Saturday 20th Jan

 The appointments diary for today was completely empty. Nothing there.

So we did pretty much nothing. It wasn't the weather for doing anything.

I've read some more of 'Of Stone and Of Sky' by Merryn Glover. I'm finding the structure of very short chapters, some only half a page long, compelling. They are all switching from one point of view to another, pieces in a puzzle surrounding the disappearance of a main character. That's not a spoiler, by the way; the very first chapter is a euology for him.

I love the cover too. Do I recommend it? Yes, but it's not an easy read, in the sense you have to work at it. I am reading a few chapters at a time, so that I can stay with the story. It's 'rich' fare, like some cakes and deserts and main courses are rich. I think I will suggest1 it to The Book Group when it's my turn to choose book.

At the same time I'm also reading 'The Common Years' by Jilly Cooper which is also a series of very short pieces. This time there is no puzzle, as it is just extracts from her notes and observations of the changing seasons, the people she meets, and the regrettable behaviour of her dogs as she walks round Putney and Barnes Commons. Again I'm only reading it in smallish chunks, a, to use a food simile again, it's more like eating chocolate digestive buscuits. You've got to know when to stop! 

I'm a bit sad about the illustrations. From the little I can make out I think they would have worked in a larger format book, but in my standard size second hand paperback it's too difficult to work out the details. 

I was given a bunch of daffodils on Thursday. They are coming into flower as I watch.