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The Uncommon Reader: A Novella By Alan Bennett ISBN13: 978-037428096

While out walking with her dreaded Corgis, the owner of one of the best private libraries in the world, comes across a mobile library in her backyard. Not knowing what else to do, she borrows a book and sets out to read it, the way she does everything else, with dedication - seeing it through to the end - even if she has chosen a somewhat turgid read. Not wishing to offend the librarian, when she returns this book, she borrows another and then another and becomes a bit of a bookworm, much to the chagrin and annoyance of her courtiers and her prime minister and to the amusement of her family.

So what happens when one of the most famous and influential women in the world becomes a bookworm? Nothing much, except that she starts to think about things...really think, and of course, that will never do, particularly when her role is to be very very dedicated to doing her duty; which is, well, to do nothing much except to listen and smile and wave her hand a lot at crowds.

This is a delightful and witty and well-written book. As well as being a very clever story, is also a bit of a literary tour of books that one possibly has not read, but that one has felt one should have read but couldn't quite be bothered.

Oh, and if you are still wondering, the lady in question is the REAL QEII.

Thoroughly recommended.