New reading

Have started reading A Dark Adapted Eye by Barbara Vine. It's one of those books I have had my eye on (excuse the pun!) for a while and keep meaning to read but have never quite got around to. Finally found it for 50p in a charity shop and decided now was the time. So far, it hasn't disappointed. In fact, it has un disappointed (if that's possible). I do love it when you find a book that totally draws you in and you find yourself sneaking another couple of pages/chapters in at any opportunity. It's dark and sinister, funny in parts with a lively and totally believable range of characters. It reminds me slightly of so many books, but in very good ways - The Crow Road by Iain Banks, The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey and The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood. There's hints and references to all these mysterious happenings in a large and complex family. Just brilliant. Kind of wish I had suggested it for our next Book Club. Instead, I shall have to settle for telling everyone how thoroughly enjoyable it is. And I'm only on chapter 7...

Even more exciting, I have just found there was a tv adaptation back in 1994, starring Helena Bonham-Carter and Celia Imrie (oh, and Honeysuckle Weeks, whom I love just because of her name...) Bliss! I'm off to Love Film to stick it on my rental list!

Freebie!

Managed to get a FREE BOOK today. Wow! Cannot tell you how excited I was on getting to work, checking my emails to see that one of the managers (who is heading off to live in Hong Kong) had brought in a box of books she wanted to get rid of. I was over there like a shot and managed to nab Claire Tomalin's biography of Samuel Pepys - The Unequalled Self. Lucky ol' me.

I also managed to resist picking up three Kate Atkinson novels, telling myself they're really more of a library book then one to have your own copy of. I don't know - maybe you disagree. I have only read One Good Turn and thoroughly enjoyed it, but don't think I'll ever want to read it again, or lend it to a friend as a must-read, although I definitely do want to read more of her work.

Funny how you categorise books... I'd be really interested to hear how you justify a book purchase, or what criteria you follow...

Recent Reading...

The Dice Man by Luke Reinhart

The Crow Road by Iain Banks

The Table-Rappers: The Victorians and the Occult by Ronald Pearsall

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory

Films

Films watched:

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Revolutionary Road

Derren Brown

Going to see Derren Brown's Enigma show tomorrow night. Am unspeakably excited about it and praying I can curb my enthusiasm and not come across as a complete stalker in front of my work colleagues. I think the whole appeal is his sheer intelligence, humour and dedication to what is quite obviously his passion. And annoyingly it's not just the mind control stuff that he's good at. He is also a very accomplished artist. So unfair...

Books

Bleeding Heart Square by Andrew Taylor

Love from Nancy (the letters of Nancy Mitford) edited by Charlotte Moseley

Public Enemies

Went to see Public Enemies this week and absolutely loved it. The cinematography is gorgeous - very atmospheric and just beautiful in parts. In terms of a narrative though, it is quite odd. It feels a little bit like a bunch of set-pieces strung together. There are a number of unexplored characters who, at the same time, seem to have quite a bearing on John Dillinger's story. I don't know how historically accurate it is, but the period detail certainly seems very thorough. And it's gorgeous. Totally.

Oh, and did I mention that both Johnny Depp and Christian Bale look stunning?