I've been rereading C.S. Lewis' _Screwtape Letters_ and quite enjoying it. Though Lewis has some odd ideas (such as devils "absorbing" each other and the souls in Hell), and though I do not agree with all of his perceptions; his observations of life's ins and outs are sharp and he clearly explains tenets of the Christian faith in an enjoyable manner. (_Mere Christianity_ does a more complete job of that latter bit, being a work written specially to those ends.) I also love his writing style.

Recently, I read _Morality for Beautiful Girls_ and the _Kalahari Typing School for Men_, both books in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith. Though written in English, the writing gives the impression of being translated from another language, which I like. The setting in Africa is also refreshingly different and the characters are interesting. In fact, the books are centered on the characters. The mysteries and tasks given the detective agency are often small and secondary plots, introduced only to examine interactions of characters.

La"Wish I had more time to read"Zorra