What a week! Freezing weather, a new term at school and about 800 books that I feel I must read NOW! Well, perhaps not 800... 798 maybe. All because I've been reading some really good stuff; ending 2008 with West Coast by Kate Muir and starting 2009 with Me and Mickie James by Drew Gummerson. The books are chalk and cheese, but both really came alive for me, the Muir from its gloriously easy writing-style and brilliant characterisation, and the Gummerson from its laugh-out-loud rollercoaster of a story!

I've also been contacted by the wonderful Sarah Ebner who blogs for The Times newspaper on schools and reading. She was interested in the current interest (yep, again) in boys' reading. Go here to see what she had to say, and what I had to add!