Swing out, spinster
It's often been associated in the popular imagination with loneliness, knitting and misery, but last week an Edinburgh University academic stated her intent to reclaim the word spinster. Conducting interviews with single women aged 35 to 83, Dr Roona Simpson found that - quelle surprise! - they were far from hapless Bridget Joneses, and were, in fact, happy, busy and fulfilled.

Can we look forward to a time when we refer to "swinging spinsters" and dub single women's apartments "chic spinster pads"? I certainly hope so. Say it loud, ladies: we're spinsters and we're proud!

The joy of text
Harlequin Mills & Boon is associated with many things: strong, silent heroes; long, lingering glances; short, simple plotlines. Until now, though, it's rarely been seen as cutting edge. On Monday, it was reported that the company is leading the charge to make books downloadable to mobile phones. The firm's UK publishing director, Alison Byrne, noted that "it's women who like reading on phones, and romantic fiction that's rising to the top". Are Mills & Boon readers conservative in their reading tastes, but groundbreaking in their technology use?