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People ask me if I read other people’s books. I usually say, for research. They say, what do you read for pleasure? Reading for pleasure? Do I do that? Most people have a reading stack, books they plan to get around to reading, or are currently reading. I didn’t have a stack, I had three stacks. All were five to seven books high depending on the thickness of the books. I decided things had gotten out of hand at that point, so I whittled the stack down to one and moved the other books onto shelves. I’ve been doing that for months. Let’s face it, I don’t have a reading stack I have a reading pile.

Even I didn’t realize how bad things had gotten until I finished the last big book projects. I sent them off to New York and thought, "I’ll read something from one of my stacks." I found a second pile on Jon’s side of the bed, but the list of magazines were definitely my choices. I chose a copy of "Body & Soul" magazine put it in my briefcase/purse and was going to read it at one of the many appointments I’ve been catching up on now that I’ve made my deadlines. I settled in at the allergist, pulled out the magazine and started reading. I thought, huh, it’s a fall/October theme. I didn’t realize I’d bought a "Body & Soul" that recently. Then I realized it was from last October.

I sat in the doctor’s office with a year old magazine that I had not touched, but simply put in the pile to be read later. Apparently this was later. I am, as God as my witness, going to read that magazine. The articles on food and exercise and one article on relaxation, which I apparently need a lot, are just as pertinent as when I bought it a year ago. Maybe the article on relaxation is even more pertenent? So I’ve chosen my magazine from the pile. It helped me realize that at one book, or magazine a piece I’ll never see the end of this pile of reading, so . . .

I have my magazine, yes, it is a year-old copy of "Body & Soul" but it still looks interesting. Though, to amuse myself I may go out and try to buy this year’s October issue and compare the two. I’ll see how the editorial tastes have changed in a year. I have chosen a fiction book and a nonfiction book off the pile, too. Fiction is TOO MANY WOMEN by Rex Stout. It’s a Nero Wolfe mystery and the only one that Jon, my husband, and I haven’t read. It’s out of print and we had to hunt for it. It’s got that nice old book smell that fills this bibliophile’s heart with happiness. I have the book in my briefcase ready for quick use. Nonfiction is ANIMALS IN TRANSLATION by Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson. Temple Garndin is the main name, but as a writer I know that Ms. Johnson helped her write the book. I like giving credit where credit is due. My plan is to read the magazine and the mystery and then hit the other book. But I will allow myself to choose another magazine and fiction book as I finish things, so I will have three bits of reading material at all times. Maybe, if I do it this way I will actually begin to dig through my pile of reading goodness.

The only rule for the reading pile is that none of it can be directly linked to research. If its a book for research I’ve been reading those. It’s reading for pleasure that has gone the way of all things not in my to-do list. I have a whole different stack of books waiting for me to read them, for research. That’s still work and is much better organized, and much more read over this last year. Now, I may be inspired by the Nero Wolfe mystery, but I’m aiming to be entertained and to feed my muse. The Temple Garndin book I’m hoping to learn something and to see into a world view different from my own. For those who don’t know Ms. Garndin is an animal scientist and also has autism. She credits the latter with her career in the former. The writing is also fun and interesting or I wouldn’t have picked it up, but I picked it up primarily to learn something. I find that I never know what bit of knowledge will spark a book idea, or help me just think in a different way. As an artist you never know where inspiration will come from, or what exactly your muse is looking for until you find it. I guess in all honesty I’m not just reading for enjoyment. As a writer I suppose that’s near impossible for me. Everything I read, everything I see, touch, taste, experience, all of it goes into that great big hopper in my head so it can all be shaken together, stirred around, and eventually new ideas come out. New thoughts, new characters, and they can come from anywhere, or nowhere.

I’m reading to relax and enjoy and learn, but there is that niggling press from my muse saying read this, it’s valabule. Sometimes the niggle is to watch a show, or a movie, and heaven knows I’m behind on those, too. But I’ve learned to pay attention to that gentle push, that nudge, because there’s gold in that pile of reading somewhere I can feel it like an idea that’s almost ready to spill out of the dark and onto paper. In the end there is no innocent reading for a writer. We are always looking for something. It’s a restlessness of the mind and for me, the body. An itchy, irritating, exciting, what happens next feeling. It’s not a bad way to spend a few days, or weeks, and then the next book, which is already been bubbling to the surface in notes for weeks, will be ready to write. And then I’ll go from this restless searching, excited scatter shot exploring to letting the next book pour over me, engulf me, and all the things that I’ve learned in the next few days will be there in my head, in my fingers, some of it will end up in the next book, or maybe the book after that, or maybe it will never get used and I’ll just have learned something new for the sake of learning something new. That’s not a bad use of time either. Now, where did I put that book?