Excuses? I have plenty - hospital for me, family members, pet problems ... Bah. Let's talk books.

Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus Trilogy. Super stuff. Funny, breath-takingly exciting, thoughtful, moving, original. Go and get it, read it, then read it again.

David McRobbie's Mum, Me and the 19C. Warm, well-written Australian time-slip fantasy. We don't see enough of this quality, non-pretentious writing. Good, entertaining stuff.

And does anyone else out there think Margo Lanagan's Red Spikes isn't as good as Black Juice? Or is it just me?

Enough. I'm back, at least.

What can I say? A combination of moving job, moving house and general slackness has meant that I've been appalling at updating this blog.

Resolved: I must be more diligent.

Still, I've been reading, and having had Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus Trilogy thrust into my hands, I've been working my way through its delightful length. Look for a full entry on that one.

Other news. I saw that one of the books I gave a rave review to - Michael Pryor's 'Blaze of Glory' - was shortlisted for an Aurealis award late last year. It didn't win, but I felt the sort of reflected glow that comes from spotting something before it gained official recognition. Do I have good antennae or what?

I've got Scot Gardner's 'Gravity' waiting for me. It's bound to be good, as Scot is top notch.

More books, more reading, more writing on the way. Stay tuned.

*Cough* *Hack* *Wheeze* How's that? Have I convinced you that I've been really sick? I hope so, because it hasn't been pleasant. Headache, runny nose and all the trimmings. For much of the last week or so, I've felt so bad I haven't even felt like reading. Yes, THAT bad.

I did manage to finish The Princess Bride and I'm full of admiration for the film-makers. They really captured the feel beautifully. Much of the dialogue was taken, intact, from the book. Remember the confrontation between Westley (as the man in black) with Vizzini and the poison? Straight from the book, and it's an utter delight.

And reading PB also gets one thinking about the whole business of story-telling and narrative. Goldman intrudes into the story often, addressing the reader and letting us know that he's about to delete chunks of boring stuff in order to keep things moving. It should be an irritating device, but it's not. It's a nod and a wink, making us confederates in this fabulation. He rolls out the expected fairy tale items but he does it affectionately, with no cynicism at all.

I'm glad I read The Princess Bride. I was afraid it would diminish my love for the film - but it hasn't. I now see them as a work together, whole and united, and a fine, fine achievement.

'My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

I saw The Prestige the other night. I know that this blog is meant to be about books, and YA books at that, but watching this movie got me thinking again about books and reading and the whole thing all over again. And this blog is called 'Book Thoughts', isn't it?

You see, I was in a cinema full of people who hadn't read the book - or who weren't even aware that the movie had been based on a book. I was. I read Christopher Priest's book years ago, soon after it was published in 1995 (?). It was one of those books that stayed with me, as some do. I found myself thinking about the complex moral choices made by the characters, about the nature of obsession and ambition, and about the intriguing world of Victorian stage magicians. And Tesla, of course.

This all meant that the shocks, the plot twists, the revelations that the rest of the audience were enjoying were denied to me. I knew what was going to happen, and why. I actually enjoyed the beffudlement on the faces of those around me. It meant, though, that I had to find something else in the movie, something apart from what everyone else in the cinema were getting. I did, for it's a fine piece, with some good performances and lovely scene-setting. You'll notice that I'm not giving much away, as I do recommend it, and I don't want to spoil it for anyone.

See The Prestige. You'll get something from it, and it will be a different something for each of you.