The 'Dis'abled Reader: The Creation of Read the Write Book

love the journey. read the story. share the tale. Turn the page...

When I tell people that I read ‘around’ a thousand books per year I always get either a reaction of complete surprise and awe, or a chuckle of disbelief. While it is true that I do in fact read as close to that amount as is possible, majority of the books I read are junior fiction, young adult, or smaller novels, and not just because I find them to be a good read.

I have multiple medical challenges, including a genetic condition called Ehlers Danlos Hypermobility Type (EDS-HT), which causes significant pain to my joints, which can often make it really painful to hold a book, particularly a large or heavy one. I also have Photosensitive Epilepsy, which causes me to get severe migraines and seizures from digital screens, such as a kindle/e-reader, computer, phone or tablet. I do still use such devices sparingly, but I’m often forced to ‘digitally detox’ whenever I start getting bad headaches, or throwing up. And to top it all off (because I never half-ass anything), I have Primary Hypoadrenalism, which makes healing agonisingly slow (no, that’s not a pun - I swear!).

In order to support my reading habit, I save up until I am able to buy books in bulk, usually from leftover stock after garage sales, deceased estate sales, or op-shop overstock sales, as this allows me to pay a lower price per book. Of course this can (and has) led to the problem of copious amounts of double-ups, as well as a lovely little collection of books that I doubt I’ll ever read (does anyone actually read encyclopaedias any more?). 

This is how Read the Write Book (RtWB) first came about, because what bookworm hasn’t dreamt of owning their own book store? Of course, the setting up of the website took me some many months and many migraines, but as I am unable to gauge my health from one day to the next, not to mention the start-up costs involved, a physical store was out of the question, which really only left me with the online option. At the moment my spare room is filled with well over 10,000 secondhand books, all of which will eventually make their way onto the website for resale as my health allows. 

I think every true book lover has at some stage or other written, or at least thought about writing, their own book. I am no different. I have written stories since I was around 5 years old and I have a filing cabinet full of my written material, from poetry and short stories to complete manuscripts that I’m too chicken to show anyone. In the past I independently/self-published a few small books (which are available through the RtWB shop) and featured in a few anthologies that are currently available on Amazon, which is one of the reasons why I like to support independently published authors (Indie Authors). 

I am currently working on expanding the RtWB website to include additional features for readers and writers alike. At present I am working on creating an online membership portal to allow people to join book clubs, writing groups or to find or become a beta reader. I hope to create a safe place for storytellers to share their material and readers to leave reviews and recommend their favourite books and authors. If there is a feature you would like to see added to the Read the Write Book website, please feel free to get in touch.

Read the Write Book is a place for all lovers of books, writing and the magic of storytelling. Where writers can share their masterpieces and readers can find new and pre-loved books ready and waiting to guide them on a unique journey into their own imagination. As I am able, I will be continuing to work on the website as best I can, to create a sanctuary for all to enjoy. 

And who knows, if we’re lucky enough, perhaps we will get lost in the pages….

By Kylie Abecca

Writers

writers

Do you have written material you would like to share with the world? Submit your work to have it featured on the RtWB website and public forums

Readers

readers

Do you have a book you'd like to recommend? Submit your book review to have it featured on the RtWB website and public forums.

Indie Authors

indie authors

Do you have a self-published book you'd like to see available through RtWB? Apply to have your book considered for consignment.