Random Notes From: Here

* Picador recently ran a Twitter-based competition to win an advance bound proof copy of Richard. I however missed it as I was up a hill most of the day. Congratulation to whoever won it.

* Someone else is selling an advance bound proof copy on Ebay, for a starting bid of £29.99. 100+ spelling mistakes are included for free.

* I recently ate my first McDonalds meal in 8 years, late at night, at one of those weird faux-American strip mall / retail park places that seem to be filling in all the gaps between our towns and cites and the countryside. It tasted of alienation and despair, and salt. I may wait another 8 years before the next one.

* I've been listening to 'Alone Again Or' by Love most days. And also - still - a lot of Right Said Fred. The Fairbrass brothers remain under-rated. I'm not even trying to be clever; not much rock music is doing much for me at the moment.

* 'Awaydays' is definitely the worst film I have watched in a long time.

* I'm excited to see that a book that I had never heard of by Knut Hamsun has recently been published.

* And I'm reading a very good book about life in Medieval (ie, circa 1300-1400) Britain called The Time Travellers Guide To Medieval Britain by Ian Mortimer.

Perhaps for the first time in my life I feel myself simultaneously drawn to both "pop music" and "British history". It feels mysterious and exciting.