Mother in Law: The pleasure of reading

I am a true believer that reading is one of the major pleasures in life. I regret that during my law degree I didn’t read for pleasure at all, as I couldn’t pick up another book at the end of a day’s studying. Likewise, after I had Deceptively Angelic Child 2 (DALC2) I decided to read Mansfield Park and it took me a year because I didn’t like it much and, you know, babies.

Reading is about as close as I get to being mindful. I rush for some reason, and berate myself half the time for skim reading, but I guess that has something to do with my day job. The other half of the time I am swept up in the lives of the fictional characters I temporarily care so much about. It has to be good for you, doesn’t it, escaping from the real world for ten minutes before bed?

My love of reading has rubbed off on my kids, although I know that doesn’t go without saying and plenty of kids don’t enjoy it despite their parents’ efforts. Don’t worry about it. I don’t think my brother read a book until he was about 35, but now quite enjoys them.

My kids’ school reports always mention their large vocabulary and, in a world of Whatsapps, they are only going to get this from books. Last week I asked DALC1 if she was enjoying dinner and she said 'it is making me grimace'. I don’t think I’ve ever used that word.

DALC2 is currently going through her Harry Potter phase. One morning recently I told her she had been sleeptalking in the night, but that I couldn’t work out what she was saying. 'Was it… PARSELTONGUE?' she asked, eyes wide in hope. She is fully immersed in a magical world where her imagination is being prodded and pulled in all directions. On the other hand, DALC1 has been reading books like The Boy at the Back of the Class, giving her perspective and a depth of understanding of other people’s lives that are different to her own.

I know I’ve said it before but good writing is so critical in our profession. Whether you need to be convincing or just clear in your written work, a large vocabulary and an excellent grasp of grammar are essential. You will acquire these skills without even realising if you read lots.

This is where I come in. Taking my advice on my career and other aspirations, as ever, from Reese Witherspoon, I wonder if we can start a little bookclub? I don’t need it to turn into a billion dollar empire like hers, I just want to talk about the books I read a bit so that I don’t forget them as soon as I read the last page. I want them to stay with me a bit longer. And, of course, I want to encourage reading for all of our general wellbeing.

The book has sort of chosen itself. I had another one in mind, but in the meantime picked up The Editor’s Wife by Clare Chambers and within pages there was a solicitor ex-wife and what looks a lot like an inheritance dispute. What more could we want. It will be the third book I have read by Clare Chambers, with Small Pleasures being one of my favourite reads of recent years.

My plan is to take to Twitter to discuss/ask some questions (nothing too deep) about the book with the hashtag #MILbookclub. The book is split into three parts so I’m thinking:

• 21st October - Part One
• 4th November - Part Two
• 18th November - Part Three

If this sounds good to you, do please get yourself a copy and join in, or even just lurk at a distance. The only rules are to not read ahead (you will see why when you start to read Part One), to enjoy the read and not to stress about getting behind. I am certainly not trying to add to your to-do lists. And if no one joins me (or everyone just wants to lurk) that is fine too; I live in a house where no one listens to a word I say and I am quite happy to say all the things I want to say anyway.

Some facts and identities have been altered in the above article