Saved by words

I’m back again, I really do like this writing lark but remember I do not claim to be a literary genius and there will be more likely be grammatical and spelling mistakes, as English is my third language.

My first language was Irish Sign Language (ISL), it is what my parents used at home along with some spoken English but hey who remember speaking their first word or doing their first sign as a wee lassie?

            When I moved to Scotland in 1988, I went to a local nursery with hearing children when my parents looked for a suitable school for me and one was found about 20 mins away from where we lived.

            I remember my first day, it is quite vague but I recall not really understanding people as the signs they used were different. This was British Sign Language (BSL), my preferred choice of communication for the next 20-ish years! I was an insufferable know-it-all and I still am to this day.

I have been called ‘Google’ a few times!

The third language i learnt? English clearly! 3 languages by the age of 5, impressive isn't it? 

I first fell in love with the written word at a young age as I was encouraged to read a lot and I was quite lonely a lot in primary school as I found it difficult to relate to people my own age and got on better with people older than me. I would go to the library every Saturday and pick up a lot of books (always up to the maximum allowance of 10!).

The main books that made me fall in love with the writing of Enid Blyton, everyone has read at least one of her books at one point, how could anyone not want to be in the Famous Five and explore the Kirrin Island, or be one of the Secret Seven solving mysteries? I recall reading St Clare and Malory Towers both was set in a girls’ boarding school and always wanted to partake in a midnight feast.

As I grew a bit older I started on Sweet Valley series, the Babysitting Club, Nancy Drew and many more! I did read a wide range of other fiction such as Tintin, the Hardy Boys and so on.

When I was 12, I did get to go to a boarding school! Sadly it wasn’t like the books, no midnight feasts- how disappointing but when I was much older some midnight drink feasts.  

I was isolated a lot when I was a teenager, I yet again found it really hard to fit in and escaped into my world of literary fiction, the school library had plenty of those and I get the feeling I must have worked myself through most of them!  I was introduced to more fiction and non-fiction when in my English lessons from year 7 and I stuck with the subject all the way up to A-level literature. I do own an impressive array of the classics with my favourite writers being Thomas Hardy, Shakespeare and much many more.

            Harry Potter is a classic series and it encourage thousands of children to read and it should be awarded the Knighthood on that merit alone! Sir Harry Potter is awesome!

Now I am much much older and less fussy about what I read, I could not stand biographies and other non-fiction at time bored me but after being introduced to Danny Wallace who is an incredibly funny writer as well Dave Gorman who has collaborated with Danny on his books.  This encouraged me to read more non-fiction, I have a strange mixture of people I like to read such as Gok Wan, Sir Alan Sugar and a anonymous staff member from Google!

            I now mainly read chick lit and have my own particular favourites but at times I will branch out to thrillers, mysteries, science fiction.. oh really anything that comes recommended yes even 50 shades of series and the (don’t judge me!) Twilight series. I also own a few cookery books!

Why am I talking about my reading choices? Well without all these books I have ever read have helped me to cope when things get too hard for me. Several books I have been able to empathise with during my life, there are often books that can match whatever stage I am going through- love, loss, trauma, despair and whatever range of emotions that is happening at the times. I will cry and I will laugh along with the characters in the books.

The last book that made me cry really hard is “Me Before You” by Jojo Moyes. 

Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun teashop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn't know does she’s about to lose her job or that know what's coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.

What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

I could empathise with both characters and easily be one of them. I would say more but that would be giving away the story! The author Jojo herself has a Deaf child which I didn’t know til I followed her on twitter @jojomoyes

There are some brilliant writers out there in their own genres and if anyone want a recommendation, just ask me!

My love of the written word is one of the biggest factors why I still am around. It is somewhere I can escape and hide until the storm (shitty time) is over and I can crawl out, all teary and snotty, my state of mind trying to pull all the pieces back together but I am still here

FACT: I think I have owned over 3 thousand books in my lifetime and have lost, misplaced, gave away, sold, split food & drinks, dropped in the bath and abused the books in so many ways and they are still there for me