Well, I was looking for something to read the other day and, while digging through a dusty pile of books in the living room, I found a book I picked up years ago but never got around to reading. I settled in for a comfy and relaxing read. I didn't get it. What I DID get was quite a fascinating read as two of my favorite fictional worlds collided : H.P. Lovecraft's weird, eerie, creepy and just plain unsettling world of the Cthulhu mythos and Doyle's prim, proper, and ultimately logical and rational world of Sherlock Holmes. The book's entitled Shadows Over Baker Street and is a collection of short stories by well-known sci-fi writers. All the stories involve both Holmes (or his world) and Lovecraft's world. All in all, it was a cracking good read -- Neil Gaiman's story (the first one in the collection) was possibly the best and, to me, quite startling. The others in the collection are, if not equally good, at least worth a read. So, if you're either a Holmes fan (maybe a "Baker Street Irregular"?) or a Lovecraft minion (would that be a sub-demon?) then I'd recommend this book.

Below is a link to BBC Radio 4 and a reading of 'And His Letters . . .' by the actor Nigel Havers who btw is appearing as Maxim de Winter in Rebecca on the London stage. Perhaps not quite Olivier but he does have that aristocratic 'something' about him. At the BBC site click on Monday And regarding aristocrats, Frieda, maybe some people in the UK feel that a hangman's gibbet should stand outside the House of Lords or that hereditary peers should be replaced by friends of the Government with deep pockets . . . not so different from the old system when you consider how many 'top people's' ancestors obtained their titles. Either way, arriving with William the Conqueror or slightly more recently when various Royal Mistresses demanded positions for their offspring, this group is part of the Establishment. No amount of money, delicacy of character, nobleness of soul makes it possible for the rest of us to join this elite group (and it is amazing how many would like to be Up There). Top actors, pop singers, Party Girls etc hang round the edge but they are almost never admitted into this inner-sanctum. Of course there are some very wealthy people in this bracket; mostly from ownership of land and lots have 'Stately Homes'. Many of you have probably been to Chatsworth, Castle Howard, Warwick Castle etc. who's owners have wisely turned their properties into money-making enterprises. Interesting about the story of the student and her father. Surprisingly over here, for everyone below Royalty if such a thing had happened (a father writing in on behalf of his daughter) any university would have put the application straight in the bin; there is no automatic right of entry to any uni' for sons/daughters of alumni. Re adoption: there are certainly far fewer babies available these days. Although many many more babies are being born 'out of wedlock' (for want of a better expression) this is usually by choice . . . of at least one parent . . . and in both big cities and small country towns the sight of groups of very young females pushing baby buggies, smoking, chatting to boys (the possible fathers?) is very common. Our Govt gives out vast amounts of benefits to this group so the need to put a baby up for adoption is very low and many people only want healthy white children. The Social Services who are usually the first port of call in these matters make the 'process' very very difficult, especially for middle-class couples. It seems that if a child comes from a poorer, perhaps racially mixed background the social workers wants it to be adopted by people from that 'class' without considering whether the child might stand a chance of a better life. Some parents look abroad as I expect they do in the US, but this can lead to even more problems . . . and cost far more than going through the usual channels. When the cases of the Romanian orphans was first aired on TV some people tried to adopt a child, thinking with their hearts rather than...

I've read Black Swan Green which I enjoyed a lot, The Night Watch which was pretty good, and Theft which I found hard going. (I'm not a Peter Carey fan, I have finally admitted). I have bought today In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar. It's set in Libya in 1979, and told from the eyes of a nine-year-old boy - so we understand much better than he does what is going on. Enjoying it a lot so far. The Barry Unsworth is not out yet, but I'm looking forward to that. And I can't resist a book called Kalooki Nights!

Here is an exerpt from the official Booker Man site: "The prize, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2008 after launching in 1969, aims to promote the finest in fiction by rewarding the best novel of the year written by a citizen of the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland." Okay.........WHY change the whole premise? I understand the " every kid is equal and every one has to get a trophy" epidemic that seems to be sweeping our country ...but let's leave some things alone.