Jane Isaac writes brilliant books, the latest of which The Truth Will Out is available now from Legend Press. So I asked her to contribute to the “Why We Read” feature and here is what she had to tell me. Oh and her bookshelves look somewhat like mine!
My World of Books
My first memory of stories dates back to Peter Pan. From a very early age I remember being thrust into Neverland and wanting so badly to be Wendy. Shortly afterwards, it was The Lion, The Witch and Wardrobe that captured my attention, a tale that remains one of my all-time favourites. Like many children I was enchanted with the idea of walking through the back of a wardrobe into a new and exciting land; I lay awake at night inventing interesting worlds for my own wardrobe. Later I was captivated by the many tales of Enid Blyton, especially the Secret Seven and the Famous Five, and I think this is where my love of mysteries really began.
As I grew up, the works of Agatha Christie and the fascinating deduction of Sherlock Holmes enchanted me and proved a stepping stone into the wider world of fiction.
For me, there is no greater feeling than wandering around a bookshop and picking out a title, casting my eye over the cover art, soaking up the blurb and reading the first few paragraphs. By then, I’ll know whether or not I’m hooked.
Today I have five family bookshelves in my house, all double skinned and stocked with beautiful stories and prose that I’ve whiled away some very pleasant days enjoying. The books aren’t arranged in height order; they’re stacked haphazardly and laid on top of each other as I retrieve them from time to time and re-read my favourite parts.
I have a Kindle too. I don’t want to miss out on those stories only released in eBook and it is a light and easy method to pack that all important holiday reading, although I’m probably not the most efficient reader. I like to revel in the experience, look at the cover from time to time, flick back a few pages to check a point I think I’ve might have missed – especially if I’m reading a thriller with twists and turns aplenty – and a book allows me to indulge in this pleasure.
I love any prose that enables me to reach into another world and sample it with all the senses and my two greatest loves are travel tales and crime fiction. For me it’s not really escapism, I’m quite happy with my family and my lot in life, more like curiosity, excitement, a sense of adventure and a fascination with people. My mother always said I was nosey!
Follow Jane on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/JaneIsaacAuthor
If you would like to read try this! http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/jane+isaac/the+truth+will+out/10044463/
Happy Reading Folks!
