READING A BOOK

As simple a notion as it may seem, the act of just reading a book – be it a novel or otherwise – is a lot less common than you may think.

Perhaps my greatest fortune as a small child was to have a mum who adored reading. Every night before I drifted off to sleep, Mum would read whichever Little Golden Book took my fancy. Scuffy the Tugboat, Tawny Scrawny Lion and The Saggy Baggy Elephant were all firm favourites.

At primary school I was introduced to the wonders of Enid Blyton, whose stories The Famous Five, Noddy, and The Magic Faraway Tree all inspired me to create my own adventures. By Year 6 I’d completed The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien and soon moved on to The Lord of the Rings.

Next, Robert Graves introduced me to the world of ancient Rome via his magnificent book, I, Claudius, igniting a passion for ancient history that has been with me ever since.

For a short time, some of the compulsory texts at school put me off reading, yet in retrospect it was thanks to these classes that I discovered authors such as Harper Lee, Thomas Keneally and Clive James.

GET THE READING HABIT

•  Put time aside to read – be it on the bus to work, in the bathtub with a glass of wine or in bed before you go to sleep.

•  If you find an author whose work you enjoy – bonanza! There may be a whole backlist for you to seek out.

•  If you are avoiding reading due to a boring book, put it aside and start something new.

•  Consider taking a fully loaded ebook reader with you when you next travel. They may not impart the full book experience, but they are very handy.

•  Check out markets and op shops for second-hand books.

•  Join your local library.

•  Find out if your favourite bookshop has a group you can join or a newsletter that will keep you informed of interesting new releases.

•  Join a book club or consider starting your own with a group of friends.

•  Read to your children and demonstrate the glory of a great book.

•  Why not give a book as a birthday or Christmas gift?

•  Should you have young people in your life, consider the books that were important and influential for you when you were growing up, and pass them on.

In terms of the benefits offered by the simple act of reading a book, it’s hard to know where to start. Whether you love fiction or are fascinated by real-life stories, a good book is a doorway to another world. A good book allows a person to relax, learn and even promotes empathy.

The first step is to find an author whose work you enjoy. From there you can explore their back catalogue or look for other books on similar topics. Another wonderful aspect of books is being able to share them with friends and family, recommend titles and start your own collection based on a favourite subject, writer or specialist genre.

Author and subject aside, even just visiting a bookshop – even a second-hand bookstore – is a highly pleasurable experience. Exploring shelves laden with as yet unread tomes on endless topics focuses the mind and sets both the imagination and the little grey cells firing.

But after the discovery, purchasing and reading of the book, nothing truly compares to the feel of it in your hands, finishing that final chapter and reflecting upon what you’ve just read. It’s a magical moment and like nothing else in the human experience.