Booking Through Thursday

This week's (late!) BTT:

1. Do you get to read as much as you WANT to read?

Nope! I’m still adjusting to working on a full-time basis and what I really miss about being part-time (or indeed working from home) is the opportunity to spend a luxurious afternoon snuggled up and making serious inroads into my TBR pile. The weekend really is not long enough and I now feel guilty about spending time reading rather than doing something more “productive” such as chores...

My main reading times are now during my lunch break and then when I’m in bed and I’ve noticed that this has had an impact on what I choose to read.I will consciously avoid heavy books (as they weigh down my handbag too much for the walk to work!) I’ll also choose books that I know can be put down and picked up later or where I don’t have to think too much as I don’t like to be disrupted mid-flow.

2. If you had (magically) more time to read–what would you read? Something educational? Classic? Comfort Reading? Escapism? Magazines?

Gosh – I’d use the time to reduce my TBR pile! There are so many books on it that I really want to read but I’ve simply not had the time to get through them all. Hopefully (!) the situation will get worse over Christmas as I did issue my husband with a rather lengthy wishlist…

I have at least five very fat books that would definitely make the cut if not hampered by the weight of book issue mentioned above! This includes Neal Stephenson’s Baroque trilogy, Darkmans by Nicola Barker and The Quincunx by Charles Palliser. Each one has more than 1000 pages and I'm looking forward to taking some of them on holiday with me when we go up to Newcastle for New Year. This is on the theory that the weather is going to be too miserable to go for long walks on the beach with the dogs.

I’ve also got some non-fiction books I’d love to get around to. I’ve read such good things about the collection of letters between the six Mitford sisters and they've been on my shelf for a few momths now. I also have a small (growing) pile of war diaries that I would like to get around to and I've been dipping in and out of Jane Austen’s collected letters as well.

Actually, looking at my TBR piles, I've clearly got reading material for at least another year stashed there so if I had the luxury of time, I'd try to catch up. Then buy all the books on my wishlist and start again! If only...