I don't often wish I worked from home (can see myself degenerating into a lonely, compulsive-biscuit-eating procrastinator far too soon) but today I do. The reason is simple: heating. If you work in a large institution you are almost certainly at the mercy of a catch-all policy regarding, amongst other things, When The Heating Is Turned On. For my place of work, this (necessarily arbitrary) date appears to be October 1st. This week the average temperature outside has been nearing 20 degrees, but who cares about that? It's October and officially winter on campus. A bit like Narnia. Except it's NOT, it's bloody HOT. The whole place is steaming with a miasma of student sweat and it stinks. I have run out of fans to dispense to classrooms. And I don't smell too fragrant myself, either. Of course, I can't turn any of the heaters OFF, no, that would be far too much power. They are controlled from a tower somewhere in The White Witch's Castle Facilities Management.Edit: Drew feels my pain.Tags: work gripes 15:18 . . .
Book 59: The Rotter's Club by Jonathan CoeIt's a great story this, with good fully-realised characters who do that hardest of things - grow up - over the course of the book without blurring at the edges. But I still didn't enjoy it entirely, because every few pages it seemed like there was another unneccessary framing device: a letter, a speech transcript, an interview, a school magazine article... and of course the whole story is supposedly told in a future conversation between children of two of the main characters. Clunky and needless. Book 60: The Vampyre by Tom HollandByron lends himself to mythologising exceedingly well, and the whole vampire take on his European travels was obviously too tempting and intriguing for any self-respecting historical novelist to resist. Unfortunately the resulting book is a bit crap and overblown. I preferred The Merciful Women by Federico Andahazi, which puts Polidori centre stage and adds an even darker, sexier twist.Tags: 50 Book Challenge 16:26 . . .
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