The Book-hangover and How to Recognise One.

Readers of the world, if you have experienced one of these you will know what I am talking about. Some of you may have gone through this without being able to label the feelings, others may sit there and wonder what I am about to witter on about....to this later group you are heathens!!!

I am happy to report that I am not highly susceptible to book-hangovers. Much like I can drink copious amounts of tequila without suffering the morning after, I can read most books without many problems....or if I do suffer the symptoms are minimal. Every now and then though the hangover lasts a number of days but unlike an alcohol related hangover though the lasting effects of a book hangover may never fully dissipate!!

Original posted here along with A Fantasy Reader's take on the book-hangover

How to Recognise a Book-hangover (my lay-man's assessment)

They are usually experienced following the completion of a particularly good book or series of books. I should note here that the books in question to do not have to be considered literary greats, they don't even have to be anything you would admit to reading, however they do generally speak to you in some way shape or form. They grab your attention, your heart, or just get you thinking long after 'the end' has appeared.

Symptoms include but are not limited to:

• An inability to put the book down that you are reading. This is a warning sign! Take my advice; if you notice this kind of response to a book, make it last as long as possible. Delay the gratification because once it is over there is no going back!
• A desolate or hollow feeling deep in your core may follow completion of the book, like you have said good bye to a great friend and you may never see them again.
• You find yourself thinking of the book, the characters or the issues raised an inordinate amount of you time.
• Music, situations, buildings, cars.....you name it will all remind you of what is over!
• There may be changes to your appetite; comfort eating, loss of appetite...what ever your poison!
• There will most certainly be a constant yearning for more! Much more! Which may also be accompanied by a yearning to find the author, grab them and shake them until they agree to write another instalment! *Beware of Twitter and Facebook stalking the authors this may exacerbate symptoms*

Is there a cure you ask? 

None that I have found as yet! Other than getting hooked on another book and risking an equal or greater emotional response!

On the flip side the book-hangover is one of the greatest compliments that can be paid to an author!! I can only pray that I will elicit this kind of response from readers if I ever get published.

NB the book-hangover can also refer to the zombie feeling felt after having sat up all night reading.

So have you ever experienced a book-hangover? Would you admit which books keep you up at night?

Just a bit of what I have been listening to whilst suffering with the worst book-hangover I have ever experienced!!

Motivation: Day 21 Unlock their potential

As promised, my competition entry. Hope your fingers are still crossed ;-)

I encourage my children to read because

It opens their minds perchance to dream

It opens their eyes to that which is unseen

It allows their inspiration to soar

It encourages them to create more.

I encourage my children to read because

I want them to be all they can be

I want them to see all they can see

I want to give them passion for life

Even in times of trouble and strife.

I encourage my children to read because

I don’t want them to realise in later life

There’s more to see and read but no time

Words are our past, our present and our future

With them we can live a thousand lives and more



Motivation: Day 20 Baby Steps

There are things in this life that scare me senseless, many things in fact.

Roughly around 8 years ago I came to the realisation that I could not show these fears to my children, to do so would surely inflict the debilitating reactions I had onto them. I had no choice but to face my fears and under no circumstances show my fears in front of my girls.

Most things, like my fear of creepy crawlies and flying insects, have been relatively easy to face. A few deep breaths, grit my teeth and ignore them (most of the time). My fear of heights, focus on something else.

Sorry to fellow aracnophobes

However, my fear of putting myself out there, letting people see the me inside, this is proving a little harder to get over. I have a deep seated doubt in myself and the things I create, I never think they are good enough, I never think I am good enough.

I started this blog almost as a whimps way to face my fear, I mean seriously no one would be interested enough to read my blog would they. But at least I could post what I have written and hide behind my laptop screen, the thought of someone reading what I had written and finding it wanton makes me feel ill.

This last week, however I entered a competition. Only a small competition, to win a children's book a week for a year. All I had to do was write 100 words starting, 'I encourage my child to read because...' I started writing and ended up with a poem, which I dutifully entered onto the competition page before I changed my mind. Fingers crossed and we will see what happens!

Before I let you in on what I wrote, answer the question for me, why do you love to read and why do you / would you encourage your children to read. Oh and you don't have to write 100 words if you don't want to, a few words will do just fine, sometimes less is more!

I hope your projects are coming along nicely, keep writing, keep living!

