I’m shocked to see how long it’s been since my last post! What happens to the time? Anyway, the idea for this post came from something Northumberland libraries are doing to help promote reading and keep the connection with readers during lockdown. They asked authors what we’re reading and how we’re coping. I’ve used my response as the basis for this post.
Just because they’re pretty…
LET’S START WITH MY FAVORITE SUBJECT – BOOKS!
Some of my friends are struggling to read at the moment but I’m finding it easier to read than to write. It’s also the best possible activity to take my mind off what’s going on outside the front door. Since lockdown started, I’ve read six novels and I’m halfway through another. I usually read roughly a book a week, so this is very slightly more than usual for me.
MY Lockdown reading
The Authenticity Project, by Clare Pooley. This has a clever premise (strangers getting to know each other through a notebook in which they’re encouraged to write their own truths). A light, easy read, and very charming.
My One True North, by Milly Johnson. I don’t read a lot of romance, but I fell in love with Milly’s writing a few years ago. Her books just get better and better, and this was an absolute delight, beautifully written and thoroughly uplifting – perfect lockdown reading. I loved it so much I felt genuinely sad when I finished it.
Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens. This was our bookclub choice. We usually meet in pubs, but now it’s Skype with wine and crisps. Five of us loved it, the other two liked it, but it was a winner overall.
Heat stroke, by Hazel Barkworth. This one’s out at the end of May. A heady, claustrophobic (in a good way) novel about the tensions between a mother and her teenage daughter when the daughters friend goes missing.
The Man on the Street, by Trevor Wood. I’m not a huge crime fan, but I really enjoyed this one. It had great character depth, and I loved the main character – an ex-military policeman who finds himself homeless and unwittingly witnesses a crime.
The Reluctant Fundamentalist, by Mohsin Hamid. This month’s book club read – I’d been meaning to read this for ages, and after I bought a new copy, I discovered I already had one on my shelves! This went down well – two of us liked it, the other five loved it.
The Covenant, by Thorne Moore. I’m halfway through this historical drama, and I’m loving it so far. It’s a prequel to one of the author’s earlier novels, and it’s out this summer..
So that’s my lockdown reading so far. Next on my list is The Cazelet Chronicles, by Elizabeth Jane Howard. I’ve been meaning to read these for ages, too – heard so many wonderful things about this author. Hilary Mantel wrote an excellent piece about her recently in the Guardian. You can read it here: Elizabeth Jane Howard
How am I coping in general?
Well, it’s horrible this, isn’t it? I think we’re all a bit jittery. Like many others, I’m missing my friends and my family. Part of my writing life involves meeting other authors in coffee shops, either for writing sessions or just to chat about our writing projects. Although I quite like my own company, I also love being with others, so social distancing is hard.
For the first few weeks, I was listening obsessively to news bulletins and press briefings, but I’ve slowed down on that now, and I’m careful what I read on social media. The outpourings of political rage, the horror stories and the tragic personal stories of loss and grief are quite a strain on my mental health, and there are days when I simply don’t feel strong enough. I’m allowing myself to admit that now.
In many ways I’m lucky – my kids are grown-up, so no homeschooling or stir-crazy teens to deal with. My husband and I are used to working at home, and we quite like each other. We have a lab/collie cross called Norman, who keeps us company and joins us on our daily exercise.
Norman among the daffs
Norman nestling in the wild garlic
Writing
Workwise, it’s hard to concentrate. I’m in the process of working on an outline for my fifth novel, but one minute, I’m worried that it seems disrespectful to be making up stories while so many people are suffering, then the next minute, I’m thinking, we need stories now more than ever! Then there’s the financial aspect – we’re all suffering a massive drop in print sales at the moment, although hopefully, our e-book sales will do slightly better. Many of us supplement our income by running workshops or doing events, but of course, all of these have been cancelled. I’m still mentoring, but it’s online or phone tutorials instead of the lovely face-to-face meetings. When I can’t concentrate on work at all, I bake, which is fine, but then I eat the stuff I baked, which is not. And don’t even get me started on wine o’clock…
So, that’s how this author is coping. I’m a bit fed up, but I’m thankful to not be working on the front line, and I am profoundly grateful to those who are.
How are you coping? Are you reading more or less than usual? If you’re an author, how is this affecting your work?
*EDITED 2nd May It seems the 99p deal has ended – sorry, peeps. I never know when these deals are going to start, or when they’re going to end. Ah well. It’s 3.99 now, so still half the price of a physical book (but obviously not as good as 99p!)
Let’s all try to find something to smile about, and remember, there are always stories. Let’s take one day at a time, blow a big fat raspberry at Covid19, and settle down with a good book..On which topic, if I may be so bold, how about The Flight of Cornelia Blackwood?
For more about me and my books, please visit my website
Thanks for the book recommendations, Susan. I attended a couple of excellent workshops with you & Russ and you critiqued part of my novella a while ago. Thanks to your encouragement, I’ve now written a full-length novel and first drafts of its prequel & sequel. On the reading front, I’m spending an hour a day with Thomas Cromwell & marvelling at the writing but, inevitably, it’s all rather blokey and I know it won’t end well… My other book is a fluffy called Voices of Summer by Diane Pearson which a friend recommended as she knows I like fiction about music. It’s about a struggling operetta company in the Austrian mountains: can’t be highbrow all the time.
Cath, I’m so pleased to hear that you’ve finished your novel – congratulations! And first drafts to a prequel and sequel – that’s amazing! Well done!! Everyone who has completed a novel knows how incredibly hard it is, so I hope you have celebrated this fantastic achievement. There’s nothing wrong with a ‘fluffy’ book from time to time. If we’re reading about the human condition, whether it’s fluffy or highbrow, we are enriching our souls!
I guess I am one of the lucky ones during this Lockdown as I have much of Susan’s attention for mentoring. If there are any novice writers out there reading this who would value some guidance, I can thoroughly recommend speaking to Susan about the mentoring she can offer. I would never have got to the point of completing the first draft of a novel without this help. I have learnt so much from Susan’s constructive feedback.
That said, after reading the latest blog I have just found Volume 2 of The Cazalet Chronicle on my bookshelf so will aim to read that in the next week or so. Hilary Mantel apparently advises all budding writers that they can learn a lot from E J Howard’s books. There is still much for me to learn. Thank you Susan.
Thank you for this lovely comment, Julie. it really is a pleasure to work with such a dedicated and hard-working writer, and I’m so glad you’re finding the mentoring helpful. And yes, if Hilary Mantel recommends Elizabeth Jane Howard, I think we all need to read her!