“Do you like to read?” Years ago, I was first asked that question by a member of a New York book club I was visiting via phone. Since it was back in 2009, they may have read my first Shaker book, The Outsider, or it might have been Angel Sister. one of my books that has been a popular book club choice. I don’t remember which book. I didn’t write that down in the post I’m resharing bits of from over 15 years ago. I just wrote down the question the reader asked.
Since then, I’ve visited or talked via electronic means to many other book clubs. Talking books with people who love reading is always interesting and fun. I’m pleased, and sometimes a little surprised, when a book club chooses one of my books to read. And honored too that they would decide to discuss my book and talk about my characters as if they were real people somewhere actually living the story I wrote.
The first time, at a different book club where I was able to meet with them in person, one of the readers talked about one of my characters as if she wondered what had happened to him after the story ended. That made me realize that my character had become real for her. I’ve had plenty of characters from books I’ve read who became real for me and continued to live in my mind while I thought about what they did or didn’t do.
Back to the question asked then and often at other book clubs or book talks since. “Do you like to read?” Sometimes the question is changed a little to “What do you like to read?” The first question is easy and I can answer it with my own question. “Don’t all writers like to read?” I can’t imagine being a writer if I hadn’t been entranced by words and stories before I stepped out on the writing road. So yes, I love to read. I feel deprived when life keeps me too busy to read as much as I want.
I’m one of those people whose eyes seek out words, on a cereal box or toothpaste tube or billboards along the highway if that’s all that is at hand. Or these days on a phone that can always have a book waiting for you.
Words are powerful. In the right hands, they can come together to tell unforgettable stories, inspire a generation, make you buy something you don’t need, or perhaps capture your heart as this reviewer said about my book, River to Redemption.
And if you string enough words together you have a book – a story to be shared with readers. I like sharing my stories with readers, but I also like reading other writers’ stories. I have a harder time answering the second question of what I like to read. At least in specific titles. I have read so many wonderful books that I have a hard time pulling out just a few favorites. I like mysteries. I like family sagas. I like historical stories. I like almost any well written story that introduces me to characters I can wonder about after I read the last page.
Reading fills my creative reservoir. When I’m researching and reading history books, whispers of stories bounce around inside my head. What if my character did this? What if he or she did that? When I read fiction, I might not be gathering ideas for a new story, but I’m absorbing the rhythm not only of the words but also of the characters’ lives. And that makes me a better writer when I do sit down to invent my next story.
So in honor of book club members everywhere who love reading so much they not only assign themselves a book to read every month, they come together to say what they liked or didn’t like about the book, here are some quotes about books and reading.
- Anyone who says they have only one life to live must not know how to read a book. ~Author Unknown (I like the idea behind this quote!)
- A good book has no ending. ~R.D. Cumming
- Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers. ~Charles W. Eliot
- Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind. ~James Russell Lowell
- If you have never said “Excuse me” to a parking meter or bashed your shins on a fireplug, you are probably wasting too much valuable reading time. ~Sherri Chasin Calvo
- These are not books, lumps of lifeless paper, but minds alive on the shelves. From each of them goes out its own voice… and just as the touch of a button on our set will fill the room with music, so by taking down one of these volumes and opening it, one can call into range the voice of a man far distant in time and space, and hear him speaking to us, mind to mind, heart to heart. ~Gilbert Highet
One of my goals for the year when I first wrote about answering this question was to gift myself with a little extra time for reading. And each year since I’ve had a similar goal along with writing a new story myself.
While I’ve never tried to read a physical book while walking so that I might say excuse me to a parking meter, I do “read” audio books now while I’m doing chores around the house. It has let me “read” many more books this year while my hands were busy with routine chores. But I still like having some moments each day to hold a book in my hands and see those words in front of my eyes that bring a story to life in my head.
So, are you or have you ever been in a book club or made a goal of reading more each day when a New Year came to call?
Comments 14
I’ve loved books even well before I learned how to read them. Since then I’ve spent time reading every day (and many nights!). Reading books is as necessary as breathing. For about a year before she died my beloved grandmother was often sick. I spent hours sitting by her bed reading my books (mainly Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series) to her. Later in life my aunt told me how much Grandma loved that.
