Jennifer Paterson
I particularly enjoyed a curio of a book called Can't Quit You Baby, written most touchingly by Ellen Douglas (Virago, £4.99). It tells the story of a faithful black servant and the trials and tribulations of life with her rather tiresome but beloved mistress who eventually goes loopy in New York. I had never heard of this work and never seen it reviewed.
Another favourite was Ferdinand Mount's Of Love and Asthma (Heinemann, £13.99), most beautifully written, with a touch of the crazy surreal. Very funny happenings leading to impossible tragedies.
For non-fiction I choose Auberon Waugh's autobiography, Will This Do? (Century, £15.99). I especially loved all the part about his mis-spent childhood and school days. Like his father, he makes me laugh out loud.
I read Rosamond Lehmann's much vaunted The Weather in the Streets for the first time and thought it treacly tosh (Virago, £4.99).
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