So this weekend I as per usual broke the rules and headed out for a week night dose of culture at the latest installment of Hidden Prologues at the RBE Bloomsbury Street.
The latest chapter in the literary salon coincided with social book week, something I'd never come across before, and the speaker up before us was Andy Miller who would spend the evening talking to us about his new book "The Year of Reading Dangerously."
No it's not about a librarian with assassin skills (an idea for the books I'll write when I retire maybe), but a book which addresses how we lie about what we've read. I think we can all put our hands up and confess to times where we've claimed to have read books either to impress or in most cases to pretend to teachers that we've done the work.
Fed up of claiming to have read books he hadn't, Andy set himself the challenge of tackling 50 tales, in a year. From Ulysses to Moby Dick he read all of them. Some brought joy others pain, but at least he could truthfully admit that he'd finally read them.
Instead of taking us through each and every book, Andy transformed the usual "in conversation" with Sam Leith into a lecture sharing his tips to inspire us to read. There was even a tiny bit of participation from our side (I'll explain later).
So here's Andy Miller's 10 step programme to reading gratification.
1. Choose For Yourself
I love reading as it fires the imagination and introduces you to amazing new words - most of which I attempt to use even if I don't know what they mean. That said I find it hard to read a book recommended by someone else because I know what I like. In fact the only book I've read on recommendation and enjoyed is World War Z (thank you April).
2. We Are Not As Clever As George Eliot
I visibly cringed at the mention of George Eliot and Middlemarch. I love Victorian literature, give me a social problem novel any day, but just the mention of her name brings back traumatic memories from my third year at university. Even a BBC dramatisation of Middlemarch couldn't save the day. Sorry Andy but I'm a lost cause when it comes to George Eliot.
3. We Are Not As Clever As Dan Brown
Ah Dan Brown reminds me of a holiday I took to Ayia Napa when I was 18. Everyone wanted to go out for a night out on the tiles and I feigned illness so that I could stay in and read the Da Vinci Code. On reflection this is probably something I shouldn't have mentioned as my street credit, if I ever had any, has probably just hit zero.
4. When Reading A Book, There Is No Substitute For Reading A Book
I've shared many opinions about books that I've never read or in fact I've stolen the opinion from someone else. In fact I think I've often told people that books will make you think retrospectively about your life! I mean really?
5. Join A Book Group - Carefully
I just can't ring myself to join a reading group. I like particular books and I don't like to define a timescale to read a book. You never enjoy it if you rush it, plus I can't stand the thought of reading a trashy chick-lit story - no thank you!
6. We Can't Like Everything
I've been told on numerous occasions that I'm allergic to saying no and I'll often I'll say a book was great, even if it wasn't. I feel obligated to say that I should like a book especially if it's a classic. I'll draw the line at Virginia Woolf's The Lighthouse - I've never read the first chapter of a book so many times.
7. If you Start a Book Finish It
I have a fear, slight OCD, that I'll be cursed if I don't finish a book! Yes it's far fetched, but it's a good trick to make you stick too and finish a book. Andy also made a good point that some books are slow burners and often it's the last four chapters that will blow your mind. So in a nutshell just stick with it.
8. Engage
Andy's trick here is to read 50 pages a day. Mine is to complete a chapter in my commute to work. There's nothing worse than stopping mid-chapter. Also I swear by getting to page 100. To me this is a reading milestone and once you reach this then you can easily finish the book.
9. Use Your Library
I've long held the dream that I will have a library to challenge the one in Beauty and the Beast. In order for this dream to come true however; I need to start buying lottery tickets. In the meantime I'm happy to venture to my local library to read my book
10.Tell the Truth
I promise that from this day forward I will always truthfully admit to the books I have read
There's nothing quite like ending a talk with some audience participation. At the start of the session we were asked to sign a piece of paper. We weren't signing away our lives or signing up to a literary cult, but committing ourselves to reading a book that we've either lied about reading or just never found the time to delve into the pages. There were some ambitious and if not funny choices - who knew that there was a book about Gary Lineker called Striking Differently. The book I've challenged myself to read is Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind which has been long over due. The film, I believe, is a cinematic masterpiece, but I've never found the time to read the book. Part of me is worried it will mar my love for the film. But I've signed the form so I have to commit.
One part of the talk that has stuck in my memory is a quote recited by Andy. It's by a German philosopher called Schopenhauer and it goes; "Its a good thing to buy books. If only we could buy the time to read them." We all lead busy lives, but sometimes we should just take some time out to indulge our passions.
So go and find a book, make the time and discover a fascinating read.
