So the date of my little excursion to Torquay (Thursday) is rapidly approaching and I am starting to worry more and more about what I am actually going to do for nearly ten hours of just sitting around on the train. To put this into perspective I get bored on the train journey into London which takes a scant 40 minutes and usually think, upon arrival, something along the lines ‘bloody hell, what took so bloody long to get here.’
Clearly I am going to need something to keep me entertained and as nice as the English countryside is I am not going to be dazzled by it for ten hours. I have decided not to get a PSP for the journey as whilst I would still like one there are more important items to be bought first and I can’t use this trip to make an exception to justify it. So I intend on getting a copy of GQ magazine (which I think is a little classier then the average boy magazine) and some form of book.
The problem with this is that I really need to get something which is going to entertain and keep me interested for a long time and can’t get it wrong as I would then be majorly bored (as opposed to just slightly bored) for the whole trip. Thus far I have considered (hey look at that, play.com does books too) The world according to Clarkson by the aforementioned, The curious incident of the dog in the night time by Mark Haddon, Children of Dune by Frank Herbert and A long way down by Nick Hornby.
Merits and dismerits of each:
Clarkson: Lowest common denominator stuff likely to keep me entertained longest but hardly intellectually engaing and probably won't look at it ever again after the trip. Also I will look like a Sun reading chav on the train and would have to hide the cover somehow (perhaps daub 'theories of existentialism and other musings of Decartes' on the front?).
The dog thingy: Rave reviews, a couple of people have said its good but it looks a bit odd and the kind of thing that you either really like or really don't. If its the former thats not a problem. It is if its the latter.
Dune: Been meaning to read this for like literally years (pre-Uni I think). The preceding books I have read and they were entertaining with plots within plots within plots within plots but could be a bit heavy for reading all in one go.
Hornby's: Know I like him as I've read his stuff before and it was very readable. Looks appropriately light but reasonably engaging.
Clearly I am going to need something to keep me entertained and as nice as the English countryside is I am not going to be dazzled by it for ten hours. I have decided not to get a PSP for the journey as whilst I would still like one there are more important items to be bought first and I can’t use this trip to make an exception to justify it. So I intend on getting a copy of GQ magazine (which I think is a little classier then the average boy magazine) and some form of book.
The problem with this is that I really need to get something which is going to entertain and keep me interested for a long time and can’t get it wrong as I would then be majorly bored (as opposed to just slightly bored) for the whole trip. Thus far I have considered (hey look at that, play.com does books too) The world according to Clarkson by the aforementioned, The curious incident of the dog in the night time by Mark Haddon, Children of Dune by Frank Herbert and A long way down by Nick Hornby.
Merits and dismerits of each:
Clarkson: Lowest common denominator stuff likely to keep me entertained longest but hardly intellectually engaing and probably won't look at it ever again after the trip. Also I will look like a Sun reading chav on the train and would have to hide the cover somehow (perhaps daub 'theories of existentialism and other musings of Decartes' on the front?).
The dog thingy: Rave reviews, a couple of people have said its good but it looks a bit odd and the kind of thing that you either really like or really don't. If its the former thats not a problem. It is if its the latter.
Dune: Been meaning to read this for like literally years (pre-Uni I think). The preceding books I have read and they were entertaining with plots within plots within plots within plots but could be a bit heavy for reading all in one go.
Hornby's: Know I like him as I've read his stuff before and it was very readable. Looks appropriately light but reasonably engaging.
3 comments:
Curious Incident - amazingly fanatastic book. I'll bring in my copy for you tomorrow - is not large or heavy!
Thanks Kate, that would be great.
Yes, puzzle books is also a good idea. Not soduku though. It makes me cross.
I agree with pseudo Kate. The dog thing book is really good. It reminded me of Andrew.
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