Shelfies #64: Sinéad Gray

Being ‘a reader’ has always been a big part of my identity.

I have read my way through each stage of my life. Through love, loss and adventures big and small, I remember what book I read at that time, and what it taught me (or meant to me).

But I’m in a season of my life where I don’t read very much. It was hard to type that sentence, it feels like a terrible admission of guilt.  

I have young children. A busy job. The responsibilities that come with ‘adult life’ are… a bit tiring! I know others who manage this life transition while still ploughing through books. I haven’t managed that. And honestly, I’ve felt a bit sad about that sometimes. Though I imagine I'm far from alone in this.

But - as the newborn months taught me – ‘this stage will pass’ and in the meantime, I live in a home surrounded by my books and I am teaching two future readers the joy of books - with a little help from The Jolly Postman and The Cat in the Hat. 

These are the books that I look at from my sofa in my living room. I have a lot of bookshelves, only special books make it onto this one. 

Robber Bride - Margaret Atwood has taught me so much about feminism and womanhood. And saying what you think. And being brave. And unruly. I love everything she writes.

War & Peace – I insisted that War & Peace was the ‘perfect’ book to take backpacking around Europe. It wasn’t. It was quite hard to fit into the top of my bag. Parts of it I loved. I still haven’t finished it.

Jane Eyre – my favourite classic. Featuring my favourite literary trope of the ‘madwoman in the attic’. I enjoy spotting it used in other books. May we all rage more against restrictive norms.

The Great Gatsby – each table at my wedding was named after a famous love story. And this was one of them. The problem is so many ‘love stories’ – like this one - are awful, dark and a terrible thing to base any marriage on. But, the glamour!

Talking Heads - Alan Bennett is such a genius. I love that you think you’re being told one thing. Then you realise it’s about something else entirely.

It’s cold, it’s dark, the end of the year approaches. Next year, I’m going to find ways to bring back time to read a little bit more.

Sinéad Gray is co-Managing Director at Kindred, a comms agency specialising in positive change. She lives in London with her husband, two children and their dog - Batman. 

Shelfies is edited by Lavie Tidhar and Jared Shurin.
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