The Return of an Evening Ritual

I've finally started reading again.

I've always been an avid reader. From as early as when I learned to read, I loved finding good stories. I regularly hung out in the library at my elementary school, and even as early as the sixth grade, I decided that I wanted to be a writer.

There was a period, in high school, where I didn't want to read the books that were thrust upon us by teachers. I liked picking my own books to read and would rely on Coles Notes when it came to tests and assignments in English class.

My marks would often reflect that minimal effort. And ironically, I eventually read all of the books that I dissed and discovered that I had done myself a great disservice by not reading them when they were first introduced to me.

For most of my adult life, I've devoured books, sometimes reading around 25 a year. Even in the early days of The Brown Knowser blog, I'd make a list of books to read for the coming year and often exceed that list.

And then my reading pretty much came to a halt.

I got into other things. I'd spend more time working on this blog, or on my fiction. Or worse, I'd become a couch potato, with DW, and watch TV until it was time to go to bed. Or, even worse, I'd be on my phone, scrolling through various social-media feeds or playing silly games.

When I got into listening to podcasts, I'd do that in bed before going to sleep. It was better than watching TV or doing unimportant stuff on my phone, but it wasn't reading.

Over the past few years, I'd be lucky to read a single novel. My bookshelves held lots of unread books, but I let the dust gather on them.

Last December, when DW and I were in Mexico, I brought a book with me to read while lounging on the beach or near the pool. It was a silly book about a British comedian who travelled the world to pursue various conspiracy theories. I figured that a light, mindless read was perfect for a lazy week.

I started it on our flight to Cancun and finished the last page shortly before we landed back in Ottawa.

I enjoyed the book a lot (The Conspiracy Tourist, by Dom Joly) and it reignited my desire to return to reading.

My friend and fellow author, Peggy Blair, had recently written another crime novel, Double Vision, and I decided that I'd start my year off by reading her follow-up to her novel, Shadow Play. The sequel is Peggy's best work to date.

Being a lover of crime novels, I sought out my stack of unread books that have been gathering dust for more than a year. Normally, I would read an Ian Rankin novel as soon as it hit the book stores, but I was two novels behind (actually, I was three novels behind, with his latest, Midnight and Blue, still unpurchased).

I've finished A Song For The Dark Times and am currently into A Heart Full of Headstones. Rankin is still as brilliant as ever.

I have returned to my evening ritual, making sure the TV is done by 10. DW and I sleep in separate rooms, these days (our mutual snoring prevented both of us from having a good sleep so we've put some space between us, and it seems to work), so I can head up without waiting for her and curl up with a book as soon as I've readied myself for bed. I'll typically read until midnight.

I tend to get my blogging done during lunch breaks or on weekends, and my video editing is reserved for free weekend afternoons (not that I do it every weekend).

I find that I'm able to fall asleep faster when I read a book, rather than looking at my phone screen, so I'm hoping that this routine is back for good.

Now, I'll need some good recommendations. Leave yours in the Comments section.