After hearing on the radio that one third of teachers believed the current downward trend of reading for pleasure was irreversible, Bob Stone, owner of Write Blend Books on South Road, decided to do something about it. He has now published an anthology featuring pieces by 59 authors about how a love of reading influenced their lives. We spoke to Bob about the new book and what else he’s looking forward to reading next.
How was this book put together?
Putting the book together was comparatively easy. I put the call out on social media for submissions and was very pleasantly surprised with the response. I edited and formatted each submission as it came in and assembled the book as I went. I was delighted when a very talented artist named Catherine Owen, who works under the name The Raggy Rat, offered to provide illustrations and cover art, which I really think enhances the book.
Which part of it are you most happy with?
It’s difficult to pick one part. What I love is that although there are a great many different books mentioned, there are also a number of books that crop up again and again. It was fascinating to see the way the same books have had an impact on so many different lives.
Were there any stories that resonated with you personally?
I was interested to see the number of pieces that mentioned the same books as I did, and also those that mentioned books that I wish I’d remembered to write about! But there were a couple of stories that I found particularly insightful and those were from people who had been reluctant readers for one reason or another and come to enjoy reading a little later in life. It proves that there is no wrong age to start reading for pleasure, sometimes you just have to find the right book.
What books are you loving right now, apart from your own obviously?
I’ve just finished an excellent Young Adult novel called The Emptying by Mimi Thebo and Rachel Delahaye. It’s a fascinating, relevant dystopian thriller but it’s beautifully character-driven and very absorbing. I recently started Ghosts of Chanterlands by Catherine Cavendish, which promises to be very creepy!
What books did you love as a child and why – does it change much as you get older?
I was very lucky to have been brought up by two avid readers in a house full of books. When I was very young I loved Beatrix Potter, probably because the books aren’t, as some might think, about cute fluffy animals. Some are quite dark and I remember being terrified for poor Tom Kitten, when the rat Samuel Whiskers wanted to turn him into a pudding. The first book I remember choosing from the school library to read for myself was The Heroes by Charles Kingsley and that started a life-long interest in mythology. My taste has expanded as I’ve got older but in many ways it hasn’t changed that much. I still enjoy a good, well-told story.
What should teachers be recommending to children to read?
That’s an interesting question and would take too long to answer fully here! There is some debate about whether classics like Shakespeare and even Tolkien are still relevant and I would argue that they are. Giving children challenging books to read can enrich their vocabulary, but at the same time, if they can’t engage with what they are reading, there is a danger it can put them off books. Luckily there are a great many superb children’s authors around, well-known names like Frank Cottrell Boyce, Malorie Blackman and Michael Morpurgo, but also less well-known authors like Claire Barker, Natasha Farrant and Phil Earle, to name but a few!
What are you looking forward to reading next?
I’m really looking forward to Other Worlds Than These by Stephen King and Peter Straub, the third book in the Talisman series which is out in October. It’s 42 years since the first book in the series came out and 25 years since the second, so it’s about time!
Do you know of any good bookshops people could browse these books?
Well I’ve got to say Write Blend, obviously, but Pritchards in Crosby is a great shop and Kingsley and Co. in Bootle Strand do a fantastic job in bringing books to life for children.
Visit Write Blend Books (L22 0ND) or search ‘Our Lives In Books by Bob Stone’ on amazon.co.uk to buy.
