Nocturnal Journal–Mandy M. Roth

Please, Can I Get Sick Again?

I’m a publisher and editor. I read all day, every day. Yes, much of it is emails and other non-book stuff. But I also read a lot of books – work-related submissions and books to edit. I also try to read books by some of our newer authors, to keep up with what we’re publishing. And I do enjoy a lot of them.

But reading books not from our publishing company purely for pleasure? My time for that usually seems non-existent. I BUY lots of books – but don’t have time to read them. There are about 800 books on my To Be Read shelves (five large bookcases in my bedroom, double rows of books on each shelf). I see reviews or recommendations for great books, for new series in my favorite genres, for new releases by my favorite authors, so I buy the books in hopes that SOMEDAY I’ll have time to read. I joined a romance reader group at a local library, at least I feel committed to make time to read the monthly discussion book. But other than that, I seem to average only a couple books a month, if that. Often it’s anthologies – it’s easier to find time to get through a short novella in a collection, rather than a full book. I have lots of novels with bookmarks partway through – I started the book, didn’t have enough time to finish it, and now enough time has gone by that I’ve forgotten what it’s about and I’d have to re-read from the beginning.

And then – last week I got sick. I missed two full days and two half days of work. Plus still felt sick over the weekend, so didn’t work on Sunday, as I usually do. In all of 2007, I think I may have used two or three sick days; I don’t know if I had any in 2006. So having several days off work is rare for me. I did spend about four hours a day logged in to my work email, but I mainly relaxed and napped. And read books! Lots of books! It was wonderful, it was invigorating, it was the height of mental pleasure. Nine books! In one week, I had time to read NINE books. I was in heaven.

I read the first book in each of three paranormal romance series. Now I know I want to read the rest of the books from those series (they’re up to book 3 or 4, it took that long for me to get to book 1). I read a fantasy anthology, a paranormal romance anthology, an older Silhouette, and a humorous paranormal historical romance. Oh, yeah, and I did read two EC titles.

So…anyone have a contagious illness (uh, of the non-fatal variety)? Would you like to stop by my house and breathe on me? I figure that I need only, oh, about 400 more days off to get through my TBRs. Of course, that’s assuming I don’t keep adding to the shelves. Did I mention that I received two books as gifts from authors today, and I went to the bookstore at lunch and bought three new titles?

Sincerely,

Raelene Gorlinsky, Publisher

Ellora’s Cave Publishing Inc.