on my shelf, although I've seen the miniseries starring Paul
Giamatti at least.. .
The Golden Compass
is a reread to prepare for Pullman's new book in September, which I'm very
excited about. Fred's not yet at a reading level to enjoy Pullman, sadly. I
worry that he is not going to be a book lover, but what can you do? The more I
push him, the more he could grow to dislike reading
Libby broke her arm
at the weekend. I'm so used to thinking of her as a tough little nut that I
told her to shrug it off when she fell off the swing. It was only later when it
started to swell up that we realised how serious it was. It took a while for her
to get used to the plaster cast, it must be very frustrating for her. She seems
to be adjusting now - we just pray the plaster comes off before our holiday.
