Once upon a time, I could have lived like a king reviewing one book a week

I'm no nearer finding somewhere to live, but I have made a start by drinking lots of wine, and - this is the clever bit - keeping the boxes. This is so I can pack my stuff in them when I have to move. Living out of a suitcase (more or less) as I do, I shouldn't need too many; but I do seem to have amassed rather a few books.

This is because I read a lot, either because I am paid to or, more likely these days, because books keep me out of mischief during the long hour before the bolts slide back on the doors of my internal pub.

I don't get paid to review them that often, though. Having done one a week for a certain newspaper for a quarter of a century leaves one feeling that maybe one can take it a bit easy, especially if the way that one has parted with that newspaper has left one with a nasty taste in the mouth.