I don't think it's any great surprise to my friends that I am a huge bookworm. When I went through some of my worst bouts of depression I always knew I was coming out the other side when I could read a book in its entirety. I may, in fact, have a bit of a problem with books...I tend to hoard them, buying them up to save 'for later'. Well, that 'for later' pile has about 200 books! My 'to be read' pile on my bedside table has multiplied into two piles and is threatening to topple over. Reading is one of the simple pleasures in my life. After all, I've been reading since I was three years old so it has become as natural as breathing!
I read mysteries, I read non-fiction, memoirs, supernatural fiction, historical fiction, historical non-fiction, thrillers, contemporary fiction. The only thing I really don't tend to touch with a bargepole is Science Fiction or overly complex military history. I make it a rule that every single day, regardless of how busy and frazzled I am, I will read something for pleasure for at least 10 minutes. It's my 'me' time. Coming into winter here I am looking forward to my end of semester break when it's cold and rainy outside and I can snuggle up with some great books. There have been a few books that have made a real impact upon me, despite the zillions of books I have read in the past. Here are a few of my treasured favorites:
Hons and Rebels by Jessica Mitford: This is a memoir by Jessica Mitford, a woman born into a family of 5 sisters and one brother, closely related to Winston Churchill. Living a restricted, elite life, the sisters all found themselves rebelling to an extent- Diana would first marry the heir to the Guiness dynasty before then marrying the leader of the British Union of Fascists, Unity was obsessed with Hitler and attempted suicide upon Britain's declaration of war against Germany, Deborah would go on to marry the Duke of Devonshire, the position held many years before by Georgiana Cavendish, relative of Princess Diana, and Nancy would be the most famous of all, writing satirical books and historical tomes. Jessica was considered the most rebellious, escaping to volunteer in the Spanish Civil War with her cousin, they married and lived a life of relative poverty as Communists before spending their time in the United States. This is a hilarious and provoking memoir of a woman who just didn't want to fit the mold of peerage darling and who experienced moments in history most of us never got to.
Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford: Nancy Mitford was incredibly intelligent and witty, a Francophile to the end of her days who lived in an unfulfilling romance for most of her days. This story is sassy, witty and partially auto-biographical, with wonderfully fleshed-out characters and a real sparkle to it. In addition she has created one of the most fabulously camp characters of all time. There is a wonderful BBC adaptation which combines both Love in a Cold Climate and its companion piece, Pursuit of Love, starring Rosamund Pike,which I heartily recommend to anyone if this novel takes your interest.
The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger: It's probably considered utterly cliched to have this in a list of favourite books, but for me it really is. I remember reading it for the first time in the autumn of the year I turned fifteen. I was disheartened by the world, annoyed, sick of being at an all girls' school with its cliques and bitchiness. And Holden Caulfield with his 'phonies' and his sojourn through New York City made complete sense to me. Incredible to think that it was banned at one stage!
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath: probably another cliche, but I read this in my senior year of college before I was diagnosed with depression. There was something of a dull thud of reality when I read this book, a knowing and a realisation...even though I didn't have the word 'depression' in my vernacular, I just knew that something wasn't right. Once, in class, the teacher made me read the part where Esther goes to her father's grave and talks about him not being there and I nearly cried on the spot...because I had been there. My father is not dead, but he may as well have been, given we are disconnected and I haven't seen him since I was six years old.
American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld: this is a strangely beautiful and compelling book. It chronicles the life and times of a woman who is to become the First Lady. Based primarily on Laura Bush, it also has a little bit of Camelot woven into it. It is so well-written that after a while you tend to forget about the parallels unless they are things that stare you right in the face. I think it is a celebration of how difficult it can be to be the President's wife, regardless of who you are.
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I very much enjoy reading your blog, Lynnaire, and now I know why: because you read. Which generally means, you can also write. As an early reader myself (though not so young as you), and as someone who jealously guards his "private time," I relate completely to your passion for reading. Do it while you can...I have found that as the press of the day's activities get more complex, I have less and less time for reading, and I miss it dearly. Still, when I can sneak away to a secluded corner, and could pick only one book, for me it would be Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath." Have read it many times, and never tire of it. If you haven't read it, put it amongst your pile for future. You will not regret it in the least.
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