All guns firing

Well, it's good to be blogging again. I'm not going to waste time apologising for a 10-month hiatus.

A lot has happened after my last post. I was on physiotherapy and medication for ages and am fighting fit now and drive to work, except that I seem to have lost the ability to touch my toes without bending my knees. The doctors assured me it would happen, but I keep trying every day in vain. I also get mild back ache if I sit down for too long.

Professionally, I returned to work in June, for limited hours and gradually started full-time work. I also went on my first international assignment to the US and got a few stories out of it. That was in October, and two stories are still being written. Which means...

I've slowed down. Seriously. I now need more time to read a book, more time to finish a meal, more time to edit a story and so on. Either I am turning into an old, old woman, or I guess the young blood thing has run its course. Or may be, it's my body telling me it needs 'me time'. Still, it's good to stop and smell the roses.

On to the purpose of this blog, and my New Year resolutions:

1. NO health scares this year. OK, that's not in my hands, but I won't take risks. Such as riding pillion on a bike. No more daredevilry. My folks have stood outside intensive care units enough for a lifetime.

2. At least five fountain pens and three war medals.

3. Finish reading all pending books.

4. Finish writing all pending articles.

5. FINISH THAT SHORT STORY (the one set in 1803).

6. Get at least 25 bylines (three so far this year, with another coming up next week).

7. Read at least two books a week.

That's it, really.

Bookswise, I'm getting a feeling I read too much fiction. Not that there's anything wrong. It's understandable that I enjoy fiction more, but I think I need to read more non-fiction just to maintain a balance.

I came across a book called The Recruit by Robert Muchamore. Whatever I read on the jacket looked attractive. Haven't started it, but once I finish, I'll be sure to share thoughts.

I also found a few coffee table books, which seems the wrong name for the things. Aren't they more of picture-books? Why coffee table? Call them photo-ops, if you like. Sorry to say this, but I dislike coffee table books. 1. The purpose of a book is to be read. And these books have very little text or reading matter. 2. The information they do give will hardly fill a brochure. 3. If I want to view photographs, I'll go to google images! 4. They're so unwieldy to hold. 5. What a disgraceful waste of paper! Save the planet, why can't we?

Do you like coffee table books? Maybe you could convince me to change my mind about them. Till next time, happy reading.