Gosh it's cold and I am glad to be back in my little flat with curtains drawn and all nice and cosy. Had a very pleasant few days with a friend of mine who lives not far from Brighton so I was able to nip down to that town and see my Aunt Kit, who is now the longest living relative I possess (96) after the death of my lovely mum. She is housebound but lives in a lovely block of warden controlled flats and has carers come in and she is as bright as a button and quite content with her books and her radio. I have always got on well with Auntie Kit, she was always such a fun person, well still is, and we used to spend all our time together giggling and the other day was no different.
I had taken down about 40 books for my friend Daphne, saved up over the last six months, and was really pleased to get some space back in my living room. But Daphne gave me four carrier bags full in return and then after coffee one morning we went on a charity shop trawl and I picked up even more: two by Reginald HIll, another Peter James (have just finished his latest and it is brilliant), one by Charles Cumming, an author I have recently discovered who writes spy thrillers, the Ivy Tree by Mary Stewart, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a day in the Persephone Classic edition (I already have this and will pass it on to a friend, was not going to leave it languishing there) and, finally, a gorgeous hard backed and beautifully illustrated copy of French country Cooking by Elizabeth David which I pounced upon with cries of glee.
On arriving home, I found another five books had arrived for review, plus two from the Amazon Vine Programme so as far as space is concerned I am back to square one.
Read a terrific detective story while away which I will review in the next day or so, but am looking forward to staying indoors nice and warm and getting ready to watch Strictly Come Dancing. Surely, surely THAT Woman will go this week? Pretty please....
