18: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: Alexander McCall Smith: ISBN 0-349-11675-X

Well, my mum and the anonymous commenter on a recent post were both right to recommend this. I found it a little slow to start but utterly utterly charming. Lovely characters, a nice meandering sort of plot, with lots of little mysteries solved and one bigger one running through the rest of the book. And some looking back at the past, childhood and young adulthood and the life of her father. Two generations of Africans living in Botswana, and loving their country. It's a beautiful portrait of a country, as well as of the people living there and their friends. I shall look forward to reading the sequels at some point.

Shopping list

By Thursday I need to buy a pair of slippers, preferably a new dressing gown, and a birthday present for my sister (who will shortly be hitting 26, how'd that happen?). The new dressing gown I have been aware of a need for for some time, but now I'm going to be wearing one in public the need becomes rather more pressing. The reason for all this is a visit to a health spa on Saturday to celebrate said birthday. Thank goodness I've already got a new swimming costume, or I'd have to buy that too.

I was going to head up on Friday after work on the train, but my dad's working in Norwich on Wednesday and Thursday and has offered me a lift up instead if I can get Friday off work, which sounds like a much more sensible plan even if it does involve leaving rjk for that little bit longer. You shall all have to keep him entertained for me while I'm gone.