Thursday

It's one of those nights where I wake at ridiculous-o'clock unable to get back to sleep.  I'm downstairs, eating some toast, having a warm drink and on the internet, hoping that sleep will be less elusive in a short time and I can complete my interrupted sleep.  I hope this doesn't last long . . .

Yesterday: busy, headache went in the morning, good PPA time, staff meeting OK with no more challenges, marking all done, rather good spontaneous extra lesson which worked out quite well.  One to feel satisfied with, I think - I hope, anyway.

Having a Kindle, I subscribe to a few 'free books' lists that require me to go onto Amazon and download.  Most on the list are (or look like, because I don't download them) absolute rubbish but some look reasonably OK.  Many are 'part one', in the hopes, I suppose, that one will want to buy the next book and then the next.  Sorry, I don't think so . . .  they don't catch me THAT much!

However, on Facebook, a friend recommended 'The English and their history'.  It certainly wasn't a freebie, far from it, although quite a bit cheaper on kindle than as a hard copy so I thought about my fairly healthy bank balance at the moment and dived in!  It's definitely my sort of book and I'm loving it.  It is scholarly but very readable and will keep me reading for quite a while.  What's not to like?  Thank you, R, for the recommendation.
There's rather a good review here while the Times calls it a 'pithy, punchy and learned history'.  What it is, I have found after a few chapters, is knowledgeable and immensely readable.  I've always loved the broad sweep of history as well as 'historical novels' and this is really pressing my buttons.

I do love my Kindle!