POLL - Since you've become a mum, has your taste in books changed?

[Jacksmama]

Just wondering because I can no longer read anything scary or unsettling, or anything remotely hinting at bad things happening to children... gave away a lot of my murder mysteries, and can't even look at Stephen Kings even though I used to be such a fan. I don't mean that I only read chick lit fluff, but I've really noticed that I'm occasionally very disturbed by books I used to devour. Same with TV shows - former CSI addict, now, not so much...

are your children very small? my stomach is stronger now my youngest is 7

absolutely - the thread about Lovely bones got me thinking about this.

No way would I read that now I have kids.

I also have a problem with the news.

Yep - exactly like you Jacksmama. Can't read scary stuff or watch it too. In fact, the day I got home from the hospital with ds, I watched an ep of House I recorded whilst in, it was one where 2 or 3 babies died in the maternity unit At the time I was so dazed none of it really meant anything but now there is no way in hell I would watch anything remotely like that.

I pretty much only do read chicklit and historical fiction now, I honestly cannot bear anything else. I did manage Jpod to be fair (hilarious, even if people do get killed in it) but Patricia Cornwell, James Patterson, people I used to read avidly (who have gone off the boil, in fairness) I couldn't touch with a barge pole.

I went to book club with some friends last year, just for a swift half, whilst they discussed 1000 Splendid Suns. They said "oh you must read it" I said "you've just described all sorts of child horror and having to give birth with naught but a rusty spoon to assist, I can't read that stuff". They - all childfree - thought I was mad, of course.

Only in as much as I used to read a book in a single sitting and really be able to focus on it, now I only get to read for 5/10 minutes at a time so can't handle anything with a complicated plot anymore

Not really... but I:

(a) have a tendency to sob like a big girl's blouse much more than I used to
(b) am more tolerant of sentimentality in literature than I used to be
(c) find it annoying when people write about motherhood with no real understanding of it (read a short story collection recently that was outstanding, apart from the stories that dealt with babies or children, in which said babies or children were treated as sort of glorified fashion accessories. V irritating.)

Actually, probably I read more "light" books than I used to. I wouldn't say my taste has changed, just my ability to concentrate and my stamina for more "difficult" reads.

I agree with all the above. I used to read just about anything - now I always read the back to check the plot. Anything that could confirm all my worst fears of all the dreadful things that could happen goes back straight back on the shelf! I think reading Lovely Bones as my first book after having DD was pretty disturbing!

This is very interesting. I'd noticed that my taste in what I could watch on TV has changed since having ds - anything with children getting hurt or kidnapped (like that stupid, stupid 2nd Transporter film ) I have to change channels or leave the room immediately.
I hadn't thought about whether I now read different stuff, but I suspect the same is true. I never "liked" (iykwim) any of that awful-childhood stuff, so would have avoided things like that anyway.
I've never been able to take animals being hurt in any way in books, though, it upsets me so much.
Am really just a bit of a softie!
Agree with noonki about the news - basically hardly watch it any more, for fear of hearing something awful has happened to some poor child somwhere...

No

oh yes. i have a book upstairs by one of my favourite writers, unable to get past very upsetting preface. three years on i still can't face it.

no

no

NO not at all.i am really into news,current affairs.i do feel/connect with bad news about children differently because of the obvious fact i am a mum and inevitability think "how would i feel...what if that were mine"

NO

No - I must admit I couldn't watch the news for ages after dd was born as I found a lot of things upsetting, but I still love a nice gory thriller as much as I ever did!

Saying that there is a Mo Hayder story (title forgotten) where fathers were forced to do unimaginable things, that disturbed me then, and I don't think I could bear to read now. And I do cry more at stuff.

no. just don't have time.

No, but I tell you what, I have no tolerance for all the baby abuse horror stories that so many MNetters seem to want to link to IN THE NEWS section every day.

I just don't want to read it - I'm sorry. I know kids are out there in horrific situations, I can't do anything about it and if I read these stories it sends me spinning off into the most awful state of mind...

yy sycamoretree. but i never have. dh would happily watch news while we are eating our food but i do not like death n dinner. well i do not like telly n dinner but am happy to read so can't really argue.

no tv at dinner.too distracting

what is worse though, tv or reading? at least tv can be shared.

we only do this when ds is not eating with us

Interesting!! Thanks all for your replies. I started to think of this last night when we saw a trailer for a new movie with Liam Neeson, called "Taken". Seems to be about a man's daughter who's kidnapped. DH was on fire to see it and I said no bloody way. He then said "but you used to love movies like this!!" Which is true. I'm usually the first to roll my eyes at chick flicks. And I had no time for fluffy books. I still really don't like them. But so much in fiction that I used to like reading now leaves me really disturbed or I just can't read it. Which somewhat limits my reading material!

Funnily enough I've always been able to read gruesome gory stuff but I couldn't bear to watch it on film or T.V.
When my DCs were small I'd avoid reading anything too demanding but I'm over it now. It was also difficult to find much time but I'd always give reading priority over T.V.

Me too... reading that is!

I have always been a wimp with scary books, but my taste has changed in that I feel more connected with other women writers/ characters now. I hadn't long graduated from my english lit ma when I had DD and was still in that mode of masculine writing. Then suddenly I became much more attracted to women's writing and it was really exciting.

Know what you mean about the news though. I watch/ read a lot of news and can stomach most things, but all those child abuse stories we've had recently have really disturbed me.

I can't read stuff about kids getting hurt and I can't watch tv programmes relating to murder / abuse of kids.

I can't say it didn't bother me before - of course it did - but now its unbearable!

Ohhh!! The books I've given away

Not completely, though I was surprised by how much "The Suspicions of Mr Whicher" (which revolves around the murder of a small child) upset me.

I always used to find news reports and t.v. programmes about harm to children, etc., distressing; I now find them almost unbearable. But my DD is only 8 months, and I'm still bf-ing, so it's probably hormonal as much as anything.