A new set of questions about reading

1. Can you remember what your parents used to read you before bedtime?
   I’m not sure they did. We lived overseas and had an ayah (Indian nanny), and all our routines (including bedtime) were entirely run by her. It’s unlikely she’d have read to us, as I’m not sure how well she read English with it not being her first language. Thinking about it, this probably explains why I don’t know a lot of early years books. But we regularly saw my parents with a book in their hands, so the transition to reading ourselves felt natural. When we got access to TV the year I turned 11, my mother and one sister started to taper off their reading, but my father and the remaining three children have continued to be avid readers.
   
2. How do you pick the next book you want to read?
   I used to browse in bookshops, picking up a book and reading the first few pages (if it grabbed me, I bought it), otherwise it was by recommendation, either personal or via newpapers or magazine articles. Once I began reading fiction on a Kindle, the impact of bookshop browsing vastly reduced. That, combined with my increasing age and a growing lack of willingness to plough through books which aren’t enjoyable, means I now chose new books written by tried & trusted authors, or via recommendations from a few trusted people whose taste aligns with mine. There was a time I was heavily influenced by membership of a book club, and because that opened my eyes to new authors, I will be looking for a new one this year.
   
3. Would you rather read a book with an unclear ending that makes you wonder what the author meant, or one with a heartbreaking ending?
   The unclear ending was my immediate reaction. I don’t believe I’m seeking to avoid a heartbreaking ending in my choice, although clearly I could be too close to be an entirely dispassionate observer. I suspect my reasoning is that while open or unclear endings can be frustrating to a reader, to a writer it can be a really interesting experience to play out the scenario and see where you’d take the outcome.
   
4. Would you rather read the same genre forever, or only be allowed to read one book from every genre?
   If forced, I would read the same genre forever – what that genre would be, I’m not entirely sure. Probably literary fiction, although there’s no doubting I’d miss my comfort reads when times are difficult, as that’s where I find solace. But I’ll be honest, I’m not convinced there are enough genres (or even sub-genres) to cover my annual reading numbers, let alone the number of books I’ll read in my lifetime – and I’m confident this would be true of all avid readers.
   
5. Did you ever read in a completely inappropriate location or situation?
   No. But my list of inappropriate locations or situations would be small and probably limited only to a religious service or a business meeting.
   
6. How late into a book do you realize it will be one that you will recommend others to read as well?
   I’d not recommend a book until I’ve finished it. It’s possible I’d be complimentary if asked, perhaps even suggest a book I’m reading might be to a certain individual’s taste – but a full-blown recommendation wouldn’t happen till I’ve read the entire book. But I’m careful with recommendations anyway, because my loving a book doesn’t means everyone will feel the same way… as I know from experience. When making a recommendation, I try to match what I know of a person’s taste with any recommendation and, as I read a wide range of genres, I’m generally able to make a decent suggestion. Not always though… for someone whose preference is horror or romance, I’ve limited offerings.
   
7. Do you enjoy audiobooks?
   I have listened to a few audiobooks, but I’ve a preference for reading and, fortunately my life isn’t such that I have to multi-task this way in order to consume books. I’ve started a couple, only to be put off by the reader’s voice and/or their mispronunciation of words. I also know that I get irritated by certain quirks in writing style when I hear them read aloud, despite being able to get past them when reading – I’ve no idea why this is. There are exceptions to this preference – Stephen Fry and the Harry Potter series being one notable example.
   
8. Who’s your favourite author?
   Honestly, I couldn’t pick just one. It was hard enough to nominate one favourite book (when pressed, I eventually nominated Midnights Children by Salman Rushdie). Rushdie is definitely a favourite author of mine… and yet I’ve DNF’d at least one of his books. Among my favourites are those from every Continent except Antarctic, and while I’d have said my preferred genres are literary & contemporary fiction, my Goodreads report told me I’ve read more mysteries, thrillers and historical fiction last year, so what do I know! I started to write a list but, honestly, it got way too long. I’d always be happy to share it with the genuinely interested, but don’t believe anyone wants to read a massive list of names in a blog post.

Do you have any particular reading patterns – seasons, time of day, number of minutes/pages etc?

Also, what do you think of the Icelandic tradition of Christmas Book Flood, where a surge of new books is published before Christmas, gifted on Christmas Eve, and then read immediately (the key bit being you’re not judged for being unsociable)?

© Debs Carey, 2026