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2019 – My year in books or How to find over extra 400 hours

December 31, 2019 By Sue Ransom Leave a Comment

 

Like most writers I have to squeeze my writing in between the day job, the house and the family, and that often leaves little time for reading other than during the holidays. For many years I found it hard to read at all when I was writing, as I couldn’t keep the stories separate in my head, but – thankfully – that’s improved and I can now do both. However, fitting in all the reading I wanted was still a challenge. So many great books and so little time!

All that changed in 2019 as a result of a surprise Christmas gift from my son. He bought me a subscription to Audible.

I have a 45-minute driving commute, and I wondered how well I would get on with listening whilst negotiating the A4 heading towards London. I started listening to books that I already knew and loved so that I wouldn’t worry if I got distracted and missed a bit. I soon moved onto new books though, and started racing through them. At my daughter’s suggestion I listened at x1.25 speed, which kept the voices OK but stepped up the pace. I developed a habit of listening through each book first to get the story and then listening again to learn about the structure, the characterisation, the ‘show not tell’ and all the other writer’s tricks.

I started to listen not just on my commute, but when I was gardening or doing the housework – suddenly the place was clean! Yesterday I looked at the app and saw that I had spent 460 hours listening to books this year – time which I didn’t know I had. That’s over 19 full days. I’ve not had to stop writing or doing any of the other things I would usually do. It’s as if I’ve ben given a gift of free reading time.

The books I’ve read and listened to are below. If I had to pick a favourite of the ones new to me this year, I’d have to select those that I listened to first, then felt compelled to buy in hard copy too – Sweet Sorrow, by David Nicholls, and The Tattooist of Auschwitz, by Heather Morris.

 

Paperbacks/hardbacks:

 

Machines like me, Ian McEwan

After the End, Clare Mackintosh

A God in Ruins, Kate Atkinson

Outsider, Stephen King

The Last, Hanna Jameson

The Boy Who Flew, Fleur Hitchcock

Anna at War, Helen Peters

Meat Market, Juno Dawson

The Secrets We Kept, Lara Prescott

Sweet Sorrow, David Nicholls

The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Heather Morris

Unnatural Causes, Richard Shepherd

Breaking and Mending, Joanna Cannon

Danse Macabre, Stephen King

 

Currently in progress:

Cilka’s Journey Heather Morris

The Remarkable Life of the Skin, Monty Lyman

 

Audio books:

(Listed by date of most recent purchase)

 

For Emily, Katherine Slee

Don’t Think a Single Thought, Diana Cambridge

The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Neil Gaiman

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Book 5, J.K. Rowling

The Good Samaritan, John Marrs

The Institute, Stephen King

The Power, Naomi Alderman

The Perfect Wife, JP Delaney

Nine Perfect Strangers, Liane Moriarty

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Book 4, J.K. Rowling

Sweet Sorrow, David Nicholls

Firestarter, Stephen King

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Book 3, J.K. Rowling

Career of Evil: Cormoran Strike, Book 3, Robert Galbraith

The Silkworm: Cormoran Strike, Book 2, Robert Galbraith

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Book 2, J.K. Rowling

The Cuckoo’s Calling: Cormoran Strike, Book 1, Robert Galbraith

Lethal White: Cormoran Strike, Book 4, Robert Galbraith

Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

Big Little Lies, Liane Moriarty

The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Heather Morris

The Time Traveler’s Wife, Audrey Niffenegger

The Stand, Stephen King

The War of the Worlds, H. G. Wells

 

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