I love to read. See what my kids gave me for Mother’s Day. Books and a gift card to buy more.
I can read in a car. I can read on the beach.
I can read while playing war or brushing my teeth.
I will read here. I will read there. I will read anywhere.
Every once in a while, I get asked, “Why do you like to read so much?”
In the deliciously tragic novel, The Paris Library, by Janet Skeslien Charles, Odile is asked why, of all things, she sends books to ill, wounded, and lonely soldiers. This is her response:
Because no other thing possesses that mystical
faculty to make people see with other people’s eyes.
The Library is a bridge of books between cultures.
And because I like to read, I often get asked this question, “Have you read anything good lately?”
Let me share a few of my recent reads with a bit of why I chose each one.
I’m drawn to the historical fiction genre and libraries and books about friendship. This one’s based in WWII about the American Library in Paris.
Admittedly, I’ve been choosing a lot of debut novels lately. There are some awesome writers with great ideas. Sara Nisha Adams’ The Reading List had the word reading in the title and pictures of books splashed on the cover. I had to find out if I had read the books on the list. Have you? It’s about empathy, friendship, and how the wisdom we draw from books opens our understanding of ourselves and others.
When I saw a movie trailer for White Bird by R.J. Palacio, the author of Wonder, I had to get my hands on the book before it came to the big screen. My fifth graders and junior high students I shared Wonder with loved its message. I didn’t realize White Bird was a graphic novel (that means a novel in comic-strip format). This format serves the holocaust story’s content well. It’s a moving story of risk, heroism, resistance, bravery, and survival.
I agree that women are extraordinary. I wanted to know these women. Secretly, I may have been looking for myself in a few of them. Twelve Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur had me wondering what legacy I will leave?
After listening to Emily Henry on a podcast, I’ve read four of her novels. Her titles capture my attention. I snapped a picture of Happy Place where I read it, in my happy place, my yard. I also enjoyed Book Lovers, Beach Read, and The People We Meet on Vacation. As a writer, I studied her use of dialogue while I read.
A book reviewer on Instagram spoke about The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. I liked the idea of a more nerdy, driven protagonist. The author knows her science and rom-con. It’s a typical trope of fake dating, but I enjoyed it for what it was.
The Keeper of Lost Things is Ruth Hogan’s debut novel. I tend to read a bit about the author before deciding to read a book. When chemo kept her up at night, this was the result. From the title, I liked the theme of lost and found. I had to know why these things meant so much to the keeper. It’s so much more than the discovery of little treasures and curiosities. It’s about love, loss, and friendship.
Sheila Walsh signed this copy of Holding On When You Want to Let Go for me, so I gave her a signed copy of Man in the Mist. She’s Scottish you know! (I have no idea if she ever read it by the way. If you see her, ask her. Will ya?) After listening to her speak in person, I wanted to hear more. Who hasn’t faced struggles, met with pain, walked through fear, wrestled with anxiety, or have a friend who could use our understanding in those areas? From her experiences, she offers strength to keep trusting in the God of Hope.
TBR—to be read.
There are many more books on my to-be-read list. Here are a few sitting on my desk.
“We all have a book that’s changed us forever…
One that let us know that we’re not alone.
What’s yours?”
— Odile, The Paris Library
It’s said you can tell a lot about people from the books they read. I suppose that’s true. I would say you can tell a lot about people from the books they love.
What’s one book that has stayed with you? Leave it in the comment section.
Thanks for helping get Man in the Mist into the hands of more readers. Maybe, it will help someone on their journey through loss, grief, healing, and love.
Keep reading and sharing books you love.