Why a blog?

I can't remember a time when I couldn't read, early memories involve the delightful Garden Gang books along with other classic Ladybird titles and also beautiful picture books by Racey Helps. Luckily my family have always encouraged my passion and it wasn't too long before I was collecting Enid Blyton books as fast as pocket money would allow.

The Puffin Book Club leaflets from school expanded my horizons and even now 25 years I can still remember the first books that I ordered: Windsong Summer, Earthstar Magic, Little House on the Prairie and We Didn't Mean to go to Sea. Even at a young age I read eclectically! These first purchases really inspired a love of older 'classic' children's books which I still retain today as well as encouraging me to read unknown books by unknown authors - I can still clearly recall the plot of all four books.

Now I will still read pretty much anything written in the English language, although my main passion is for children's literature whether from the first golden age or from today. However I am blessed* with ability to read quickly and retain what I read so on average I read about 20 books a month from all genres. Apart from kid lit my favourite genres are travel writing, biography, WW1 and WW2 history and fiction in general. Crime, horror and manga are the three areas that I struggle with the most but I do keep trying.

So Why a blog? my aim with this venture into writing a blog rather than just reading them is to have a place to share my thoughts on some of what I read as well as keeping a reading record. It is also to help me think about why I like or dislike a book and having to put that into words will clarify that first emotional response into something more tangible, it is too easy to say I love/hate this book explaining why is the challenge.


* I say blessing but when it comes to travel it is more of a curse - last year I got through 16 adult novels in a 2 week break. Never try to lift one of my suitcases!