Road to High Saffron

One of my favourite books of all time is one I "read" (kind of) in 2011:  Shades of Grey:  The Road to High Saffron by Jasper Fforde.

Japser Fforde is one of my favourite authors.  I've kept up with his Thursday Next series, even though I'm pretty sure it should have stopped at book four.  I've been waiting patiently for another book in the Nursery Crimes series, although I'm beginning to think I won't get one.  I've only read the first book in the Last Dragonslayer series, but that's just because I haven't finalised my birthday list yet...

... and I loved the first book of the Shades of Grey series, and would dearly love to believe there's going to be a second (although, as I have recently noted, sometimes books are better off without sequels).

I say I "read" (kind of) the book because I haven't actually read the whole thing from start to finish.  I listened to the audiobook version one holiday and asked for the print copy for Christmas that year. When I got it, I had a few other books to read as well, so I didn't actually re-read the book, just read bits here and there to remember key lines.

So, I heard the book, more than I read it.  I still loved it.  I still love it.  It's possibly the best post-apocalyptic story I've ever read (if for no other reason than it's set so far beyond the "something that happened" that Fforde can comfortably make a post-apocalyptic story based around a guy who lied about seeing a rabbit).

I've been thinking about it in the light of the whole Hunger Games thing, recently.  There are a lot of strange similarities between the Colourtocracy and the Capitol.  Mostly, though it's the excellent world-building and way everyone is just getting on with life in this "completely normal" place, in a future that's both simpler and more complex (technologically speaking) than our present.

Plus, both books involve a game where blood will be spilled (although, in Road to High Saffron, it's just the boys v girls hockey match...)

When I have time to re-read books, I'll have to go back to that one - if only to spend some quality time in a universe where everyone knows the hex codes for colours (it could save your life) and people say things like "Munsell's hoo-haw!" when they swear.

A matter of sole

My new shoes don't squeak on the new floor at work, which is amazing.  I thought it might have something to do with the rubber soles, but then I remembered the shoes I normally wear also have rubber soles.

I have a tendency to buy shoes with rubber soles.  I don't know why, but it's a selling feature for me.  If I have a choice of two different shoes which are both comfortable, I'll take the one with rubber soles.

It's probably a subconscious way to protect myself from lightening strike.  I don't know if it will help with the ball lightening, but hopefully it can keep me safe from any stray lightening that isn't caught by the town's crackle trap (this town does have a crackle trap, right?).

I doubt my rubber soled shoes will be any defence at all against swan attack, but we can't have everything now, can we?