Read

I started reading when I was a young girl, my Mother driving me to our local library where I would spend hours perusing the books, followed by hours of reading at home and I have never stopped.   I did the same with my children and they have in turn, done the same with theirs.  I read stories and poems and essays and limericks and greeting cards and books upon books of quotes.  I have read things by rich and famous writers and I have read things by up and coming authors who only have their words on an e-book.  When my children and grandchildren were young, I would read to them out-loud, it's fun, adding drama and different voices to each character.  I love to sit comfortably on the back screen porch in the summer-time reading away a Sunday afternoon and not feel a bit guilty.  If provided I always read the Scripture readings during church on Sundays.  I try to read the fine print but sometimes that fine print is just too fine.  Read signs, if you have been in any decorating shops lately the new trend is signs, usually printed in fashionable black & white.  And especially read everything you have ever written yourself and save it.  Pull it out a few years later and read it again.  Sometimes I amaze myself.  Don't read something just because it is on the NY Times Best-Seller list, read something that someone you respect and admire recommends.

We have this wonderful independent bookstore in our town and twice a year, Spring & Fall Carol & Kathy, who work at Anderson's (the bookstore) present to a huge crowd of mostly women and mostly bookclub members a list of recommended great books to read for pleasure as well as for great bookclub discussions.  Criteria is they must be in paper-back or soft-cover, wonderfully written and bookclub worthy.   Today was the Spring presentation and not only did we get a great line-up from Carol & Kathy, but David, a rep from Random House was also on board to delight us with even more goodies.  All of them, the ladies and David have a way of presenting each book that makes me want to read them all.  I thought I would list some of these books today, because I have a strong feeling that some of you who might read this blog are book-readers too.

• White Tiger - Aravind Adiga
• The Buddha in the Attic - Julie Otsaka
• The Art of Fielding - Chad Harbach
• The Sense of an Ending - Julian Barnes
• The Art of Hearing Heartbeats - Jan-Philippe Sendker
• Faith - Jennifer Haigh
• The Language of Flowers - Vanessa Diffenbaugh
• The Weird Sisters - Eleanor Brown
• Turn of Mind - Alice LaPlante
• Silver Sparrow - Tayari Jones
• The Story of Beautiful Girl - Rachel Simon
• The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb - Melanie Benjamin
• Doc - Mary Doria Russell
• Juliet - Anne Fortier
• The Bird Sisters - Rebecca Rasmussen
• Clara and Mr. Tiffany - Susan Vreeland
• The Night Strangers - Chris Bohjalian
• Vaclav and Lena - Haley Tanner
• Blood, Bones & Butter - Gabrielle Hamilton
• In the Garden of Beasts - Erik Larson
• Until Tuesday - Bret Witter and Luis Carlos Montalvan

Great line-up, huge diversity of subject matter.  All but the last two are fiction.  I did not include any synopsis because if any appear interesting hop on over to Anderson's and read their brief descriptions and praises.

After receiving a Kindle as a gift most of my book reading has been on the e-reader.  But I was missing the feel, the look, the handling of a book so yesterday I purchased "The Language of Flowers" not knowing it was going to be on the list today.  And then today, while at Anderson's I won "The Bird Sisters" and purchased "The Night Strangers".  That should re-fill my need for a "real" book for awhile.

"I find television very educating.  Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room
and read a book."  ~  Groucho Marx


Until next time.....