As part of my annual spring cleaning binge I decided that the living room bookshelves were long overdue a good dusting, and whilst balancing on top of a chair to get to the very top shelves I rediscovered piles of books that had been sitting neglected up there and were well overdue another read. Such wonderful books as The Catcher in The Rye, Cold Comfort Farm, To Kill A Mockingbird, Life of Pi, a couple by PD James, a few more from Agatha Christie (I adore Hercule Poirot!), Howard’s End, Birdsong…the list grew with every dusty book I retrieved!
And as I’m writing this now I’m relishing the thought of that traditional (and wonderful) ‘curl up with a good book’ moment. I love reading and will generally give anything a go, even if it’s not in my usual remit of genres. I think that there is little worse in life than limiting yourself and a great novel is one the quickest, easiest and cheapest ways of escaping, inspiring and freeing yourself. Now I’m a re-reader, I can happily read a great book time and time again, but there is also something so wonderful about discovering and loving a new book that it’s almost indescribable.
So how do you get that feeling? You’ve just finished your last great read and you’re on the lookout for another one, what do you do? Well the main thing to bear in mind is to let your innate curiosity take hold. If you pick up a book, or see a title, or just hear someone talking about one and it sparks even just one of your fantastic little synapses, then just read it. Even if you don’t like it, what have you lost? Just find another one. I’m a big fan of modern literature, so often find that fiction prize shortlists are a good guide to a new great read. But also a good rummage about in charity shops, car boots and second hand book shops can be a goldmine of reading fodder, so just grab a book and give it a read. Don’t limit yourself.
Also, there are these wonderful buildings called libraries! I know that loads of people love their e-readers (and as long as you’re reading I really don’t care how you’re doing it!), but I’m still a big fan of a physical book (costs less when you drop them in the bath too!) One of the best books I’ve read for a while I found by running into my local library just before it closed and grabbing a book from the Recently Returned shelf. It was called The Door and was by a Hungarian novelist and playwright called Magda Szabó. I’d never heard of the author or the book, but the title really sparked my curiosity. “The Door? What door? To where? Who’s behind it? What’s going on?” So I checked it out and off I ran. And I loved it! It was a complete delight to read, and whenever I wasn’t reading it, I wished that I was.
In essence, all I’m saying is – let your curiosity rule. Pick up a book, read it and escape.
This is so true . My bookshelf is filled with a mismatch of genres, but I have to say that I love them all. Stephen King alongside Kate Mosse. Conan Doyle fighting for pride of place next to Kazuo Ishiguro. Although there is a fight between Scarlet O’Hara and Iris Murdoch’s characters in The Nice and Good – who will win???? What perfect pleasure there is in reading, and reading and reading. Especially, when one should be cleaning the cooker, or the windows. Just one more page, becomes one more chapter ……!!!!
I’m coming out loud and proud for Reading and as you say, the physical and sensual pleasure of actually picking a book up, holding it lovingly in your hands, opening the first page. ‘The past is another country ..’ and so are books, another country, another place, another person, another time ….