(1) Things which I have read.So, it turns out that by the time I got to my week’s holiday in September, my brain was so done that I read one book in a week. That may be a record low for me. I mean, crashing for a week was definitely what was necessary, but, sorry, Iain M Banks, you did not really get got to this month.

My holiday book was The 7th Function of Language by Laurent Binet. Having taking years to get to HhHH before completely loving it last year, I shunted this up the TBR pile, and fully enjoyed it as well. I do wonder, a little, how well it works for people who didn’t read ALL OF THE FOUCAULT for their doctorates and don’t find Umberto Eco in-jokes funny, but I also don’t care: this book was written for me about language and it made me happy.

I also read The Uncoupling by Meg Wolitzer, which was fine, but not devastatingly brilliant. I think I would rather have just read Lysistrata. I find it interesting that I was fine with this, and fine but not wowed by The Female Persusion this year, and did I watch Wolitzer peak with The Interestings, which is fully spectacular?

(2) Things which I have watched I saw András Schiff play the second book of Bach’s Well-Tempered Klavier at the Proms and it was FREAKING TRANSCENDANT OK. Everyone should stay up well past midnight on a school-night for this. Sit back, shut your eyes, and try and find that zone where your brain is quiet but not asleep, and let Bach do his thing.

At the cinema this month I made it to see: * Crazy Rich Asians, silly, pretty, fun, which I am so glad exists although I am also still concerned that mega-rich landlords may not be great role models? * The Little Stranger, which I quite liked (the atmosphere is really great and eerie) but dragged a bit. * A Simple Favour, which was completely silly nonsense, but exactly the silly nonsense I was looking for.

At the theatre I saw the National's new production of Antony and Cleopatra, with Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okenedo. I enjoyed it - the performances, particularly bring so much out of the characters and moment of Mediterranean history - but it also felt it's length (3 hrs plus interval).

(3) Things which I wrote A lot of things in a notebook, not yet fully formed.

(4) Two pieces from a Year of Wonder One new one to me: Korngold’s Violin Concerto, which I really really like. And one that came to me refreshed after a few years: one of Satie’s Gnossiennes. Satie is a great palatte cleanser when you’re feeling all messed up.

(5) A photo from the month gone by

Just the worst (why aren't I still there?)

(6) In the pile for October Well, I am still reading Surface Detail, and then there is a new Murakami out, and I am dipping in and out of Aaron Niequist’s The Eternal Current, and after that I’m not planning. But I am feeling a reading yen coming along.