Last night we went to the opening evening of Jewish Book Week. We did not have tickets for any of the speaker events but through the videolink in the room next door we were able to listen to Amos Oz in dialogue with Jonathan Freedland.

Amos Oz is a very cogent and eloquent speaker, a pleasure to listen to. Although you may disagree with some of his politics he does not denigrate, and is not malicious or vindictive towards Israel, unlike several Jewish and Israeli academics and self-haters in this country. A great credit to Israel and to the Jewish world in general.

I have started several of his books and only ever finished one or two. Not because his prose style is awkward, in fact entirely the opposite. It's just that I tend to leave paperbacks behind in the pockets of the seat back in front of me on aircraft or in hotel rooms or in the bar of cross-Channel ferries. Over the years I must have left behind vast libraries of books all over the place, all 70% read.

Next up how about a Jewish Crook Week ? The life of Madoff for a start.