You Should Read ....

but I don't

I’m in spring cleaning mode. Yes I know it is November but I think it’s part of my hibernating process; getting my nest ready for the winter. Also there’s a lot being going on family-wise and I do find tidying and sorting and get rid of very therapeutic. So that’s what I’m up to. [Unfortunately it means I’m not writing much that can be published. Though lots of free writing/journaling keeping me sane]

So today’s task was to sort the library books box out. I have a habit of ordering books from the library because someone has recommended them or told me I “ought to” read it. It is so easy to order books from the library online and here in Wales it doesn’t cost anything to order books, unlike in England where it can cost nearly the same, if not more, than to buy a second hand book. So there I go ordering away.

I’ve got books in the box that I have renewed at least five times - so had for about 15 weeks - and I’ve still not got around to reading. I realised that they are other people’s memoir books, information type books and short stories.

Ok so I don’t write information type books but I do love writing short stories and sharing my memoirs. And I would say every writing workshop I’ve ever been to on memoir or short stories says to write it well one should read it. Well here comes the rub - there are some memoirs, especially the ones where someone’s child or sibling dies that I really do not like reading. I realise I keep moving those ones further and further down the pile. And when it comes to short stories I love the odd ones that pop up in magazines but to read a whole book of them - apart from Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories - I can’t do.

I think my reasoning for reading these style of books, even though I would prefer a good historical drama or thriller, was to try to build up my karma points. Working on the principle that if I read those types of books and stories then people will want to read my short stories and memoir pieces. But, as a dear friend told me years ago, there are so many books out there and life is too short to read what you aren’t enjoying.

Also I think as a writer it is probably much better to be reading something than playing on one’s phone because the book next on the pile is something they won’t enjoy.

So I will dive back into Phillipa Gregory’s latest, The Boleyn Traitor and get lost in the intrigues of Tudor history and emerge sometime later in the day, a book made even more magical because I saw Phillipa Gregory talk about the writing of the book last month.

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