Finding new friends in fiction....

Being a little unwell at the moment, unemployed and with more time on my hands I have at least been able to indulge in my passion for reading. New books are a luxury for me - I refuse to pay retail prices and so sort through trift shops and charity boxes for my literary fixes. My partner has struck up a deal with one of his co-workers and also brings me home bags of free books in return for my cast offs. The only problem is my donor is a more prolific reader than me, plus I'm a bit of a hoarder - if I enjoy a book I put it aside "for emergencies" in case I want to read it again - so unfortunately (for my donor) the traffic has been more in my favour recently.

Anyway... I am one of those people who always has to see a book through to the end - if I've started it I will finish it - even if I'm not liking it. I think I have only ever not finished 3 books in my life - although Robinson Crusoe nearly came a close 4th. I will read almost anything as I have eclectic taste, and I revel in classical literature just as much as modern "throw away" Chick Lit. Robinson Crusoe was one of those books I stumbled across many years ago at a book fair and thought I "ought" to read. Well, it started off well enough, but once he is marooned on his island it does get a little like wading through treacle. I stopped reading it. I put it aside and decided to read something more lighthearted and return to it later. Which, true to form, I did (though more than one book passed through my hands before I picked him up again). As I described it to a friend of mine at the time "Well, the poor chap's been stuck on that island for twenty three years, I'm sure another few months won't make much difference."

As my current books are donated I don't have much say in the subject, tone or genre that I receive. So I am treating it a bit like an educational exercise, and broadening my horizons. Two recent books that I have picked up have looked initially promising, but not started well. Had I not given them a fair chance then I may well have discarded them; but they were by well known authors and so as usual I persevered. And I am so glad that I did. The characters and story lines in both soon gripped me and I was tumbling headlong into a new world that only a well written book can bring to life. I raced through to the end of both - and have dug out more books by the same writers to follow on with.

I feel as though a whole new set of friends are waiting for me...