Reading books

Three girls participating in a workshop approached me and Robert in a café a while ago asking some questions for a survey they were doing, and they asked us what inspires us more, movies or books? I thought for a while about the inspiring videos I've seen, or beautiful movies that have made me want to travel or take action in some cause. But really thinking about it, nothing can inspire and move me more than a book. The feelings I can get from a good book are more, profound, and they stay with me longer.

I'd forgotten how much I love to read books. I've thought for so long that I don't have time or energy to give to reading, but it seems as having only one computer in a household of two has been a blessing, particularly in combination with limited internet access. No more streaming of crappy series or browsing through meaningless websites for hours, because it is comfortable and, so I've thought, relaxing. In the last month I've now finished two books, of very different categories, and I don't miss New Girl, Big Bang Theory, Game of Thrones or Homeland at all. My only problem now is how I'm going to afford buying more books in a country that doesn't really have second hand shops or flea markets, or English paperbacks for that matter, and especially how heavy they are going to be in the suitcase when leaving Jordan.

This last book I read was one of those inspiring books, it is written by the same author as one of my favourite books, The End of Mr. Y, and I was anticipating something along the same lines, very philosophical and emotional but with a, to say the least, science fictional twist. But this time Scarlett Thomas left out the science fiction in Our Tragic Universe, which was slightly annoying only because I was waiting for it to appear through half of the book, and instead inserted some more.. spiritual aspects. Anyway, the book is about a female writer and her struggle in writing and life in general. It was a bit mind bending at times since the the main character is trying to write a book about  a writer writing and reading books, and she also reads a lot of books which are accounted for quite thoroughly. Even though there wasn't really a conventional plot, and in the beginning it was quite boring since it seemed like the book never really started, it turned out to be a really nice book, with characters I could identify with. In the book the characters discuss the concept of a "story-less story", a story that doesn't comply to the format of regular stories, where there is a problem that needs to be solves, a monster to be overcome or some kind of drama that needs to be resolved. This is also a concept that is used in the book, we simply visit the main character for a period of her life and get to follow her as she wanders around in life, dealing with everyday trouble, there is no real main plot, except her life. I came to like this concept so the only real down fall with the book was the ending. It seems like the author has felt forced to wrap things up and in some way provide a happy ending, if yet not a classical one. It seems rushed and unnecessary, when I for once didn't feel like a book needed to provide all the answers, tie all the loose ends together. I was actually happy with letting her go on her way, as I would be with a person I met briefly in real life. 

In one of the ways this book has inspired me, not surprisingly, is that I want to write more. I have always had that wish to write but maybe not the faith in myself, so I have this brilliant idea that might be a good start, which basically is to read even more books and try to write about them. Since I devour books in all categories (the previous book I read was the last in a trilogy about a group of teenage witches in high school) I think it is a good way to learn about different kinds of writing. And if anyone wants to hire me to review books, I would be more than happy to do the job!