The Shallow end

AROUND this time of a new year, newspapers and journals are packed with traditional space‐fillers on the theme ‘what I most enjoyed reading’ during the prevous twelve months. We are treated to the bookish thoughts of leading figures such as Jimmy Young, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Twiggy, Brian Clough and, of course, Angela Rippon. There's obviously no point in trying to compete in that field on level terms, so I'm giving myself a year's start.