There is a book club in my condo building but I’m not a member. Book clubs have never held any appeal for me.
Author
I find it interesting that several have said that about book clubs, Karen, and when I think about it, I guess I’m something the same. Since I have limited reading time, I do want to be sure I’m reading books I want to read and that might not be the ones picked by the book club. Still, it is fun to discuss books and hear what others think about this or that story.
What a gift you gave your grandmother, reading to her. I think that is something we might all do for others. I also think people did read aloud to each other more in the past before we have so many other ways of entertainment.
I have to read like I have to eat or drink water. Years ago, when visiting with a man who often came to our home when I was a child he said, “You’re the one who always had your nose in a book.” I was quite delighted at that description to be honest.
I love to read your books Ann.
Author
My father always said that about me and my sisters. Sometimes he threatened to throw our books in the fire, but he didn’t mean it. He liked to read too although with farming he didn’t have that much reading time. We never got out of chores either, but there was still time for lots of books and I’ll always be grateful to Mom for taking me to the library to get those books.
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed my stories, Susan.
I’ve never been in a book club or set goals in my reading. I read for pleasure and do it whenever I can.
Author
I’ve never been in a book club either, Connie, although I’ve always thought it would be fun. Now I sometimes take part in a writers online book club, but don’t always have time to read the book they choose. However, because of their choices, I have discovered some wonderful stories such as Once Upon a Wardrobe. Still, I like you and when I’m not researching, I try to pick books simply because I want to read them.
I love to read! I don’t set goals for books to read, and I’m not part of book club. I read for pleasure, and doing the other stuff takes out some of the pleasure. I do keep track of the books I read each, though.
Author
I think it is neat when readers keep track of the books they read, Trudy. My sister has done that for years. My aunt used to do it too. Then, I’ve met people at book fairs who have their notebooks with them where they have the authors or the books alphabetically and they will check in them to be sure they are getting books they haven’t already read. I have tried to do that a couple of times and I always forget to add the books. Goodreads is a good way to keep up with what you’ve read too, but I forget to put them down there too. Guess I’m too busy moving on to the next book.
I discovered this year that Goodreads isn’t helping me track my books at all, though I put dates on there for most of them. It said I read 67 when in reality I read over 250, which doesn’t include that I read my Bible through three times last year.
Author
That’s impressive, Trudy. That takes commitment and faith to read the Bible through once in a year, much less three times.
I’m sort of casual with the Goodreads app and so I haven’t paid attention to whether it is accurate on keeping up with readers’ books.
I LOVE to read. I have been told that when I was learning to walk I was trying to pick up books. And as I did learn to walk, I was always seen with some type of book in my hand. When I got my library card, I was so proud. I enjoy historical fiction, some historical non-fiction, mysteries, Amish stories, and I could go on and on. I have found over the years though that every once in a while, I stop reading to refresh – it generally lasts about two weeks. I keep a yearly list of the books I read as well as a journal.
Author
You sound like a wonderful book lover, Loretta. I remember feeling like you when I got my first library card. And I’m like you in liking a variety of different kinds of fiction and have come to enjoy more nonfiction and biographical books from doing the research I need to do for my books. I do sometimes have to take a break from reading, but it’s usually when I’m writing my own book. The books I do read while I’m writing my own books have to be different from the kind of book I’m writing. Once I was listening to a great audio book reader who had a lovely English accent and found myself thinking in that accent for the people in my book. LOL. My characters weren’t English.
I have always loved reading, and my sister did as well. I attribute that to our mother, who was a reader, and always read to us when we were little. I carried this on to my children and they are also readers. In fact, my daughter is a reading specialist and reading teacher in our local school district. I have been in a couple of book clubs, which I enjoyed very much. Keep up your good, good work!
Author
I don’t remember my mom reading to me, but she may have before I started reading myself, Lynda, but she did always take me to the library. She liked to read too whenever she had time, but she was a busy farm wife. So was I but there has always been time to read and write. I’m fortunate in that. Thank you for reading my stories.