I am I guess what could be called a "voracious reader." I've been that way since I was a kid. I lived about a half mile from the public library, and every Saturday I'd walk to my cousin's house and from there, we'd go to the library. There was a ten-book limit, and every week I'd go home with ten new books. I'm not saying I read them all, but the thrill was getting to choose those ten books to take home and savor all week during the summer.
The children's library was where I fell in love with books: the Betsy books, Edward Eager's classic Half Magic, The Magic Tunnel, and my all time favorite A Wrinkle in Time. Later came Phyllis Whitney mysteries, Gone With the Wind, The Red Badge of Courage, Death Be Not Proud, and many others.
I've kept a book log for many years now, and once in a while I browse through it to see how my tastes have changed. I went through a phase where, I'm embarrassed to admit, I read smutty romance novels. That led to cosy mysteries, and now I find myself reading more what I'd call "challenging books." Not that I didn't read literature throughout the years, but now it's all I want to read.
With the that short history of my reading life, here are some interesting books I finished recently:
The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman
Hotel Angeline: a novel in 36 voices
The Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore
The Map of Time by Félix Palma
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
Summer House by Nancy Thayer
They are all quite a bit different, especially The Map of Time (a time travel story, a favorite genre of mine.) Check them out; I loved them all. Happy reading!
3 comments:
As a child and through my 20's I eas a real bookworm too. Now I find myself just reading in the summer (when it's too hot to hook).
Sounds like you and I spent our childhood summers the same way. I couldn't walk to the library, but my parents allowed me to ride the bus and my arms would be full of the 14 books I could check out. How did I actually carry them??? I was so taken with reading that I played being a librarian. I had a date stamp, a card file, and some index cards. I could really stamp those index cards with vigor! I still love to read and also listen to books as I hook or clean house. Hard to knit while listening to a book! I feel sad for those who cannot lose themselves in a book. A recommendation. If you have not read The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom I give it a positive recommendation. Keep reading!
Going to the library as a kid is one of my favorite memories. Although I didn't play librarian, I did imagine myself someday have shelves full of books! Thankfully, that dream came true.
I have not read "The Kitchen House" yet, but I have it on my to be read list. Thanks for the recommendation!
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