As you may have gathered, I have not been feeling all that wonderful as of late. I am struggling to keep my stress and worries under control; I am struggling to keep on at life when every moment is so exhausting (just in case you're worried - I'm in no way suicidal).
Anyway, the one thing I've found to help is reading. Obviously I'm a big advocate of reading - it is the reason I write after all, because I love books and words and I'm getting carried away a little here. Well, I've just been reading 'Anybody Out There?' by Marian Keyes and have to say that, despite a rocky beginning, it has re-enthused my love for reading. I had forgotten how great it is to disappear into a story and forget (at least for a little while) all the problems life is throwing at you. For so long I have been reading as if it is a chore, and, while this wasn't the best book I've ever read, it transported me to another time and another life. Not a carefree life, but a life that I didn't have to face alone as I had the characters right there with me.
As a writer I am often told I have to read critically, and analyse everything I read. But it is so easy to forget why we read and write if we do this with every book we come across. Yes, I believe in learning the craft, but I also believe in just enjoying a good book. So that is what I'm doing right now - I'm reading and revelling in the distraction it offers me and the feelings of hope I gain from it.
Why do you love to read? What are you reading right now? Are there any books you've read that you would recommend for a little harmless escapism?
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