How Long Is Your Wish List?

Hi, Writers,

Jessica here, filling in for Jane while she’s out of the office for a couple of weeks. When she asked me to guest blog here on There Are No Rules, my first question was about to be, “What would you like me to blog about?” Then I remembered There Are No Rules, so I knew better than to ask.

These first two weeks as editor of WD have flown by. While preparing my first issue at the helm of the magazine, I’ve also been soaking up as much industry news as I can—like all of us here do on a regular basis, but on overdrive.

Sometimes in the deluge of newsletters and blog posts about media layoffs and Google legal battles and the like, it’s nice to find someone who’s saying something totally random that’s been on your mind. That’s how I felt when I logged onto The Penguin UK Blog for the first time in a while, started scrolling through the entries and came across a refreshingly honest post titled How Does Everyone Here Read So Quickly?

I am a voracious reader. True, I feel a responsibility to stay apprised of what’s on the shelves as part of my job—but I’d read nonstop even if I didn’t.

That said, I add to my wish list infinitely faster than I can cross books off. This frustrates me for many reasons, a big one being: I’m fully aware that people expect editors to have read, well, everything. Obviously, this is not possible (though if I could pick one superpower, that might just be it … that, or invisibility, or maybe time travel … but I digress). I love an intelligent conversation about a great book—but I cringe when I'm put on the spot about one I haven’t read. Surely I cannot be alone in this, I’ve wondered. My literary counterpart across the pond made me feel like I have a little company. I love to savor the language of a beautiful book. I don’t want to rush. It’s supposed to be fun!

As writers, it’s important for all of us to be reading constantly. It’s essential. But having a read-in-progress you can’t wait to get back to at this very moment is what matters—how fast you get through it isn’t.

So. What are you reading right now? Leave a comment and let me know! There's always room for one more book on a never-ending wish list.