Its a vice

One of my greatest vices is a love of books.

Not a bad one to have, but one that can deprive you of sleep, take you to the highest high or drop you, suddenly and ruthlessly, to the lowest low.

Many a night’s sleep has been foregone to get to the last page of a juicy story – be it a psychological thriller (my favourite) or a soppy romance. Every time I sit at my desk, sleep deprived, wondering why I keep doing it I promise myself it’ll never happen again, but I know that its a lie.

So here I sit again at the mercy of another fabulous book – The Executioner by (for me) newly discovered author Chris Carter – wondering why it is I gave up a perfectly good night’s sleep to finish this masterpiece.

The only answer I can come up with is that I’m a hopeless addicted – addicted to the thrill of the chase, the catching of the killer and the good guys winning. Unlike alcoholics or drug addicts, there is no known cure and the support groups (often known as book clubs) do nothing to dampen the enthusiasm … although the wine is often good. I’m just admitting it, embracing it and looking for my next exhilarating read.

So if you have a fabulous book you’d like to tell the world about, whatever the genre, please share your love of the written word with us and send us the reviews of the books that have kept you up at night. Send your hot tips for good reads to samk@caxton.co.za

PS: I am not alone in this addiction. As I look up from my desk, I am reminded that deputy editor Natasha Kotze also suffers this addiction, so at least I’m in like-minded company.