A man ought to read just as inclination leads him, for what he reads as a task will do him little good.

Tasman Bridge, Eastern Shore side. Hobart. October 2012.

A Burnt-Out Case, Graham Greene: Faith, belief and unbelief. And lepers. A bleak and miserable cast of characters in deepest, darkest Africa ponder the existence of God. B.

The Sixties, Lesley Jackson: A nice big book that concentrates on the design and architecture of the 1960s, this book traces the transition from the 1950s "Contemporary" design to the geometry of "the look" and styles that proliferated throughout the 60s to the proto-high tech developments of the 1970s. It covers all aspects - architecture, ceramics, glass, textiles and furniture - and is well worth a look if you're into that kind of thing. B.

The Bird Room, Chris Killen: Dirty grubby people not doing much other than being dirty and grubby. Oh, and it's unclear who is who or even if there are more than two actual characters, neither of whom is in the remotest likeable. Not pleasant. F.