Quick Reads - fall back in love with reading

I used to devour books, get totally lost in another world, dream about the characters and situations I was reading about, develop conversations in my head (ok that makes me sound a little mad...) but the point is, I used to LOVE books.

Nowadays, I rarely seem to have the time.  I've lost my 2 hour daily commute where I used to sink down into the train seat and get lost in a novel.  Since becoming a mother I crave sleep so much more than mental stimulation and I'm generally comatose within 5 minutes of climbing into bed.

Working at home, there's always something else more pressing to do than picking up a book like checking Twitter; updating Facebook; watching Breaking Bad doing the dishes, putting away the laundry, cleaning the bathroom...

When I do snatch a few minutes to read, I have to confess, I prefer to escape in a bit of fluffy chick-lit. Something warm; funny and uplifting.  With a happy ending - it's got to have a happy ending.  There's enough misery and doom in the real world without wishing to spend my 'fun' time immersed in it.  So I steer well clear of horror; murder; war and misery memoirs.

So, I know what I like to read, but the question is, how do I find the time to read?  It's particularly important to me as my daughter is really improving in her reading at school and I want her to see that it's a fun thing to do, not just a chore to complete after school and a tick in the box.

Galaxy Quick Reads, produce a wide range of short books by well known authors and personalities, designed to get adults back into reading.  The short, snappy nature of the books means they can be devoured in one or two sittings so there's no need to feel put off by a weighty tome looking at you menacingly from the bedside table.

Cathy Rentzenbrink from Quick Reads said, “With literacy results going backwards, it’s more important than ever that we are role models for the next generation of readers. Whether it’s a lack of confidence or time which stops one in five adults from reading for pleasure, we hope that our new Galaxy® Quick Reads will help to break these barriers down.”

Research suggests that 70% of parents stop reading with their kids before they are twelve, contrary to expert advice which suggests we should continue reading with our children until they are in their mid teens.  Part of the reason for this may be down to parent's confidence in their own reading ability.



I've just read one of the titles 'Rules for dating a romantic hero' by Harriet Evans.  A few hours of total escapism.  It's really made me realise how much I miss reading and how I must make time for it.

There's a whole range of books in the Quick Reads series from famous authors like Ian Rankin; Maeve Binchy; Kathy Lette and Barbara Taylor Bradford, through to other personalities you might not expect to put pen to paper such as Colin Jackson; Ricky Tomlinson and Kerry Katona.

Galaxy® Quick Reads are sold for £1 (rrp) through major retailers and online booksellers as paperback and eBook editions, or can also be loaned from libraries.

Disclosure: I was sent a selection of titles for the purpose of this review.