Why I Read - 2/6/07

A friend's blog recently posted statistics about how many people never read after they finish school. I can't fathom that. Books are like air to me. They take me places where I can't physically go. They are alternative universes. I just finished a book tonight called "The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield. Her first novel; a mystery. Excellent read! The quote below is from the first chapter.

"How long did I sit on the stairs after reading the letter? I don't know. For I was spellbound. There is something about words. In expert hands, manipulated deftly, they take you prisoner. Wind themselves around your limbs like spider silk, and when you are so enthralled you cannot move, they pierce your skin, enter your blood, numb your thoughts. Inside you they work their magic. When I at last woke up to myself, I could only guess what had been going on in the darkness of my unconsciousness. What had the letter done to me?"

Who would not read the book after that???

I have another new book that I'll save for tomorrow (if we do end up having a snow day). Its called "The Memory Keepers Daughter" by Kim Edwards. Those are my two newest acquisitions from Amazon. You see my biggest problem with books is that they bring them to me with only the slightest of provocations. I have only to press click and they are winging their way to me. I am a fast reader so they don't last as long as they take to get here. Then I have the problem of where to put them. My shelves are full, my nightstand is full. There are books all over the house. When I was still working, I could at least take the already read books in and let them circulate amongst my co-workers for awhile (and there were shelves behind my door when they could rest between readers too! I once loved a book so much ("A Year by the Sea") that I ordered sixteen copies and gave one to every woman in my office. It was one of those tomes that resonated so deeply that I had to share it. It was interesting to watch how it rippled out from there. I think people thought I was nuts when I started passing out the books.

If you find yourself with a day off tomorrow, find a good book, get a cup of tea and curl up for an afternoon of pure pleasure.