Book Thirty Four

First of all, I guess I had better apologise for not blogging recently. It really is stupidly silly season over here. Lots of Christmas parties (including an epic work-do and another afternoon session in The Coogee Bay Hotel), birthday parties (50 people on Clark Island in the Harbour for Annabel's 30th), nights out, gigs (Lionel Richie – brilliant!), work drinks etc etc. I just haven't had the time. And I've also been sticking the extra hours in at work so the last thing I need when I get home is another few hours on the PC. So sorry about that.

And with Christmas, Thailand (I leave on Friday and will be Koh Pha Ngan for H's 30th and NYE) and the Sydney Festival in January (including De La Soul, UNKLE, The Police, Carl Cox and the Symphony In The Park) I'm not sure I'll be on top of the blogging game anytime soon.

Anyway, back to business. Book Thirty Four. Now a few peopleI I know have read this one. I seem to remember Kim talking about it black in Blighty, and I think Mike and Ella have read it. And in the last two months Rachel, Katie and Moe have all polished it off. It's funny how one book can suddenly seem to be the 'must read' of the moment. So, with so many people recommending it, it would've been foolish to let this one pass me by.

I really struggled to get into this one and I found the first quarter of the book really hard going, and it actually threw me a little as I hadn't expected it to be so tough. But, I just can't stop. If I could read Book Twenty Seven than, as far as I'm concerned, I can give anything a go. I'd talked to Katie about it as well – she was anxious for me to finish it so we can chat about it. A bit like a small book club really. Scary! But she told me to stick with it as she too had struggled at the start but then got into it and couldn't put it down.

And that's exactly what happened to me. After the first hundred pages or so, something happened. I'm not sure what but I went from disliking a book to absolutely loving it and I couldn't wait to pick it up every day.

It's a fascinating story, based on the social phenomenon that is high school killings. Kevin kills nine people at school one day, and in a series of letters written to her husband, Kevin's mother recounts the story of how Kevin came to be Kevin. Was it nature? Was it nurture? Were the parents to blame? Was the boy just born evil?

I must find Katie to discuss.....

Have a great Christmas everyone and all the best for 2008. I'll be back in the UK in August for Mike and Ella's wedding - I'd have been away for two and half years by then - so I look forward to catching up with you all, and drinking Blackthorn, then.