Flashman, Bond, Potter

Let me request that any comments don't contain spoilers to these books.

Yesterday, I made the mistake of starting to read George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman on the crowded morning train. The mistake was that the book is so fucking funny that I burst out laughing several times. This is not the best way to avoid annoyed stares. After that I tried to confine my mirth to muffled guffaws, but I fear that all they did were to make the other passengers more nervous than annoyed.

What a gem of a read.

In Australia I also picked up SilverFin, the first book in the Young Bond series. The Young Bond series intends to chronicle the Eton years of the world's most famous secret agent ("Bond, James Bond." if you still haven't worked it out). Written by Charlie Higson of The Fast Show fame, it turned out to be much better than the premise suggests. It had in its favor:

• Unlike other recent literary version of Bond, this is not an updating of the character. Nor does it try to include anything of the cinematic Bond. It is concerned with only Ian Fleming's Bond.
• It is set in the 1930s, which is always a fun period.
• Higson can string a sentence together.
• Higson has researched the character.
• Higson has researched the period.
• Although aimed at young teenage boys, it retained the violence and sadism of Fleming.

If you're a Bond fan and have been putting off reading it, then I'd say give it a chance. Also if you enjoy reading books for teenagers, then it will probably hold your appeal. I for one am waiting for the sequel Blood Fever, which will be released later this year.

+++ PLEASE DON'T SCROLL DOWN ANY FURTHER UNLESS YOU WANT TO KNOW MAJOR SPOILERS ABOUT HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE. +++

+++ Major Spoilers Alert+++

To give you a second chance to think about what you're doing I've written the text in the same colour as the background. Highlight between the brackets to read it.
[How about the death of Dumbledore?!?
Is there really only 1 book left to go?
Who is R.A.B?]
Please email me if you want Potty talk.