Same difference

With two of the first five books I've read this year by the same author, Charlie Brooker, and compilations of his newspaper articles at that, I'm conscious that I could do with introducing a bit of diversity into this enterprise - and I'm not talking about the currently ubiqitous Britain's Got Talent-winning street dancers whose talents don't yet, as far as I'm aware, stretch to literature (although I guarantee it's only a matter of time).

I'm not feeling too guilty; I'd more or less read Brooker's first book before I'd decided to embark on this, some will argue, ill-considered 100-book challenge, and the short columns are ideal for when I have only a brief amount of reading time. There is nothing worse than picking up a book, and then having to put it down just as you're getting into it.

It's also a matter of convenience. Having not given things much thought before embarking on the challenge, I am fully aware that over the course of this year, I will have to have 100 books in my possession at some point, and I don't intend to pay for them all (if any).

Obviously, I intend to borrow recommended books from friends and I also intend to visit a library for what must be the first time in around 15 years. I'll no doubt return to this subject at a later date.

There is obviously a balance to be struck; not every book can be new (or old, in terms of the classics), challenging or thought-provoking, although the more the better. I intend to read a wide range of authors; if this task is about anything it's about broadening my literary horizons and finding new authors I like - and which to avoid.

But equally, I'm sure there there will come a time, perhaps when I've once again failed to finish Life of Pi, when I seek the comfort of a familar face.