Cold snap - thom jones. This collection of short fiction is another pulled from my the abandoned books from my apartment's previous tenant and it's a beaut. The stories are richly imagined and the characters vibrant, even though they only 'live' for a handful of pages. Each story is a contemporary look at a different person and their life, focusing strongly on their backgrounds and habits. Sometimes the characters seem a bit stereotyped, in particular an aborigine surfer whose language is fair peppered with Australiana to a degree that even the punctuation seems antipodean. Strewth. All in all a good read and great for twenty minute periods that need handy filler.

The photograph as contemporary art - charlotte cotton. This book breaks down recent trends in photography in an attempt to give a background as to the rationale that drives practitioners of the photographic arts. The explanations and backgrounds are interesting and informative, complete with a selection of prints of the artists in questions. As someone who is interested in extending their photographic practice this background is essential reading, with my only gripe being that a larger sized book would provide much better access to the photos in question - perhaps a coffee table reprint is in order?

Can you tell what it is yet? - rolf harris. Rolf, for those of you who aren't British, is an Australian children's entertainer turned general entertainer (via student entertainer) and a true superstar. The title comes from his most famous catchphrase, used while he used to paint huge wall sized paintings live on TV joking and making strange noises at the same time. This biography is a great read about someone who is a true superstar - self-effacing, humble and talented in a very different way from other people. From his early days in Perth, through to his emigration to London and subsequent rise to childrens TV fame - it's all in here. Plus he even mentions his first student gig at Birmingham university - ah, fond memories. A real feel good story and insight into a strange industry.