Why 'just paper and lines'?

The reason for this blog is twofold- I read an astounding number of books and very rarely get to share my opinions on them, and I am desperately in need of ‘something else’. As an English teacher, I spend a large portion of my life dragging disinterested adolescents through the hoops of their GCSE and I am starting to question whether I am selfless enough for this career. More on my mid twenties crisis another time, but in short, I need to have my ‘me’ moments. I read as much as I can (when I’m not falling asleep on the sofa with the cats and hiding from my mountain of coursework marking) but that’s not enough. I write when I don’t feel guilty for doing so instead of lesson planning, but that’s not enough. This seems to be a pretty decent way to merge the two- I can have my own miniscule section of the internet where my own desires and thoughts can be heard for once.

So now just a little about me. I live in a rural village about a 40 minute train ride from London (where everyone I have ever known is gradually sneeking off to) with my boyfriend and my two cats; one of which is named after a stupendously famous Fitzgerald character. I spend most of my spare time hiding from life by reading books and wearing reindeer patterned pyjamas. I love coffee and Friends, Girls and marmite. I love knitwear, sequins and velvet and have an unhealthy obsession with scarves. And that’s all you get for now.

This blog will hopefully be a little cluster of several things- many a review on a book or two and casual chats about life and its little intricacies. I feel that book reviews around tend to be very wordy and impersonal. Almost as if the writer feels they have to prove their knowledge of literature by deconstructing every nuance of the text and then slamming it down for one reason or another. Normally ones that are so high brow you want to cry. Yes I like to think I know my stuff reasonably well when it comes to English based bits and pieces ( a degree and teaching A Level will do that for you) but that’s not why I read. I do it because of the experience, the effect a book can have on you. And you very rarely get that with a broadsheet review- no matter how many fancy words they use.

You will also get a ‘Page 99’ snapshot. Now. This is one of those things that I have read and for some reason or another, it has lodged its way firmly in my head. Like that comment made flippantly by my Year 8 English teacher that you should “Always give a book 100 pages. If it hasn’t caught your heart by then, move on”.  I read about ‘Page 99’ in a copy of Elle magazine. The idea is that you can turn to page 99 and get a pretty decent idea of the novel and its preoccupations. I don’t completely agree with this, but I think it’s a cute idea enabling you to read a part of the text you may not have come across otherwise.

So. If you are actually reading this- hey there! I hope you love being a book dork as much as I do. Don some flannel, grab a blanket and join me.