Reading: Q&A

One of the most common questions I’m asked is ‘How many books do you read?’ usually followed up by ‘Why do you read so much?’ Now, on average I presently read around 70 books a year. In my mid-late teens and in to my early 20’s I was averaging around 100 a year – a number I’m hoping to reprise once I retire. So, I don’t really regard 70 as ‘a lot’. Of course the average (whatever that means) in England & Wales is supposedly 3 a year. Yes, that’s right – 3. So, in comparison I guess 70 IS a lot. It just shouldn’t be. Another common question I’m asked is what I’m reading right then – usually in the surprised tone of voice: ‘What are you reading NOW?’ I actually get this a lot. It’s because I have a butterfly mind and have an interest in a great many subjects with almost the exclusive exception of sport – and I’m even developing some interest in various aspects of that. Everything else is, I believe, fair game.

I read essentially for three main reasons, entertainment, enlightenment and as something to pass the time. My entertainment is mostly provided by fiction. In my early years this was almost exclusively Science Fiction (where I picked up my love of all things scientific) but these days my tastes are far wider and I’ll read pretty much anything that looks interesting with the exception of Romance or Horror – although I do dip into the Horror genre from time to time (I’m actually a huge fan of the Vampire genre but, generally, don’t consider these to be horror per se). I’m a huge fan of Crime novels, Historical (especially war based), Spy stories, and general Political thrillers. I also like Fantasy novels but think that good ones are rather rare. It’s easy to write a bad fantasy novel and surprisingly easy to get it published. Likewise I like a good Urban Fantasy novel but these are even rarer and, it seems, bad ones are even easier to get published.

I’ve been looking for enlightenment between the covers of books since day one. I’m going to blame my teenage brain for that one. As I teenager I really didn’t have much clue about the world and was honestly confused by just about everything – from the people around me, the world around me and even myself. As it appeared that either no one else was interested in finding these things out (including my fellow High School students) and no one seemed to be around to help me I headed for our local library and began reading everything I could get my hands on – starting with History and Science. My initial knowledge base was so low though that it took years of random and largely undirected reading to even start thinking about things properly. It was probably only when I went to University that it all started to come together and make some sort of sense. Oddly for those three years I hardly read at all as I was both having too much fun and I was actually learning things in class for a (pleasant) change. University also introduced me to Philosophy which I had, oddly looking back, almost completely ignored up till that point.

After a few years’ unemployed (and reading more again) I managed to get a full time job and began to buy books by the truckload (or so it seemed). Most of them were fiction but the proportion of non-fiction grew steadily and I’m now reading non-fiction more often than novels. I’ve moved beyond my desire for enlightenment and my goal these days – probably unachievable – is to ‘understand the world and how we got here’. That’s the direction I’m aiming in at any rate. So, lots of history again and as much quality analysis as I can find. I do have the glimmer of an answer which is directing my reading to hopefully bring things more into focus. The need to know is most definitely driving me on. I feel it inside me stir every time I think of slacking. It’s one thing that completely amazes me about other people – that so many seem not to have that drive. They don’t feel the need to know stuff or the absolute joy of discovery or the sweet delight in finding out that something you believed for years was wrong but now you know enough about it to correct things. I just don’t get it. Even when they ask me ‘How do you know this stuff?’ I can only look at them incredulously and reply ‘How do you NOT know this stuff?’ Of course I’m normally a bit more diplomatic, laugh, and say ‘I read BOOKS and I remember things’. Oddly this does not often encourage people to follow my example. Sometimes it feels like I’ve just woken someone momentarily from a light afternoon nap only to watch them drop off again. It bemuses me and, as usual, anything that bemuses or confuses me sends me running to my book stock, a book shop or Amazon to begin the hunt for answers. To this day I’m still trying to wrap my head around a question that I was asked a year or so ago: ‘Why are you reading a book about a subject you know nothing about?’ I couldn’t help but think that the answer was obviously in the question. I read books about things I know little or nothing about BECAUSE I know little or nothing about them. Isn’t that what it’s all about? Or am I missing something?