Reading something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue
Some weeks ago, my tongue was a bit twisty after reading two British books in succession; I can’t help reading them without a British accent in my head! At that time, I was also nursing a bad cough (read: evil virus going around) with lots of mint tea and honey (okay, and some all-butter shortbread), so I was enjoying round-the-clock teatime, perfect for these two books: The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4 by Sue Townsend, and The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro.
A few months back, I did a review of a series of trivia books and I’ve finished a bunch more since then. I have a habitual vice of poring into tomes of useless information, especially when I’m too stressed to read continuously, or when I need a break from long narratives.
This time around, I have another set of four trivia books on a variety of subjects, from general information to language to etiquette and combat: Why Don’t Penguins’ Feet Freeze? and 114 Other Questions edited by Mick O’ Hare; Red Herrings and White Elephants: The Origins of the Phrases We Use Everyday by Albert Jack (illustrated by Ama Page); Directions to Servants by Jonathan Swift; and The Action Heroine’s Handbook by Jennifer Worick and Joe Borgenicht (books 237-240 of 2009).
