Read the Casbah

I decided this morning that I would set up a new blog. This was after realising how much I am enjoying reading at the moment.

Since leaving school, I have gone through different phases of reading. At University I hardly read for pleasure at all - I like to think this was because I was already spending a lot of time reading. I had to get through a Reading List in less than a week, which didn't always leave me wanting to spend more time with books! Once I'd finished studying though I found myself enjoying reading again. I would always go to Boarders when they had their "Student Discount" events and buy half a dozen books that would last me until then next discount offer. At this time I was reading "popular science" and it was a great bridge between my studies and non-student life.

On moving to London I kept reading popular science, but also moved into fiction. I would normally read on either the journey to or from work, saving the other journey for my mp3 player (no ipod for me). I never read that much fiction, shunning it, feeling that it was "too easy" a read.

On my next move, the journey became cycle ride, and combining this with reading became a whole lot more difficult! I didn't read much for a good few years until I once again had an hour-long commute to deal with. This time, alongside my popular science I found popular history and biographies. Without a student discount at my disposal I was now a member of three local libraries.

When we were preparing for moving to Cairo, we had to plan carefully what we were going to take with us in our four suitcases of posessions. In the advice about moving abroad we had been warned that one of the things you often miss are good books and so we whittled down three bookcases worth to a few select titles that we knew we would enjoy reading again and again.

Since arriving in August we have read some of the books we brought with us, but have also expanded our literary world. I hope to include reviews of all the books I read on this blog, but I will be focusing on my new found interest; translated arabic novels and books set in and around Egypt.