Welcome to My Life in Books, a weekly series where readers, writers and content creators talk about how books have shaped them over the years.
David Wade is a travel and weather forecast content creator specializing in pastel images that show the native sand of his local Sydney beach next to the wider city and the world beyond through a lens of dreamy realism.
On TikTok, he is known for his sunrise and sunset forecasts and his famous videos showing the colorful sky above and the rooms with a view. You can follow him on Instagram here.
What is your first reading memory?
I have a pretty horrible memory, so it’s a little difficult for me to answer. I have no particular memory of books when I was a child, but I remember reading a lot from an early age.
Do you have a favorite book from your childhood?
I loved the Animal Ark series as a child-for anyone who hadn’t heard of it, the books had titles such as kittens in the kitchen, puppies in the pantry and foals in the field, and they were about a veterinarian’s daughter. So each book would be a different adventure, and I absolutely loved them. Every time a new one arrived, I added it to my growing collection.
Do you have a favorite book from school?
I hated school, so – again – it’s hard to answer-but all of a sudden I would say one of Shakespeare’s plays, probably a midsummer night’s dream. It was the first thing I remember studying and I loved the fact that there were so many characters. I have always really liked the four lovers – Demetrius, Helena, Hermia and Lysander – they were my favorite part of the play.
How often do you read?
I try to read as much as possible, I would say every day, but sometimes I can’t do it, so I would probably say that I read about four times a week. The amount of time I spend reading depends on how much free time I have and how much I have invested in a book. If I’m really interested in a book, I’ll take the time to read it, but if I’m reading one that I’m not particularly invested in, I’ll read quite slowly.
What are you reading?
Erin Morgenstern’s Night circus. I had it on my List for a while, then I found it in a street library, and it just jumped up to me. These are short, easy-to-read chapters, and while I enjoy it, I wouldn’t say it’s awesome.
Is there a book you’ve always wanted to read but haven’t read yet?
There’s a book called bringing the beaver back, and it’s about reintroducing the beaver to the UK. I saw it when I was back in London, and it’s still on my mind all these months later, so Ishould probably get a copy.
Is there a book that you would recommend to almost everyone?
I always recommend a little life. I know you probably wouldn’t recommend it to *almost anyone*, but it’s what always comes to mind, and it’s my favorite book. I read a review about it when it first came out in Attitude Magazine, where they called it a “gay masterpiece”, and after reading it, I gave it to my roommate to read, and we both had very similar and very emotionally traumatic reading experiences. Yet it is a book that always strikes me.
