From the BBC, the missing piece of information we have all craved: a mathematical formula for when the beer goggles kick in, based on factors such as "luminance of person of interest".
I've had a bit of a media week this week.
Films seen: 2 -- Pan's Labyrinth, Notes on a Scandal
Books read:
Percentage of these which were excellent: 100
I was going to write about them, and indeed I started a review of one but it was just so very boring. I was left gobsmacked by my own tedium. So if you want to know anything about the films or books just ask and I will try not to bore you into catatonia in the comments.
Oh wait, I remembered what pissed me off about A Gathering Light. Bloomsbury has just released 21 of its most influential and/or popular books in handsome new editions, with smart covers and introductions and reading notes for our book club-going brethren, and I bought a stack because they were on sale for two for a fiver at Waterstone's in Piccadilly, which is a total no-brainer. Two books for a fiver, I mean *come on*. This is how we know God loves us and wants us to be happy.
So I pick up A Gathering Light, with an introduction by Jeanette Winterson, and start reading and the stupid tosser proceeds not to talk about the book and why she likes it, but to give away the entire plot in two pages
So that's it. I am never buying one of Jeanette Winterson's books ever again, no matter how beautifully she writes. Being profoundly annoying on The Late Review or in The Sunday Times is one thing, because I can switch off or turn the page and be done with it, but an author *giving away the plot* in the intro to a book she supposedly admires is just oafishness and stupidity and a slapping offence and generally not cricket. Silly cow. With Le Creuset knobs on.
Pretty soon I am going to start talking about house renovation because the bank is going to give me the money. Rather than bore everyone into submission I thought I'd chuck it behind a filter (when I remember to do so) Feel free to opt out.
You want in on the filter?
Yes
39(97.5%)
No
1(2.5%)
The choices are
The book after Temeraire (but this means I will have to leave the house and go to a proper bookshop to buy it; I can't just bugger off to Stratford as usual. They don't do dragons in Stratford.)
9(24.3%)
The Little Friend, Donna Tartt (thank you again, Bloomsbury)
4(10.8%)
The start of The Night Watch again, just so I can coo over how clever Sarah Waters is
2(5.4%)
The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenthingie
11(29.7%)
Kingdom of Shadows, Alan Furst
1(2.7%)
Vernon God Little, DBC Pierre
0(0.0%)
Home Extensions, Paul Hymers (which I should read but can't. Be. Arsed.)
0(0.0%)
The book I got for a quid which is all about the historical effects of El Nino
3(8.1%)
Something else, which I shall specify at some point
3(8.1%)
Ticky (please explain also how this is possible)
4(10.8%)
I have book tokens. Hear me roar.
