My Mom is nearly 80. She always has a book on the go and so I decided to so some research and ask her a few questions about her reading habits.
Mom in her late teens.
Were you encouraged to read as a child?
When I was at school and the air raid siren went off, we all trouped out to the playground and filed into the air raid shelter. It was on these occasions that I remember learning my alphabet. I must have been five or six and we chanted the letters to pass the time.
My father and grandmother were avid readers. It was my job to fetch their books from the library. I can remember going down the road to the private library, first on my scooter and then on my precious bike (they were difficult to come by in the war). I had to get Biggles books for my father. My Grandma always insisted that I read the last few pages of books I selected for her. I could only bring them home if they had a happy ending. My library habit was established and I am a staunch supporter of my local library which I visit every week.
What sort of books do you read?
These days I get through at least two books a week. I always used to stick to authors I knew, such as Audrey Howard and Dick Francis. I think I’ve read more books by Dick Francis than he’s written!
Since Morton has been writing and, consequently, reading widely, I have been reading all sorts of books which she passes on to me. This has made me much more adventurous and now I look for new authors in all sorts of genres.
What makes a good book?
I like books with a puzzle, such as detective stories. They have to have a good story and keep me guessing. The first few pages have to intrigue me and not give away the plot.
Thank you Mom.
Mom is likely to be published before me as she has written a large proportion of her memoirs. Following the recent death of my stepfather, she is about to begin the story of the last twenty years she shared with him.
She has promised to proof read my novels, but I will admit to being a bit daunted in the face of her experienced eye!
