My house is quiet.  The snow is quietly falling and the world is covered in a blanket of white.  The fire place is on and I am waiting for my tea to steep.  As I scroll through my social media feeds, I came across this article:  The Things We can Really Learn from Books by Will Schwalbe and can’t help but ponder what am I reading?  Scwalbe has recently published a new book Books for Living:  A Readers’ Guide to Life which I have added to my TBR list but after reading this article, I will be moving it up closer to the top of the pile.  He shares that:

“Books are uniquely suited to helping us change our relationship to the rhythms and habits of daily life in this world of endless connectivity. We can’t interrupt them; we can only interrupt ourselves while reading them. They speak to us, thoughtfully, one at a time. They demand our attention. And they demand that we briefly put aside our own beliefs and prejudices and listen to someone else’s. You can rant against a book, scribble in the margin, or even chuck it out the window. Still, you won’t change the words on the page”.

I cannot agree more.  Books are with us at all times of our lives.  They provide information, they make us think, they can be puzzling, sad or downright hilarious, they describe life, they help us ponder the possibilities and create new worlds.  Books can take us away to another place, they can ground us and they can provide respite from our busy lives.  Books have been a part of my life as long as I remember.  I can’t put them down and those that know me realize that I can’t stop talking about them.

When I see someone with a book, I want to know what it is?  What they think about it? Can I borrow it?  When I finish a book, I want to share it.  Who would love it?  Who will read it fast enough to talk about it?  Can I find an extra copy to add to my Little Free Library?  Is there a way to meet the author?  (I love meeting authors to learn more about the book and the thoughts that went into writing it?)  Can I get my copy signed?  These are the questions that I ponder every day!

What am I reading?  I am finishing of The Legend of Zippy Chippy by William Thomas since I will be meeting him at the Grimsby Author Series tomorrow.  It is a book about a spunky racehorse who keeps losing races.  I am also in the midst of The Reason I Walk, a memoir by Wab Kinew, sharing his story of growing up in the shadows of his father’s experience being taken and abused in a residential school.

I hope that readers enjoy this article and am looking for you to share comment below and share:

What are you reading?  Would your recommend it and why?