Weekend Reading List

It is the hottest of days, so hot that I'm reminded of that summer I was in Madrid and spent the entire trip lying in the hideous 'designer' room and wishing I was back at the the Ritz (just round the corner) instead; I hate trendy design hotels with a vengeance and this one had dance music in the lifts, and the staff were all too good-looking to just give you service without a huge dose of attitude. But it was just too stiflingly hot to even think of going out; I was sure that just lifting my hand to hail a cab would undo me. I was reading, and am now re-reading The God of Small Things (1997 Booker Prize) an old favourite. Arundhati Roy's first book (and her only novel!) is a shimmering feast, ravishing and transporting and a perfect escape when you can't go anywhere. (Aside: Once upon a time, an irritating sub editor was named The Goddess of Small Things by me for picking on up on the smallest things and behaving as if it was her moral triumph. Yes, it was her job, but she took it rather personally, if you know what I mean.)
I've also got to finish Henry James's The Awkward Age before the weekend - it's already a couple of days overdue at the National Library and I always feel immense anxiety when books are late. But then again, to go dashing out to the library in this shocking heat...