October

September gone already.  Time to seek out ‘The Great Pumpkin’ and snaffle all the orange creams from the Hallowe’en Quality Street.  But first, a review of the various experiments.  This last month, since stopping reading the news, and semi-stopping scrolling, and because those tormentors, AppleTV, are only drip-feeding one episode a week of ‘Slow Horses’, have read several books.  None of them coursework.  Alice Hoffman’s latest, ‘The Witches of Cambridge’, though suspect am not the target audience for that one, as am no longer seventeen.  (Other than inside my own head).  Not so much an age now, as the number of digestive biscuits I could dunk into one mug of tea. 

Zero biscuits or cake experiment is successfully ongoing too.  Nobody more surprised than me, although, M&S chocolate Brazils are becoming biscuit-crunch-methadone.  Picked up a packet of biscuits in Sainsbury’s, put them in the trolley, then U-turned them back to the shelf again.  Humming theme tune to ‘Rocky’ around the remaining aisles.  Then wondered if I was upset about something.  There are several 300-word entries showing, yes, I am upset about some things, but, I, in the manner of Joan of Arc herself, shall not submit to the demon biscuit.  Although have ordered some F&M ones for Christmas.  May just take them visiting.  Wanted the tin mostly anyway. 

Another book I enjoyed was Elizabeth Jane Howards’ ‘The Long View’, which recounts the life of a woman backwards, showing how she ended up with a narcissistic sod and putting up with it.  Howards’ book ‘Falling’ is another study of the narc; reading her autobiography, suspect she knew a few. 

Suffice to say, may never read the news again, and am not permitted to buy any books in the month of October.  Except in Edinburgh later this month. Afterall, Einstein said, Edinburgh=Art+Books+SpookyStreets².* 

*This is a bare-faced lie. Einstein said nothing of the sort.

The Great Pumpkin, Charlie_Brown

Hoffman, A ‘The Witches of Cambridge’ 2026 Scribner

Howard, E J ‘The Long View’ 2016 (1954) Picador Classic

Howard, E J ‘Falling’ 1999 MacMillan

Theme Tune to 'Rocky'