Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next books are set in a fictional alt-universe version of Swindon, England. Here are some five facts about the real Swindon via Wikipedia.

1. Swindon’s motto is “Salubritas et Industria” (Health and Industry).
2. Peope from Swindon are called Swindonians
3. It is located in the south west of Englan, in Wiltshire, about 130KM west of London
4. As with many towns in England, Swindon owed much of its growth to the Industrial Revolution.
5. Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is also set in Swindon.

From 43 places, only 7 of 15 people think Swindon is worth visiting. Ending on a positive note, Swindon was the location for Polish refugees during World War II and many remained.

Just got up, and am ready to read. I’m going to start off with Jasper Fforde’s First Among Sequels, the latest in the Thursday Next books. I’ll also be posting about a couple of book challenges I’ve joined for 2008 and their tentative lists as I pick them today. Cheers!