And it's hard at the end of the day/ I need some distraction.

ESPRESSO TALES
ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH

Great follow-up to 44 Scotland Street. Lovely characters, but this one seemed to be rather dominated by young Bertie. (Or did it just feel that way?)

A second novel that's utterly faithful to the first. Seems there's a third. More about that when I get to it.

THE READING GROUP
ELIZABETH NOBLE

Depressed the living daylights out of me a few chapters in. So was abandoned, with more than a little guilt, for the following reasons: A fabulous construct (the lives of five different women who come together at a book club, and whose stories are amplified by their selection of fiction). Several interesting characters that you could probably recognise at the third sentence (in fact, that was my principal problem - it was all too damn real for me). A truly interesting set of books (including Atonement, and The Woman Who Walked Into Doors).

Still, it wasn't meant to be. And much as I'd like to blame it on Bad Luck And Trouble, the new Lee Child I'd been lusting after and finally obtained, I know it isn't so.

Maybe, someday, when I'm older.

BAD LUCK AND TROUBLE
LEE CHILD

As a friend from school used to sing in chorus to a certain Boney M song: Delicious, delicious. It's a super book, and actually adds a level to the already quite fabulous Jack Reacher franchise. Reacher has friends!

I was so happy for him for the brief minute before I was plunged headlong into crazy action. Hope to see the rest of the gang in other books.

The large format paperback I read promised the next Reacher escapade, Play Dirty, sometime in 2007, so I guess I just have to wait.

LIGHT
M. JOHN HARRISON

Abandoned a few chapters in, solely because I wasn't in the mood for SF. But this one will be retrieved later, for certain. It's too highly recommended to not make the effort.

Maybe when I'm on holiday. AFTER the Eco book that's been earmarked for long trips.

MCSWEENEY'S MAMMOTH TREASURY OF THRILLING TALES
MICHAEL CHABON (ED.)

Read a couple. Loved them. And have installed the book on my bedside table to dip into whenever a. I'm in between books, b. I hate the book I'm actually reading, or c. Feel like a short.