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| books |
Despite my (or maybe because of my) love of reading and books, I have never belonged to a book club. I am not much of a wine drinker, to be honest, and that seems to be a prerequisite these days. But that is not the real reason, obviously. It is more that I am just not much of a group person, and prefer seeing people on a one to one basis, so I can enjoy their company and chatting without group dynamics. I am pretty much the same way with books - I am not one of those people who can have several books "on the go" at the same time, dipping into each for a little bit. I like to focus my concentration on a particular text and give it my full attention. This is probably because I get deeply involved in my books. I enter wholeheartedly into the plots, the characters' lives, the page turning, even the punctuation. I am a bit obsessive - I can see that! I am also wary of recommending books to a group of people because my experience of a book is very unlikely to be the same as yours. Reading is not only about the words on the page, but also about where your thoughts are at a particular time; whether the sun is shining on the chair you like reading in, whether the dishes are done, who is at home, how the children are. You know what I mean. It's personal.
I admire people who belong to book clubs. They are readers and thinkers and sharers, and the world needs as many of these people as possible. Their commitment to supporting the print industry is important too. I am just not one of them.
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| More books |
Andrew jokes - at least I hope he is joking!- that if I buy any more books and put them upstairs, the floor might cave in under the weight. We would be pulverised by literature. I do have a large collection - I have a wealth of words. And I am very happy to share my bounty with you - come and see if anything takes your fancy, or I can set you up on a blind date with a book I think might be a good fit. No questions asked when you return it. As long as it's personal.
I have just finished reading a memoir that left me feeling raw, and shaken, and moved. There was a vague synergy between this book and where I find myself at the moment. When I put it down, I felt bereft, and took a while to leave her world and re inhabit my own body. Such is the power of reading for me.
Some books are just pure escapist fun - I love a good weekend read that leaves me smiling and happy and admiring people who have the gift of giving joy to so many people.
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| Even more books.... |
I worked in the adult literacy field many moons ago. It was such gratifying work, because I can't imagine a world without reading. It plays such an integral part in our lives. From work to entertainment, social networking to life management, reading and writing are the backbone of how we live.
To me, words are personal.
