Feast

These are the kind of birthday presents I like. From people who know my tastes, but also buy me books I haven't heard of. On the bottom of the pile is a cookbook, without which no birthday is complete. It's a very posh one, with a smart binding, a woven bookmark, and silver-edged pages. There are two Alan Garner books, added to my wishlist after I read The Voice that Thunders. I'm currently reading Strandloper.

If the books were French, the pile would most likely be a lot less colourful. Cheap Livres de Poche in France are similar to British or American ones, with bright covers, but serious literature and non-fiction is almost invariably published in plain cream covers with the title and author in simple typography. Nothing else, except possibly a strip of red paper wrapped round it if it has won a prize. Like this. Makes for very dull bookshelves!

It was a pretty chilled-out birthday compared to last year. The weather was dull and we didn't feel inclined to go out. So after a bit of work and our Skype Spanish lesson, I went for a brief walk. Since then most of my day has been spent lounging by the fire. Sometimes it's good to be purposeless.

PS see another blipper's pile of books here :)