LUNCHTIME READING TODAY

I normally read magazines over lunch and today I faced a real conundrum. In the mail this morning were the latest issues of both THE NEW YORKER and MONOCLE.

Which am I to read first? I decided in the end that as The New Yorker is a weekly and Monocle a monthly I would start with the latter for today's lunchtime reading.

I'm pleased I did because there on page 72 under the heading SLOW ZONE was a piece on New Zealand. In fact a piece on Matakana a place where I spend most Saturday mornings at the Farmer's Market followed by a couple of coffees and the NZ Herald at the Black Dog Cafe .

Here is how the Monocle story starts:

With an eye on the big opportunity, ambitious New Zealanders are discovering that what once was seen as a national handicap - the country's old laid-back pace of life - is now a marketing tool with international appeal.

To read the full piece you will have to buy the magazine.

The appealing pic above is also from the story in the September 07 issue of Monocle.

Regular readers of this blog will know that I am a great fan of Monocle magazine and have been posting stories about it, and from it, since the first issue back in March this year.

If you don't know the magazine do check it at your local bookseller or newsagency or visit their website at http://www.monoclemagazine.com/

I cannot recommend it too strongly, there is about a week's reading in each issue.

Also in the issue today is an interesting story about independent bookseller Fact & Fiction Booksellers in New Delhi.