I pick up and put down books a lot. I start one, bring it on the bus to work with me, leave it in my work bag. At the weekend I don’t feel like reading the book associated with my commute, so I look for something else to read; I start something entirely new. A few days later, an attractive book cover catches my eye (that don’t judge a book by the cover advice is good – but so hard to follow). I start another book. I soon have a long list of unfinished books.

There are several reasons why the books are unfinished and some of them are silly: I had to stop reading The Kite Runner on my way to work because some parts were so sad I was embarrassed that I was crying in public! But mostly, the reason why these books are unfinished is because when I put them down I felt that, somehow or other, I wasn’t in the right mood to read them. And I just haven’t managed to pick them up again since.

The more stressed out I am, the less likely I am to choose a serious book. I prefer to pick up a light read. Sometimes I even choose things that I know are going to be trash; I know they won’t tax my brain too much. That’s why being a library member is so important – you can pick up trash, read it, and then say ‘Phew! Thank goodness I didn’t pay good money to but that!’ Sometimes light reads are all I ever get through in a month. Serious reading piles up, unfinished, by the bedside table.

This is why I can’t understand the publishing industry’s category of ‘holiday reads’. They’re light, escapist books, the kind of thing I need in my everyday life. I’ll save the serious material for my holidays!