I’ve just finished reading Christopher Priest’s The Prestige – what a treat it was. Unusually, I want to see the film again asap now. The book and film are substantially different but it’s clear the film makers did a rather brilliant job of capturing the spirit of the book, despite simplifying the plot and changing things around quite a lot. So if you’ve seen the film – do read the book because you get a different perspective and further mysteries. Or, if you’ve only read the book, get hold of the DVD because the film is full of its own surprises – and rather well acted and produced, too.

The weather has turned decidedly wintry and it’s time for the writing of the Christmas list. I’m going to put some Persephone books on mine this year. Persephone publishes reprints of books from yesteryear worthy of another look and there have been some really interesting ones. If you buy three at once you get a discount, but they still work out at £11 each for a paperback so they are a bit of a luxury. However, they are things of beauty in elegant grey, each with unique endpapers and a matching bookmark taken from a relevant design of the period. There are 75 of them at the moment and I only have six – so it’s hard deciding which ones make it on to Santa’s letter.