Neal Stephenson - Speculative fiction
This is the first novel by Neal Stephenson that I've read and whilst I enjoyed its wit and fast pace, I'm not sure I'd read another of his books. Stephenson worked hard to make the lead character a loveable rogue but in the end he came across faintly annoying. Still, the story was interesting, the science believable and the Boston setting familiar - I could easily visualise the locations, which I found enjoyable. Somewhat recommended.

Rosa E. King - Non-fiction

A charming and evocative account of life in Cuernavaca during the beginnings of the Mexican Revolution. Written by Rosa King, an English hotelier who settled in the small town near Mexico City in 1907, the book has a cosy, old-fashioned feel, as though narrated by a favourite grandmother. She rarely mentions her husband, who, I can only assume, died prior to their arrival, leaving her and her two children alone. Speaking barely a word of Spanish, she took advantage of the high esteem in which Europeans were held and built a successful business out of nearly nothing. What's fascinating is that this well-bred Englishwoman identified so easily with both the poor Zapatista rebels and the Federale soldiers who stayed in the hotel as alternatively guests, protectors and occupiers.

I bought this little treasure this from a tiny bookshop in Caxton that specialises in out-of-print and rare books about Latin America and the Caribbean and found it via the Heffer's Online Bookstore. I had a lovely chat with the man at Kew Books and he sent the book out to me next day. The internet's grand, isn't it?

Frank McLynn - History, Biography
A fascinating double biography of the two architects of the Mexican Revolution (OK, maybe not the architects, but the general contractors). Villa and Zapata make an interesting comparison, as they couldn't have been more different. Pancho Villa, the former bandit, idolised Francisco Madero, the mystic and social reformer, but often had his own agenda. Zapata was an idealist and former sharecropper who supported agrarian reform and land redistribution. A complex period of time and two complex characters, presented with clarity. Recommended.