Hi, I’m Amy and welcome to reading between the lines, I study Literature and I love books! This is my attempt to do something more with my passion and give a little back to the subject that gave me, and I believe can and has given others a lot.
A college tutor once described books to me as ‘living breathing documents’ that were almost ‘alive’, a description that I have borrowed far too many times. In this offhand comment, he captured exactly why I loved reading so much, it made me feel alive. Books for me had always been fascinating because they were a snapshot of the time they were written in, the author and society, whilst also reaching to a modern audience who could relate to what was directly in front of them.
I wanted to write this blog to show how a wide range of books, authors and time periods could continuously be relevant both to me personally and to others, through their relevance to modern society.
You could say, the spark for this blog was in 2017 when I began studying English Literature A-level. I was already a year behind due to some bad A-level choices the year before and I hadn’t studied English for a year and a half. I knew I liked books, reading and enjoyed writing, I didn’t know that choice would change the course of the next few years.
Within the space of one term, it became clear that a small feeling of ‘this will do’ grew into a firm ‘I love this.’ I can pinpoint the exact moment I knew Literature was the right path (studying The Great Gatsby) and since then have never looked back. Â
As my passion grew, I realised my whole life had been guided by the literature I’d read and been exposed to. Whilst going through the process of applying for university and having to articulate why I wanted to study English Literature I concluded that the words and the books I had encountered made me who I am and continue to do so to this day. Words had made me and so many others feel less alone.
This blog is intended for everyone, from those with little interest in books to those who are also self-confessed bookworms. I’m aware how pretentious it sounds, but I quite literally wouldn’t be who I am today without the books I’ve studied, read and been around and it feels important to give even the tiniest slither of that to others. If I can do that. Then my job is done.