Lemons

I think inspiration has left and laziness has taken its place. I have been thinking of big ideas and I think that is my problem. I need to think smaller before I can think big. I haven't done much writing but I have painted the hall and made a lemon cake this week (see above). It may not be very impressive to you but cakes don't like me so I was very pleased with myself.

I have just read the Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini which I enjoyed. The fact that it was a first novel surprised me, (I need to read a Thousand Splendid Suns now). It made me wonder how much of it was based on truth. I thought I'd find the subject matter hard going, but it is the kind of book that hooks you straight away. There are moments in the novel when the repetition and devices used remind you that you are reading fiction but mostly you are just taken along by the narration. The narrators flaws made his journey all the more believable and the writer conveys his guilt and pain in a subtle and honest way. The images of childhood were skillfully done too. A good mix of sweet and sour, like my lemon drizzle cake, which I have to say was pretty good too.

Making up words

Finished reading London Fields by Martin Amis. The book has proved to be a costly read. As my vocabulary is so brilliant I had to use a dictionary alongside it. Much to my horror I would have to stop reading, look up the word and then find that some of the words weren't even in it. I first thought that this was because he was either using very obscure words that even my dictionary didn't know, or even worse, making words up! Then I realised that my dictionary was printed in the early eighties and this could account for its lack of knowledge. I've ordered a new one.