The Days Where Nothing Goes Right TM

I have decided that someone needs to set up a 'The Days Where Nothing Goes Right' service. You know, one of those ones where you call up a number, order what you need and a Very Nice Man on a bike arrives twenty minutes later.
Quite frankly, today has been just one of those days - heel breaks on shoe, no more money in the bank, a nail folds back on itself bleeding everywhere, and to top it off, a trapped nerve in the neck.
Now to all intents and purposes, I really should just go back to bed, forget the day ever happened, and hope tomorrow is better. However, like most of the non-student, child, old people population, I am at work, and therefore unable to demand such luxuries as hiding under a duvet.
Therefore, I think there should be a service directly for days like this. Whether it be replacement shoes in your size to get you home (thankfully I was only halfway out the door) with limited ridicule, impromptu buttons, safety pins and sewing kit for when one pops off your shirt just before you're about to head off to an important meeting, or most importantly chocolate brownies on credit for when you realise you have to live on beans on toast for the next week, along with various other 'Feel Better' food and drink items - crisps, Dairy Milk Fruit and Nut and pistachio nuts are springing to mind at this point.
Combine this with a manicurist (and indeed chiropractor at this rate) and hairdresser on standby, and I feel that days like this could cease to exist, or at least seem far better than they do now!

Reading bake-athon

Also known as my holiday in Crete. Well, as much as an entire week spent with your mother can be classed as a holiday. Thankfully the twitch is starting to subside.
However, it was most certainly a break from the norm, and indeed from work, for the first time in a very long time. No laptop. No internet. No manuscripts in my hand luggage. Replaced with 9 books, 5 magazines, and 4 bikinis. Sigh.
On arrival at the hotel, I discovered not only that there was a 'private' beach (private meaning less than 300 people these days it seems) across the road, but that there was a little alcove where no-one else was baking.
And so, (when I was motherless) this was where I spent last week - feet in the sea, book in one hand and suntan lotion in the other.
On the rare occasions I looked up from whichever world I had transported myself to, I did a spot of 'book-watching'. Nosey at the best of times, it is intriguing to see what others are reading. Not only was I pleased to see fewer Dan Browns than in previous years, (finally I hope, the world is moving on) but that everyone (the largely British contingent that is) seemed to be reading something different. Whether the wonders of Amazon and other sites have helped improve the diversity of the general public's reading, I don't know, but it was a breath of fresh air to see fewer Grishams, McNabs, and Potters than ever before.
Which led me to decide the following - once a month I am going to ask a different friend to recommend a book to me (now I have actually made a noticable dent in my 'other people's books to read' pile) and I'll read it, no questions asked. Hopefully this will not only expand my reading preferences, but also my knowledge - of other good authors, and indeed of life.

What are you reading right now?

A booky meme which I was tagged by Becky for.

What are you reading right now?
The Book Thief. Use of Weapons. Hiding the Elephant. Essentially Richard’s book collection.
I normally only read one book at a time, but I went through a phase of not being able to pick up a book at all, so now I have lots of other people’s to catch up on. I’m sorry, I’m sorry!

Do you have any idea what you’ll read when you’re done with that?
Because of said reading absence, I’ll be taking a great pile of books with me on holiday next week, including some good old trash from Anita, and two Sebastian Faulks from Ruth. Engleby and Human Traces.

What magazines do you have in your bathroom right now?
None. I do have a book called Passing Time in the Loo, though. A freebie from a book fair which serves its purpose. I always read GQ in the bath. It just doesn’t live there.

What’s the worst thing you were ever forced to read?
Aside from the revoltingly dull feminist drivel I was forced to read as part of my degree, I would say perhaps the odd military history manuscript. Some people just can’t write for toffee. Like literary nails on a blackboard.

What’s the one book you always recommend to just about everyone?
I don’t normally like recommending books to people because they are such a subjective choice. I always fear I’ll get it wrong. Imply I don’t understand them. Or display an appalling lack of taste in literature. However, there are three books which I feel have left a permanent stamp on me, and so would be the books I’d probably recommend, if anyone were to ask. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. The Time Traveller’s Wife. The Giving Tree.

Admit it, the librarians at your library know you on a first name basis, don’t they?
I don’t currently belong to a library. I often consider it, seeing as I only live round the corner from one, but I just never seem to get through my current ‘to read’ pile before more are added.

Is there a book you absolutely love, but for some reason, people never think it sounds interesting, or maybe they read it and don’t like it at all?
Aside from my secret Jilly Cooper fetish - who I am sure many would say is a Marmite author - I am sure there are many books which I adore and lots of people would hate! Probably The Secret Life of Bees if I had to pick one.

Do you read books while you eat? While you bathe? While you watch movies or TV? While you listen to music? While you’re on the computer? While you’re having sex? While you’re driving?

While eating: Of course. Who doesn’t? Nothing quite like a Sunday morning with a good book and a peanut butter bagel. Aside from perhaps a half-naked Daniel Craig lying next to me, being showered with crumbs.

While bathing: Again, of course. Bubbles, book, bath. Sigh.

While watching movies or TV: No, no, no. These are three very separate things. Why read a book half-heartedly? No point in reading it at all.

While you listen to music: Not often. If I’m listening to a new CD I’m certainly listening to the lyrics and therefore would never be reading as well. Sometimes though, I just like having good music on in the background no matter what I’m doing.

While on the computer: No. Unless of course you count reading something like this…

While having sex: If this is even remotely a consideration, you should not be having sex with that person. Either train them to get better, or find a new one.

While you're driving: Despite many people’s mutterings that I’m a rather mad driver, ahem, I would never try to do this. Aside from the running theme through these responses that reading is all-encompassing, and therefore should not be juggled, I really don’t think it would be wise.

When you were little, did other children tease you about your reading habits?
Never. Not many children teased me when I was little.

What’s the last thing you stayed up half the night reading because it was so good you couldn’t put it down?
The last Harry. I just had to know.