Let's read

My desk is beginning to look  like this

I made a New Year's resolution this year to read more and to read outside my comfort zone, to dip into different genres and extend my range.

So far, it has not been a great success. I used to read a lot on going to bed but since eye surgery I need eye drops at night and they blur my vision. If I read first and tell myself to put the eye drops in later, it doesn't happen as I fall asleep first.

My next cunning solution  was to use an MP3 and listen to audio books. That worked fine until I developed a problem with one of my ears and the ear phones became uncomfortable.

My newest strategy is to set a task for myself and the writing group to produce book reviews on any books we read. An element of competitiveness has been introduced and I won't be left out.

Everyone says that reading is essential to hone your skills as a writer. I never doubted that until I heard an author comment that he never read books. He was a gentle spoken, approachable speaker called David Munro and he was promoting his newly published book 'Awakening'. Could there be some truth in his statement? Perhaps the clues will be revealed in his book. I bought a copy and I intend to write a review. Watch this space.

But first, there are some other books to finish.