[m i a o w] the cat

It is such a decadent feeling to have VOUCHERS to shop with. From my Faux Uncle Noel (known to some as ‘Grassy’) I had Christmas and birthday vouchers for the Paperback Bookshop. As I happened to be shooting through this city this morning and actually had them with me, I spent a leisurely hour ruminating on what I would like best. Way, way too much choice. I have always wanted to own a current copy of the Australian Writers’ Marketplace but it just seemed too boring to blow fifty bucks on.

To go with the same theme, I instead scored a copy of Reading Like a Writer by the aptly named Francine Prose. It pimps itself as ‘a guide for people who love to read and for those who want to write them’, i.e. me.

I pondered on getting the new one from Jasper Fforde, but was unable to remember if I did actually read Something Rotten or just stole chunks of it with my eyes at many and various book selling establishments. I think it was the former. But I’m Not Quite Sure.

So I kept in tune with my first pick and got The Best Creative Nonfiction: Volume 1. This was selected on something of a whim - as I flicked through, it seemed like the kind of stuff I like to read - and write. And I didn’t even know what the hell creative nonfiction was, until about a minute ago when I looked it up here.

Last but not least, I got - no, NOT a crime novel (oddly enough), but One Train Later a memoir by Andy Summers, who played in a lot of bands, the most famous of which were (are?!) probably The Police. It was voted book of 2006 by Mojo readers and also got talked up by Word Magazine (and I must take the opportunity here to thank Mr H. who donates all his Word copies to moi - on the proviso that I never throw any away. Fair deal). Incidentally my very own mother went to see The Police somewhere in Massachusetts a few weeks back along with 29,999 other people, and they were apparently excellent. “That Sting,” breathed my mother, down the long distance line, “He’s looks fantastic.” Yes. That would be closely related to the squillions of dollars, the freakish amount of yoga, the happy marriage and, most importantly, the kickass bassplaying/singing stuff he’s had happening for a while now…

I’m booked up and ready to rumble. Yay me