A Writer’s Life: Reading Habits of an Author in the Wild
I tend to read on a pretty big spectrum. Most of the spectrum is fantasy of one sort or another, but most of what I read has an “otherworldly” element to it, in one fashion or another.
I throw in a few writing craft books here or there (Currently: Pep Talks for Writers: 52 Insights and Actions to Boost Your Creative Mojo by Grant Faulkner).
An occasional literary fiction. (I read In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume earlier this year, after I finished her Master Class.)
A classic. (A favorite: Alice in Wonderland: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll)
But most of the time, it is predominantly fantasy in my TBR (to-be-read pile), and it has been for over twenty years.
I have a little system – a method to my madness, if you will – about which order I read things in.
Most importantly for my completionism sensibilities, if I start a series, I will read all books in that series, in order, until I am out of books (As long as I like it. I have quit a series in the middle. Anita Blake, anyone?). But if I am enjoying the ride, I stay on it until I get kicked off.
If I am at the end of a series, or have finished a stand-alone book, I choose my next read based on how light or heavy the previous book was. If it was a long series, or what I call a “heavy read” (detailed, deep, introspective, multi-pov, action-packed), I look for a “palate cleanser” – something lighter, something fun. Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, or maybe some YA Fantasy. If the previous book was a light, fun romp, maybe I’ll dig through the pile (metaphorical pile, of course, because I read mostly on a Kindle) for something that is going to make me pay attention more.
I read self-published and traditionally published authors. I love The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle, Book 1) by Maggie Stiefvater as much as I love The Scribe: A Romantic Fantasy Adventure (Irin Chronicles Book 1) by Elizabeth Hunter. Completely different series by completely different authors, but both series kept me coming back for more, book after book.
According to GoodReads, I’ve read 45 books so far this year. 61 last year. 99 in 2019. I cannot remember a night in the last fifteen years that I did not read at least one chapter of a book before going to sleep. I also read on the plane, when I am traveling back and forth to Iowa to see my family. I read in the car when Ben is driving, because he does not like to talk while he drives. I read on the couch when I can’t find anything on television to hold my interest (as an aside, Discovery Plus is the devil. Overload! Overload!)
I can’t remember a time since I was old enough to start reading books on my own, when I did not love books.
Not all books, mind you.
But as a whole, I love books.
And now that I have started writing again, I look at every book I begin to read as “research”.
Unfortunately, I do not think the IRS will agree with that idea.
“Books are a uniquely portable magic.”
Steven King, in On Writing
