I’m back from my holidays and over the cold so pretty much ready to start the new year which not unexpectedly has already started without me whilst I’m still pondering resolutions. I don’t seem to stick to resolutions terribly well so have been trying to come up with some things I already half do and want to be more whole hearted about...
Last year is the first time I kept something approaching a record of what I read – by which I mean a note in my diary whenever I finished a book and even then it’s quite possible I missed some. A quick count suggests 65 novels read, I think that’s more than last year, I think I also acquired books at 3 to 4 times the rate I managed to read them. On the whole I don’t have a problem with that; now I’ve started on Trollope I know I’m going to read my way through a good chunk of his work so there’s no point in waiting for prices to go up, and the same is true for good second hand finds, but at the same time I want to read more this year. Not necessarily more books but definitely more pages (some of those Trollope’s are doorsteps) so I’m resolving to spend less time watching television I’m not interested in, a lot less time playing solitaire, and a bit less time pointlessly mooching around Waterstones in the vain hope my local branch will ever stock something I want to buy.
So far I’m not doing very well – a whole week away and I only managed to read 2 books, I did however get to spend some time with my family (and even better the dogs without whom no country visit would be complete) in really idyllic surroundings so it was by no means time wasted. We also visited a handful of bookshops – 2 branches of Waterstones in Edinburgh (woeful) and 3 excellent independents in the borders including the superb Main Street Trading Company in Newton St Boswells which I think is possibly my favourite bookshop anywhere for the mix of stock, atmosphere, cafe, helpful staff, and all round loveliness.
Good bookshops are to be cherished, The Main Street Trading Company pretty much sums up my winning the lottery and this is what I do with my life dream. The blonde and I first found it about 2 years ago and I’ve made the pilgrimage back a few times since coming to the firm conclusion that it just gets better; very much worth a visit.
And now I feel myself beginning to ramble so it seems like a good time to put my resolution into action by stepping back from the lap top and picking up a book. Happy New Year.
