Time keeps on ticking... into the future

A blog I read is subtitled "Full time dad wastes valuable reading time by writing about reading".

I've been wasting valuable blogging time by well, reading. And now I'm going to waste reading time by blogging about reading.

So, I've realised recently that I read like a man. I used to read like a woman, largely fiction, largely women's fiction. A bookcase full of the characteristic dark green Virago and striped Women's Press spines was testament to my reading proclivities. I cared about the Orange Prize. I was a demographic.

Now I read non fiction. I read non fiction written by men. I read non fiction written by men who used to be music journalists. Not exclusively, but enough to make note of.

Is it also relevant that I used to be fiercely monogamous in my reading and now I have a pile of 6 books on the go?

I am currently reading:

Mark Radcliffe's Biography i.e. a book about a bloke
A book about 2 blokes who get an allotment
A book about a bloke who decides to travel around all the places on the shipping forecast
A book about a bloke who does a load of experiements to prove the theory of social economics
A book by a bloke who needs to get a real job, talking about the pleasures and sorrows of work
A book by a bloke who decides to travel around Britain, drinking in a lot of pubs on the way

If I were the subject of RFID based targeted advertising a la Minority Report, and took the advice of the advertisers, I would be buying a lot of lager, gilette razors and tyres right now.

I am still a demographic, just not the right one.

Question: Does it matter?

I've heard of copy cats...

... but not copy penguins. No doubt inspired by the tremendous singles nights at Swansea Central Library, at last a major player in the book trade has recognised the link between literature and love.
Penguin books have teamed up with online dating agency Match.com to help lonely literature lovers hook up. Read all about it here

room for a little one?

Seems not as all seats are taken by reading children at Swansea Central library! Now there's a scene to warm the heart...

2000!

Yesterday evening at around 8.20pm (while I was complacently watching The Bill), this blog had it's 2000th visitor!

Seems like only yesterday I was announcing the 1000th visitor and I've beaten my self imposed target of 2000 visitors by the blog's first birthday.

It does help that I share a name with an (ahem) "adult entertainment star", but some of you are real... aren't you?

1000

I am thrilled to announce that this blog has had it's 1000th visitor today!

So, if you were the person reading at around 1.30pm from a City and County of Swansea IP address then

"give yourself a shiny!"