It’s threatening to be a day of hiding under the duvet and reading about people doing stuff, rather than actually getting up and doing stuff myself.

Specifically, I’m about to tackle a Guardian article Shelf isolation: stylish reads to keep your spirits up. This is by way of window-shopping really: my actual reading in lock-down has stalled at Harry Potter. I do love a good school story. I hated school, mind, but I have memories of a blissful week in bed with some childhood disease, working my way through a pile of June and Schoolfriend annuals bequeathed by my slightly older cousin.

So, now, essentially, I’m hiding in Hogwarts: back on the school stories but with the added resonance of being books I read aloud to YoungLochinvar and the InfantPhenomenon in happier times.

However, I do know I should be taking this opportunity to tackle something more worthy and start the article in the hope of being inspired. The first title –The Mirror and the Light – leaps out reproachfully. I suspect we’re not the only household to have 904 pages of unopened Hilary Mantel on their coffee tables. Perhaps this will give me the shove I need to apply myself. I read on.

“The hardback version of The Mirror and the Light” says Jess Cartner-Morley “is the perfect size for putting under your laptop to avoid double chin on Zoom calls.”

Excellent! That’s what I call the perfect book review for our times.

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In other book-related news, John Finnemore, whose Cabin Pressure character Arthur has been posting from self-isolation on John’s YouTube channel, has come up with a great book titles game. This is my favourite (of mine) so far:

Stay well.