How was it for you? by Tracy Darnton

This time last year I used my January blogpost to talk about my tottering TBR pile and how I wanted to make more time for reading for pleasure. I said I'd report back. 

I ruled out cutting out TV and setting reading targets to fail at. Instead I decided:

"I’m going to split my TBR pile into little piles so it’s not so overwhelming. (Simple but effective)

I’m not going to keep a list of books I read.

I’m not going to stop buying books. I love it.

I’m going to get a bigger bookshelf (or two)."

So far, so good but then...2020 happened.

Turns out global pandemic anxiety is even worse than all the general existential political despair that drained my mental energy in 2019 and that I've watched more TV than I've watched before working my way through Call my Agent (new series about to stream, everyone!), Hjem Til Jul, Bridgerton, His Dark Materials and rewatching The Bridge. But aside from all that, did I read more, in common with the many people who turned to books for solace and distraction? How was my reading year?

During the first lockdown, my household piled up finished books as we read them, and chatted about them and swapped recommendations. Many of these books were on the TBR pile photo in the January blogpost. I did find stacking them up like this motivational to read more so I will try keeping a list this year. 

One of my books, The Truth About Lies, was selected for World Book Night 2020 which meant I had to talk about why reading mattered to me and my favourite books.

 

This got me reading lots of classics. I chose The Great Gatsby as my favourite novel - and obviously read it again. 

I had a week's holiday in May - in the garden. I sat in my Hay Festival deckchair in the sunshine, 'attended' Hay festival events online, read books and had coffee in the festival café my kids set up. So thumbs up to that as a way to read more. Here's hoping I can go to an actual festival this year...

My family ordered merch for my staycation festival

Another way I've increased my reading is in a book club. With my lovely SCBWI buddies, we started a monthly reading group. It has the added dimension of us all reading both for enjoyment and for a discussion of the craft of the writer. Why did we like the main character (or not)? How did the setting work so well? What would we change as an editor? We alternate between MG and YA and we're about to start reading our fourth book - Bearmouth by Liz Hyder. Can't wait to meet up in a coffee shop one day instead of zoom. 

Lastly, I joined fellow YA writers to form the Edge of the Seat thriller writers' group. This was an excellent excuse to read everyone's latest books and say what we liked about them on Twitter.  

I'd resolved to carry on buying lots of books and I did so, from high street bookshops, though I missed the whole browsing experience. As I'm moving house this week and will have to buy more bookcases, we have been ruthless about the books that are coming with us. But I like our books to have another life after us. We've donated loads to the primary school on our street which is building up its library. Many older reads have gone to our local reading charity which runs groups in care homes, night shelters and by GP-referral - which makes me think about my own reading habits and how I've realised this year that much of the enjoyment of reading for me is in chatting about and sharing thoughts on the books I've read, and getting friends' recommendations. I like talking about books as much as reading them.

So I'm going to continue chatting about books as the key to me finding time for reading. I'm so looking forward to getting back into bookshops, libraries, coffee shops and festivals to do just that in person. 

So how was it for you? How was your reading year?

Tracy Darnton is the author of YA thrillers The Rules and The Truth About Lies.