Ruminations on Reading
by Cyn C. (Cyn-Sama)
Like most people on the PaperBackSwap, I have always been a voracious reader. Books have always been an escape for me. A way to hide from the world.
There are some authors that I gobble up like junk food. Mercedes Lackey, J.R. Ward, and Lisa Kleypas are my top guilty pleasures. Some people may complain about clunky plotlines or implausible characters, but, I don’t care. I love them. I can read them over and over again. Reading these authors is like watching my favorite movie. They are warm and comforting; mac and cheese for my frazzled brain.
Then, there are times when my brain craves the beauty and the word mastery of authors like Henry Rollins, Poppy Z. Brite, Neil Gaiman and Juliet Marillier.
Aside from my beloved Hank, you may notice that these authors lean ever so slightly into the world of pure imagination and fantasy.
I remember the first time I read Daughter of the Forest by Marillier. The book is a retelling of the legend of a girl with 
seven brothers who were turned into swans. Part of what she has to do to break the curse that was set upon her brothers is not speak until the other tasks set out for her are completed.
Each time I read this book, I start to feel like I’m unable to speak. The spell of the book has sucked me in so completely that I am transfigured.
Poppy sets up a different tone for me. I discovered them during my formative teenage years, when I thought that there was something broken in my wiring. Something that made me as a female enjoy reading about two men in love. Reading Poppy helped me to realize that I wasn’t broken.
Gaiman is the master of modern mythology. I have always loved his concept that as long as a deity has believers, they will still exist and influence the world. Given that thought, we can also create new gods. Gods of propaganda and electronics.
Then, there’s my Hank. He is the writer I turn to when I want to find blunt and honest truth. Truth that I sometimes don’t want to see inside myself.
The joy of discovering new authors and new worlds to explore is only a part of why reading is such an escape for me. My favorite thing is still curling up with an old friend I have read a hundred times before.
Nice job Cyn! I really enjoyed this post.
Thank you for introducing me to authors and genres I have never tried. I don’t normally read fantasy but you make it sound so appealing! Love the blog post!
Great job Cyn! This article was very interesting. I agree, new author’s are exciting and fun, but curling up with old friends, well it makes you feel at home no matter where you are.
Great food for thought here. You have mentioned a few writers that I am not familiar with. As for H. Rollins, in my family, we call him Uncle Hank. (Not to be confused with Hank Williams Sr.) I totally relate to the connection between reading and comfort food. I love the old Sci-fi pulps. Under literary analysis the might be cheese, but those guys (Lin Carter and John Jakes for example) are just good fun reading!
Read and enjoy!
I have to agree with Chris, great food for thought. I would have never thought about Rollins…These are going on my check-it-out list!
Even though I’m a slow reader, I devoured “Daughter of the Forest” in only 3 days. I was completely immersed!