Hi everyone! Susan graciously asked me to contribute a post along the same lines as Sharon’s and Carolyn’s. You all listened to me for months and you know how important I think it is to read and learn, but I never really shared why it is important to me personally. So you ask, why do I read?
Growing up, I was surrounded by books. Literally. Shelves, stacks, piles, you name it. I grew up watching people I loved and respected as they sought to learn and understand everything from history to health to… well, everything in between. I think in part I became a reader because I didn’t know any other way! But even more, my mother always said that you can learn anything if you can read. Wow!! I wondered if that were really true. For the most part, yes. There are some things you must master through experience, but there’s a great deal you can gain from study. The sky is the limit! I love that idea because it makes me feel like no matter what situation I am in, no matter where I am – or WHO I am -- I can better myself just by reading a book. And that’s true for you, too!
As I look back, I realize I’ve gone through different phases in my reading life. Growing up, my parents tried hard to expose me to books I would really enjoy just to instill a love of reading. As I got older, I started to turn to books for information. Truth be told, I loved my textbooks and never got rid of them, and I also found lots of other books like how-to’s, etc., that I loved as references. (I don’t think I read a single fiction book for the first year of my life as a mother – there was too much I was trying to learn!) For a while, it almost felt frivolous to settle down with a good story. More recently though, I’ve rediscovered the joy of a well-told story, and I have been enjoying many of the same books Sharon wrote about in her recent post. Stories capture not only belief systems and values, they teach us about the human experience and the people around us. That’s worthwhile learning, too!
Bottom line, the reason I read is to take me beyond myself. Whether it’s through learning something that expands my mind or experiencing something that teaches me about my heart, books take me there. You don’t have to be a book-lover for a book to touch your life. Pick one up today! J
Now that you know why I read, here are my top five pieces of advice:
1. Not all sources are created equal. Just because it’s a scriptural commentary doesn’t mean the author has any right to an opinion. Just because it’s on the NY Times Bestsellers list doesn’t mean it’s a good read. Be careful to find second sources if there’s a fact you want to establish.
2. Read both to enjoy yourself and to improve yourself – find balance between the two. I find switching back and forth between fiction and nonfiction keeps me the most motivated.
3. Read works from different periods of time. Not only will you learn about different peoples and times, you will have a better feel for quality writing.
4. Let the Spirit guide. If you don’t have a good feeling about whatever it is you’re reading, put it down and try something else. I tend to feel and channel the books I read pretty deeply, so this is an important one for me.
5. Never stop! If you think you’re not a big reader, find something you enjoy and start from there. Once you build the habit, the rest will follow. Reading can be fun – I truly believe that!
Susan also asked me to list a few of my favorite books. Like I said, many of my favorites are titles Sharon already listed a few weeks ago. To her list, I’ll add a few more from a range of genres. They’ve all been important to me somewhere along the way!
A Circle of Quiet by Madeline L’Engle
The Best Loved Poems of the American People selected by Hazel Felleman
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (or any of her other works…)
Tess of the D’Urbevilles by Thomas Hardy
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Great Divorce and The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster (this is a middle grades book)
Anne of Green Gables (and any other work) by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Dr. Marc Weissbluth
I’m a Day Late and a Dollar Short… and It’s Okay by JoAnn Larsen
The Quiet Heart by Patricia Holland
14,000 Things to Be Happy About by Barbara Ann Kipfer
Happy reading!
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