Free books

Although I pledged myself not to buy any newspapers this week (as it makes me think society's going down the pan and I want to think society's getting better) I could not resist buying The Times on Tuesday when I saw that the paper came with a free book: George Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London.

The Times is running a book week about London; a free copy of a classic every day.

Yesterday I scoured all the local newsagents but no copy of The Times included a free book. I jumped on Zat bike, headed to Camden and got Patrick Hamilton's Hangover Square. In a minute I will cycle back to Camden for today's free offering and tomorrow again for another.

I have not read fiction for ages. I can't seem to concentrate on it. I have quite a few unread books on my shelf that I want to read but haven't yet. This is a sad state of affairs because I like reading.

So I have decided, that when I get a free book, I will write a 'review' of it. Now I am utterly shit at writing reviews, of books, films, anything really, so generally I don't do it. But just because I can't do something, does it mean that I shouldn't try?

To spur me on, I will post my reviews here on the blog. It may be that this doesn't happen very often. No matter, I want to read more fiction and have decided that this is a way to make me do so. Who knows, I might get better at writing them. If not, it doesn't matter, it just means that being a book reviewer is not my destiny. I don't know what is my destiny, but let's just say I'm entering a process of elimination in order to find out what is.

First up will be the non fictional Down and Out in Paris and London. I'm already finding excuses not to read it for review purposes...weekend away... half term...but I must! There's a whole world of fiction out there crying out for me!! I have to get started on it some how!!