#1 Welcome

Welcome to my blog. Here you’ll find all sorts of content, but mostly content about what I’m reading, why I like reading and what I think you should read if you want to have a good time.

Reading is one of my oldest hobbies and something I rely on now for my own peace of mind and creativity. It helps me to block out intrusive thoughts and feelings, taking me on a journey to strange and intriguing places. Reading gives me time to think and to let my mind wander. It is freedom from a 9 to 5 job, from the challenges of being an adult. There are no restrictions or conventions I need to adhere to when I choose what I want to read. There is no box that I need to fit inside, and this is one of my favourite things about reading.

Reading isn’t difficult, but each writer will have a different style and a different approach to bringing you along on a journey. Some writing is far richer and indulgent and so may be better enjoyed in smaller bites, spread out over longer periods. Other writing may be snappier, quicker to digest and so easier to enjoy over a shorter period of time. The important thing to remember is that there are no targets, read as much as you like, or as little as you like but do try and read. It opens doors and frees your imagination from mundanity.

One piece of advice I’d like to give you straight away, and something that I wish I had learnt earlier on is that life is too short to continue reading something you aren’t enjoying. It’s OK to not be enamoured with the classics and to prefer easy reading, it’s OK to not finish something which has been highly recommended, but you find boring. That is the beauty about reading – we all have individual tastes and recommendations can be a great tool for expanding your literary horizons, but that is all they are.

So, on the theme of recommendations, what is my first recommendation for you? That will have to be one of my favourite books – In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. I read this some time ago and still think about it today. It’s supremely easy to read and the prose makes this incredibly enjoyable to read even if the subject matter is particularly grizzly and morbid. This really is one of my all-time favourites and my number one ‘go-to’ when asked to recommend a book.

If you’re still with me at this point – thank you very much. It’s been a strange yet
enjoyable experience writing this first blog post and something completely new to me.

Until next time!