So it’s my first post in this weird new world we all live in, where we’re inside more than we’d like, trying to stay safe. Things are changing on a daily basis and it’s difficult to keep up with all the new rules (and in some cases, laws) advising us on what we can and can’t do, in our respective corner of the world.
I hope you and your loved ones are OK and keeping your spirits up. My heart goes out to all of you who are doing it particularly tough, whether you’ve lost your job or you’re sick, or stuck somewhere you don’t quite call ‘home,’ or even if someone you know is going through a rough time. Sending healing vibes your way.
We’re all in various stages of lockdown, looking for ways to amuse ourselves. If you’re like me, this is also a chance to pay attention to the pile of books I’ve been meaning to get through. It’s important to take a break from the endless news feeds and escape our reality, whatever that may be. Stories can transport us to magical places, give us a connection to new characters and help us forget the somewhat scary world we now live in.
Right now, I’m reading Neil Gaiman’s excellent “The Graveyard Book.” I’m going to admit right now that I started reading this ages ago. In fact, if you stalk me on social media, you can find that I started reading on a trip to Singapore last October (remember a time when we could travel the world and hardly think twice)? As extra proof, my ‘bookmark’ is a spare incoming passenger immigration card, to get back into Australia.
So, yes. It’s taken me ages to devour this book, but in truth, I was savouring it. I didn’t want it to end. The characters are charmingly unique, and this particular edition also contains excellently-spooky illustrations. I was treating the book like a long-term relationship that I wanted to see into retirement.
But now? I am getting back into the habit of reading every night, before bed. Because I live alone, it’s easy for me to pass a day or two without human contact. I’ve been loving video chats with friends and family, but I still find the need to process the day, and part of that is escaping my own world, even for a few pages. It’s incredibly good for our mental health, I highly recommend reading if you can manage it at this time.
And now I come to my own personal, massive miscalculation of celestial forces. My paperback launched just before Covid-19 went global. So I haven’t promoted the book much, or really at all, because it didn’t feel right. There are bigger things afoot, and I felt a bit icky about it.
However, I thought about it some more and realised that my novel, “The Ghost Mothers,” may offer a touch of whimsical escape in a time like this. It’s light-hearted, set in a magical ‘time before Corona’ (read, 2019) and has some characters I’d love to meet in real life. In fact, I kind of wish they were my best friends.
As an added bonus, you may identify some real-life ‘fairy ghost-mothers’ of your own. We could all do with a touch of magic right now.
But mainly, I just hope you are keeping well and safe. It’s important to look out for each other, and your physical and mental health. Keep to a routine as much as you can, and have compassion for those around you. We are all dealing with our new reality in different ways. I’m trying to not let the fear win. There are positives to see in our days too – even if it’s something small. Something that we might not have noticed in our busy lives ‘before.’
And if you have any book recommendations, please do let me know. I hope you make a dent in your book pile too!
Stay safe, from my home to yours,
Jackie