I
had a book voucher to spend recently and while browsing, decided to
buy The Bullet Journal book. I got a bullet journal last year but I
think I need to up my bujo game, hence the book. I also bought a copy
of The Winners Bible by Dr Kerry Spackman, a New Zealander who
coaches high performing athletes, among others, on how to improve
performance. My brother had recommended the book a while back and
when I saw it, I figured I’d give it a go.
Its an interesting book which I am making my way
through and taking notes, but today I was pondering a section he
calls 'intrinsic drivers'. That is, those reasons for doing things. It's all
about digging deep within yourself to figure stuff out. He asks you
to list things you like doing and then examine why you like them.
Reading, of course, figures and I thought it was really interesting
to ponder just why I like reading a novel, romance or any other
genre. Straight away I know that with romance I like the happy
ending and that you know it's going to end up well. No need to skip
to the end to see whodunit. You know the couple are going to end up
together. But what else?
Thinking about reading a good book, I came
up with a few things. One is that it's just joyful. Blissful. Reading
a book you love is one of life’s greatest joys. They’re
entertaining, especially if it’s a good laugh out loud chicklit, a la Sophie Kinsella or Jill Mansell. I
recently discovered Cathy Maxwell’s regencies, different yet again, but so much fun with a great story and strong female characters. I think there’s an
element of accomplishment in finishing a book and adding it to a list
such as the "goodreads challenge". I am not one to persevere with a
book just 'because' so not everything I start gets finished. I love
reading because one can be by oneself, and as someone who is quite
anti-social at times most of the time, that’s a biggie. I’m not
so sure about escapism. I know that’s a reason for a lot of people
to read, but I have never felt the need to escape from life, so I’ll
hold fire on that one. And as a writer, certain authors inspire me, particularly when I read something wonderful and want to
replicate that with what I write. That’s why I often
go back to favourite authors like Fiona Brand, Abby Gaines, Karina
Bliss, Nora Roberts, Jenny Crusie et al.
It’s interesting to
ponder, anyway, how something so basic can bring so much joy. As an author (it may have been Kathleen Gilles Seidel ) wrote in an essay in the book Dangerous Men and Adventurous Women (ed. Jayne Ann Krentz) …
judge me by the joy I bring.
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