What to do when you don't feel well.

The last few days have seen me rather below par. I have been tired and had abdominal discomfort, though no real pain. My appetite has been poor and I've lost a few pounds. However, this is nothing like the chemotherapy side effects that I have inflicted on others.

To pass the time I have been reading. I recommend the following:

The Reed Stephens novels. These are written by fantasy writer Stephen Donaldson. Normally he writes epics about Thomas Covenant, Unbeliever, battling with Lord Foul, but between times he throws off a Chandler-esq thriller. It is light entertainment, but fast moving.

The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale. This is a non fiction account of a famous 1860 murder at Road Hill House in Wiltshire. A 3-year old was snatched from his bed and found with his throat cut in an outside privee. The first professional detectives from Scotland Yard were called in and quickly solved the case, but could not secure a conviction. Many years later a suspect confessed, but received life imprisonment rather than the gallows.

The story takes in the development of the fictional detective, and involves Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens. The background social history of Victorian England is fascinating.

I have also watched some movies: two Jack Lemmon films: The Out of Towners and The Front Page and a Douglas Sirk movie, Me and My Gal. Six more Douglas Sirks to watch.