World Book Day

This is one of my favourite times of the literary year. A time when books are celebrated and there are book related events going on all over the place.

Children's books are the focus of much of the hype and so they should. A trend on twitter today was 'growing up I read' and some of the responses made me wish I had been more into reading as a child. There are books that I wish I had read growing up that are mounting up on my catch up list. Classics like Alice in Wonderland, Narnia and many more should be required reading, it seems I missed the boat and am doomed to have to paddle, or read, twice as fast as an adult! If just a few children every year get the reading bug at a young enough age then the campaign is a success!!

I can't wait for Thursday 1st March when both of my girls will be attending school / nursery dressed as their favourite book characters. My eldest, who has recently discovered the Potter series, will become Hermione Granger for the day and my youngest is insisting on being Alice in Wonderland for the day. Is it wrong to get so excited about dressing my kids up as two of my favourite characters?!? Oh well, I think I will embrace the philosophy of living vicariously thorough them and continue to foster the reading bug in them!

Who was your favourite character as a child? Are you doing anything for World Book Day?

One Day, One Week

Seeing as there have been no new poems recently and progress on my current works is also excruciatingly slow I thought I would just babble on for a while about what my life is putting me through at the moment!

Electrical problems, followed by puddles in the kitchen and children setting my washing to go at 60 degrees (including dedicates!) just about sums up the household side of things at the moment, enough said!

The weekend was stressful yet productive. We have a family wedding coming up in May, with our girls being two out of the four flower girls. Our Saturday was spent shopping for their dresses, which they look beautiful in by the way. As a bonus I managed to find a fabulous dress for me in the sale; down from £180 to £48. Needless to say, happy me by the end of the day! Now all I need to do is sort out accessories, hair etc...

The week at work so far can be summed up in one phrase 'be careful what you wish for'. Keep asking for more and eventually you will get it, but why does the extra work always land when you are oddly busy???

All of this peppered with David Nicholls One Day, a break away from my usual fantasy genre, however I must say a very enjoyable read so far! I don't know if it is the humorous way it is written or the way the author confidently tells the story from two points of view or if it is the fact I can identify with the female protagonist so easily, that is making it such a compelling read. Either way I can't wait for the next instalment, so I am off to curl up with my favourite book, just like Charlie Cook (sorry couldn't resist the Julia Donaldson reference!).

What is life throwing at you? What are you curling up to read?

Reading List

One of my goals this year is to make a sizable dint in my to read list. I have only recently discovered most of these authors, although there are a couple of classics there that I have been meaning to read for some time. My passion for books and reading started later in life than with most, but I intend to at least start catching up this year!

L K Hamilton - Anita Blake Series

R J Anderson - Swift, Ultraviolet

Joseph Delaney - Spooks – I am Grimalkin

Paulo Coelho - Veronika Decides to Die, The Witch of Portobello, The Zahir, The Pilgrimage, The Devil and Miss Prym

Cornelia Funke - Inkspell, Inkdeath

Alexandra Adornetto - Hades, Heaven

Lauren Kate - Fallen in Love, Rapture

Maggie Stiefvater - Forever, The Scorpio Races, Ballard

Cassandra Clare - The Mortal Instruments Series, The Clockwork Prince

Classics - The Secret Garden, Pride and Prejudice

To all the other bibliophiles, happy reading!

How Sad!

I read an article today in the Guardian - the headline '4 million children in the UK do not own a book'. I know in the age of kindles and playstations etc... that headlines like this are not rare yet it never fails to raise a frown to my face. Our family life would not be complete without a nightly dose of the latest picture book or our favourite adventure! Now I know my husband thinks I should be attending the next meeting of bookaholics anonymous and the thought of Christmas coming with the inevitable splurge on books turns his wallet over in his pocket, but I can't help it! My philosophy is more bookshelves not less books, you can never have enough books, each one is a world in it's self. I only hope that my passion for books and reading; the adventure, the love, the passion, the moral reasoning...the list of things kids can get from reading a good book is endless!!! Maybe if we could instill this passion in more of the nations youth our parks, open spaces and private property would be a little safer! Cost cannot be the reason given all the potential to pick up a cheap book second hand. Some of the best books I have read have been second hand pick ups because they were a bargain. Not forgetting the wonderful Bookstart programme! I don't know what the answer is but surely we should not cast the printed word aside just yet, technological break through's need not take over the world, sometimes things can live side by side...can't they??