Hi friends,
How are things your end? I’m typing this at my parents house where I’m cat-sitting for the weekend. I’ve got Sanka the cat cuddled up by my feet and my cheeks are flushed from a woodland walk. Yesterday I continued work on the short story course I’m taking and learnt more about the importance of reading. So, today I thought I’d chat about that. Reading, reading closely and what books I’ve loved recently.
Cosy up with a cuppa and let’s get to it.
I joined Goodreads in 2019 and it’s something that I feel has fueled my love of reading. Being able to track what I read, see recommendations and set challenges was totally new to me and while I’ve always liked reading, it felt somehow more special with Goodreads. There’s something about updating my progress that makes this high-achiever happy, what can I say.
Things took off in 2020, partly due to the pandemic (hello ample time to read and a desperate need for escapism) and partly due to my purchase of a Kindle. I know the debate between physical book readers and e-readers is a spicy one, but for me having a kindle meant I wasn’t restricted. In the one bedroom flat we were living in at the time, our possessions were overflowing, our four walls bursting at the seams. I wanted to read so many books, but didn’t have the space for them. The kindle provided an eloquent solution and without the restriction of space, I had my personal best reading year in 2020, devouring 34 books.
When things started returning to something akin to normal, my reading slowed, but I’ve not lost the passion. In recent years I’ve started exploring new-to-me genres, including sci-fi (which, given my love for sci-fi films and TV, I’m shocked took me so long to get into) and most recently I started my first fantasy book (well, cosy fantasy that involves a coffee shop, I’m dipping my toe in tentatively).
Something I admit I’ve never given much thought of however is reading critically. Analysing text and reading like a writer. I didn’t even enjoy English literature much at school, choosing language over lit every time. If I had the choice again now though, I think I’d choose lit. Even when writing stories of my own, I truthfully have never given them much thought in terms of plot or technique, I’ve always been one of those writers that just lets their fingers fly over the keyboard and see what comes out.
When the short story course I’m taking asked us to analyse a story, I instantly saw the benefit. Being able to pick out why a story grabs your attention in that first line. How the plot develops, the pacing required to hold interest, the techniques to show and not tell - something that feels especially pertinent in short stories where you have limited space to tell a story. Paying attention to the words being used and why ultimately helps us do the same with our own writing.
Of course, none of this is new information. So many writers know and do this already, so much writerly advice says “read widely”. Yet here I am, really doing it for the first time.
I’m not sure yet if I’ll ever be the kind of writer who meticulously plans a story, considering every technique and strategy to make a ‘good’ story… and I do think there is a line to be drawn when analysis paralysis kicks in. However, I’ll definitely give these things more thought than before, being a little more considerate than splurging stories on a page.
Books I’ve loved in recent years:
Tiny moons - a year of eating in Shanghai by Nina Mingya Powles (a nonfiction account of delicious food eaten and lessons learnt, this book got me into a long period of reading anything and everything food-based.)
Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi (a novel about feeling seen, this got me into Mary H.K. Choi in a big way.)
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (has anyone not read this? A tale of a fictitious band in the 70s. When I read it I longed for a soundtrack, and thanks to it being made into a TV show - my wish was granted. I particularly love the track The River.)
The Wanderer by Peter Van Den Ende (a silent graphic novel, i.e. a picture book, and one of the few physical purchases made - and a beautiful one at that.)
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (my favourite book of 2023 so far. A novel about love, but not that kind of love, video games, ambition and passion.)
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch (a novel that explores the idea of multiple dimensions in a thriller-y way. I’m excited to hear this is being turned into a TV show.)
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (is it weird to feel attached to a character described as a rock-like spider? Read it and you’ll see what I mean. There are rumours of this being made into a film too and I am here for it.)
I’ve also been working my way through various short story collections, including The Things We Do Not Tell The People We Love by Huma Qureshi, Out There by Kate Folk and People From My Neighbourhood by Hiromi Kawakami. Next on my list is Edge of Here by Kelechi Okafor which is described as ‘perfect for Black Mirror fans’.
I would love to hear if you’re a big reader and if so, what books you’ve been loving lately.
I also wanted to say I am thinking of anyone who’s affected by what’s happening in Israel and Palestine. I’ve been slowly listening, reading and learning more about the situation. Being critical about what you consume is a skill that has many benefits, including staying sharp when fed biassed, and even untrue in some cases, information.
Sending all my love.
Kat x
I am a big reader, and becoming a bigger reader by the day (75 books so far this year)! Just today I spoke to an older woman who used to read voraciously and no longer finds herself able to. I've heard this tale far too often so I'm going to read as much as I can for as long as my brain can take it. Since I've started writing, I do pay attention more to the way in which things are written. Underlining and folding over pages in appreciation. I keep a reading record and I rcord some of my favourite words for each book I read. A couple of most recent favourites: Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa (which increased my desire to visit Japan), A woman in the polar night by Christiane Ritter (an absolutely incredible memoir from a woman who spent a year with her husband on a remote Arctic island in the 30s) and Severance by Ling Ma (I love a good end of the world novel).