Clare's Café highlights w/c 30 July

But then, Louise Welsh rarely disappoints. When I saw that she'd based her latest novel in Berlin - a city I had visited for the first time back in Feb- I knew I was on to a winner. Her protagonist, Jane, is pregnant, gay and out of her depth in an alien culture. Petra, the banker and uber disciplined (possibly controlling?) partner is a piece of work. actually she seems to do little BUT work while poor Jane sits in a lonely flat all day, overlooking a creepy church yard. When Petra takes off for a work trip to Vienna, things really begin to hot up and Jane finds herself getting involved with a young teenage neighbour whom she is convinced needs her help. There's been shouting at night and Jane witnesses what appears to be a very tense father/daughter relationship at breaking point. Instead of keeping her snout out, as you might if you were about to give birth any moment, she wades in and gets some nasty surprises. It's a fantastically tense thriller - you never know if you are interpreting Jane's neurotic imaginings or whether she has reason to be fearful for the young Anna Mann. There's something about Berlin as a place that makes it the perfect setting for a story like this. The old buildings all have their pasts and their secrets. The wide open streets are stunning (Unter den Linden is a joy to walk down even if your face is being blitzed by asteroids of snow) but head for the quiet side streets and you find another city altogether. They seem to be whispering something as you pass through. Another trip to the home of the Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag beckons...

Tuesday's Culture Cafe was a bizarre mix... (that's what we do best!). We had the circus on tour, Blythe Duff of Taggart fame talking about her new play - GOOD WITH PEOPLE and we made a breakfast date in NYC to hear from a precocious talent; 19yr old writer/blogger and feminist, (yes when did you here teenager and feminist in the same sentence lately?) Julie Zeilinger. Julie is a rarity.. a young woman who loves to talk about women's rights and she surely knows her stuff. The book - inspired title - A LITTLE F'D UP, is the crammer you've always needed if you wanted to impress your trendy lefty mates down the student union in the 80s and 90s. There is a good deal of historical fact / reference but the great thing about the book is its tone. It's not an earnest hand wringer - there are lots of laughs and it's soon clear that Zeilinger is no man-hater. I asked her if the debate about the future of feminism was more "live" in the USA and she wasn't sure but if we don't even mention the word FEMINISM for fear of looking too militant or too PC then we are missing out on the chance to show young Scottish girls what real girl power is all about. Zeilinger, I salute you.

Friday beckons. I am standing in for Janice Forsyth on the Comedy Cafe. Having done stints on the Kitchen Cafe when Pennie Latin goes on holiday (or needs to be alone in a dark room with her thoughts - she's a mother, for goodness sake!) I realise the producer in charge will be feeling a little queazy. Without your regular partner in broadcasting crime, how do you know the stand in presenter isn't going to go "off piste". It has happened in the past.. amazing how easy it is to do your own show without consciously choreographing every step. It's a bit like driving.. you've forgotten the route you've just driven but you got there safely anyway.

All I'm saying is.. Good luck with me on Friday, Producer Amy... I may be back at work but spiritually I have holiday brain. Could be an interesting show.. best tune in, eh?