You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.

The title is from ~Ray Bradbury

I read. Lots! I believe the term is voracious. It has been the one truly constant thing about me ever since I was very small. I was far ahead of my reading age. My primary school (age 4-11) ran a system where you had to read so many books with a coloured sticker on and give a coherent report on them and then you could move to the next colour. Once you had completed all the colours you were a free reader and had access to the entire library. I was at that point by my third year (age 7 ish). Christmas and birthday presents until I was around 15 were book tokens. As an only child (my brother didn't come along until I was 18) books were a wonderful thing. How can you be bored or need entertaining when you have whole universes at your fingertips?

I have carried this love of the written word into my adult life. At university I studied English Literature. Some of it was enjoyable but I personally find trying to read a book I am not enjoying is some kind of torment. A lot of people think that studying literature is an easy degree. I can't really argue but that is because I love reading. However getting through 4 novels a week can be quite hard! It did mean that I was able to go on holiday just before my exams though as revision was sat by the pool with a book :o)

These days the library is my best friend. As part of our life now I do try and avoid buying new books. Second hand ones are good. There are certain things that I still buy new. My favourite series of books is The wars of Light and Shadow by Janny Wurts. Whenever a new one comes out it gets bought straight away. No power in the verse could make me wait for Arithon S'ffalenn :o) The other one that has been bought new is Return to Labyrinth. Being a huge Labyrinth fan as soon as I found out about the manga sequel I was at my local comic shop and had them bought. The final one is released today so at some point this week (funds willing) I will be curled up on the sofa with Jareth.

Manga and graphic novels have featured heavily on my agenda recently. The only problem with them is I can go though a 1000 page novel in a day if I have nothing else to do. Take away all the words that aren't speech and I'm going to be done in a few hours at most. This means that the library can't keep up with me. *sigh*


A word is not the same with one writer as with another. One tears it from his guts. The other pulls it out of his overcoat pocket. ~Charles Peguy

I love the written word. I love how a good book can make you feel. Laughing out loud at Prachett, crying at Bronte. I love how I can read the same book over and over and feel exactly as I did the first time I read it. I love how a really good book makes you feel that the author is speaking directly to you. I love how I am never alone as long as I have a book.