Let's Talk About Books: The Armageddon Rag

If there's one thing I like as much as cosmetics and beauty, it's the written word. One thing I love to do (and I'm trying to get back in to doing more of it) is reading. I used to read something every. single. day, without fail, but as I've gotten older and gotten busier, I've found it harder to find the time and motivation to go back to reading as much as I used to. From this week, I'll be introducing a feature to Oyster and Blush, most likely to be posted on a Sunday called "Let's talk about books", not the most original of titles, I'll grant you, but it fits what I'll be doing - talking about books! It won't necessarily be book reviews, as I may not finish a book every week to be able to review, but it'll certainly be talking about what I've been reading, how I'm finding it and where I'm up to.
I find that my mind is much more at ease when I'm regularly reading novels and creative literature. There's always been an element of escapism in reading for me, even as a kid, and there's something really satisfying about immersing yourself completely into someone else's fiction and letting it carry you off into other worlds (or other times, or both!). I'm looking forward to seeing if I still get the same calmer feeling that I used to when I allow myself to get completely absorbed into a book for longer than half hour or so.

I've been reading the Armageddon Rag for a few weeks, on and off. It's a book by George RR Martin, (y'know, the Game of Thrones guy?), written in the 80s. I bought this based off the blurb, and the fact it was written by him but doesn't fall into the same genre as the ASOIAF series (which I've read most of, but still need to finish it), I expected good things, but I didn't expect to fall in love with the book. The writing is different to what I'm used to from him - it's much more simplistic, but still well done, the book is all from one man's perspective which is a nice change from what we're used to, and the story itself is nicely woven. I'm just under halfway through, and I've encountered themes revolving around The Lord of The Rings (hello, there!), murder and the underground music scene, with a hint of hippy-ish revolution and the effects of the ravages of time. I like the way it's tying so many things together, and the way the book deals with some difficult themes (the idea of cults has been hinted at, public death, famous people being faded out of the limelight and such), and I'm looking forward to pushing through it and seeing the way it ends, because I honestly have no idea at this point!

The book is a standalone novel, something I'm not usually overly keen on, but it's a good push to get back into reading regularly. I intend to get back to it as soon as I've published this post, and I'll likely have it finished by the end of the day so I'll possibly pop back and edit a little update of my final thoughts.

What's your opinion on reading? Do you find it gives you a similar sense of calm as it does me? What's the last thing you read, or what are you reading currently? Consider yourself well and truly interrogated :P