Books by my bed

One book is like eating one potato chip.

I think most readers, and writers (who are also prolific readers), could relate to those eight little words. I found the anonymous quote recently on  Pinterest and thought how very apt. It drew me to check my bedside table, which generally houses several books. I have regularly had up to 12 books waiting to be read, or read and written in, at any one time.

Here is my current reading list:

My Ipad: I read the news on this every morning before tumbling out of bed – oh, and I also give my
emails a cursory check to see if there is anything that should be attended to urgently, or at least
post-haste. Once I have exhausted all that it’s feet to the floor, which reminds me of something I
read recently – Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning, the devil
says, “Oh shit, she’s up!”

Women’s Weekly

The Australian Women’s Weekly Puzzle Book Bumper Edition: I bought this at the supermarket a
few days ago – yes, I know it only adds to my bedside pile and it’s hardly reading, but it was nice and
thick with lots and lots of puzzles and is perfect for filling in a random 10 minutes or so between life
and reading.
My Bible: Most important to me; it keeps me on track. Tucked inside is the current issue of Word
for Today from Radio Rhema, written by that wonderful Irishman,

Bible and Word for today

Bob Gass – just a short word for
each day and some bible readings (it’s a great way to read the Bible in a year). It’s surprising how
often his words relate to my personal life and circumstance. It’s just such a wise book and nobody
has managed to top it in more than 2000 years and it’s still selling strongly so it should probably be sitting at the top of the
world’s Best Seller lists. I’d never be without it.
Citadel by Kate Mosse: I recently finished reading her book Labyrinthe and it was sooo good that

Kate Moss author

when I saw Citadel in the book store just after Christmas, I immediately pulled out my Christmas
gift vouchers and bought it. Kate Mosse is a fantastic writer and weaves a great tale but somehow
I’m not being dragged into this particular story. I am trying though as I know if I keep reading it is
sure to pan out. It’s a bit like another favourite author whose books I virtually devoured a few years
ago. This author’s books were always detail-loaded at the beginning and hence, started slowly but I
knew if I hung in there they would suddenly grab me and I’d be a slave until the last page. That was
Charlotte Bingham and I have read most of what she has written and enjoyed every one.
The Other Side of the Story by Marian Keyes: This was recommended to me. I was having coffee recently with a writer friend and she insisted I read it so, in its turn, I will. I’m told Marian Keyes
is a marvellous writer and has a wonderful gift for humour so I’m looking forward to being
entertained with this one.

John Grisham

The Racketeer by John Grisham: Last year I was in the UK and Europe for six months and I did a lot
of reading. I’d never read a Grisham book before, although my husband has been a fan of his for
years. Anyway, I was ferreting around in a charity shop one day (they are EVERYWHERE and books
are so cheap) and came across a couple of his books so I bought them both. I was hooked from the very first word. This latest was given to my husband at Christmas so,
having been well and truly indoctrinated into the Grisham fan club while I was away – I bought
several more over the months – I snatched it as soon as he had finished and balanced it atop my
reading pile.
The Venetian Journal by Tessa Kiros: This delightful journal I picked up in Australia recently. I
already have one of Tessa’s cook books (an amazing treat) and this journal follows her tradition of
words and recipes laced in between pages for journal entries, tear out postcards in black and white
and muted colours (delightful), pictures of – you guessed it – Venice. She starts with a little
journalling of her own. Here is a taste – Venice is one of those places you could most probably
cartwheel into unnoticed. Once you had landed on your feet, you’d be held fixed for a moment and
forced to stare for awhile, before stepping your way into this magical place and losing your way
through secret passageways and tiny roads uniting with bridges over the water.
Doesn’t that whet your appetite? Well, try this for sandwiches – Tramezzini – and what she says
about them.
The Tramazzini are classic little sandwiches – white bread, stuffed to bursting with mayonnaise and
other fillings – that have been updated by the cicchetti bars of modern Venice. Often served with a
lovely glass of wine.
You can see why I just had to have this journal (It’s a weakness, I have many and use them all).

So that is my current pile. It changes quickly – in a fortnight the list may be vastly changed; I’m a fast reader.
Occasionally I look at my bedside table and wonder if I should adorn it with a single rose in a bud vase or something else that’s lovely, like in the home and garden magazines. But when I think about it seriously, much as I like pretty things, I love my books more.

If anyone has an interesting list and doesn’t mind sharing it along with a few comments about the books on it, I would love to see it (email me at: busypen@live.com ). I always find other people’s reading lists fascinating and it’s a great way to discover authors I haven’t read before (the books, not the authors) and to get to know more people who read – because readers are interesting beings.

Whatever the preference, reading is a personal experience. What I like, you may not, and vice versa. But that’s great; it means we are all unique individuals with minds of our own. So heap up the bedside table and share those reading lists. Let’s all participate and share what we enjoy with the world.