I love to read. As a child, I’d hole up in my room and read and read and read. I’d get utterly lost in the story and my imagination would run wild.
I still love a good book. I slow down on the final chapters of a fiction story I’ve gotten lost in.
Since they were in utero, I’ve read to the kids. Seriously. One of my favorite childhood stories was the Trolley Car Family. I had a copy of the book that was my dad’s. I used to read it and imagine myself living in that trolley car. So when I found myself pregnant, I started reading them the story. Then I continued it in the NICU, sitting by their isolettes, reading in dramatic fashion. I’d read to them all day when we weren’t trying to feed them or have a little skin-to-skin time.
Two of my three love books like I do. One of them will love it if just the right story hits but she won’t read like the others. I just finished R My Name is Rachel with her and we were engrossed. Thanks to the school for sending that treasure, about a girl and her two siblings, during the Depression era.
So there are these stacks of books all over my house. In the living room, falling out of the kids bookshelf. In my room, stacked up on and around my nightstand. It drives Bray nuts. But I just can’t go to e-readers. I need the pages. I need to write in them if so called. I need to reread them.
I’m reading the Harry Potter series with the boys right now before bed most evenings. We started last summer. I was worried about the content because I don’t love all the evil/magic/wizarding stuff, and I’d never read them, so I thought this could be a way for me to screen them as we went. We’re now on book 6. We’ve always read together but it’s been so fun to have a big juicy series to go through together.
I can’t keep them in books. We’ve talked books here before and I’m happy to give you recommendations but I’m still digging for more. They have moved through the Stuart Gibbs series and they’re reading the Tim Green series (sports) and all the Guts and Glory series (American history). Little bit has the American Girl series, and she loves mysteries so Cam Jansen was a big hit for a while, and now we’re more into historical fiction.
I love it all. From Marisa de los Santos (she has a new one coming out) to Anne Patchett to Isabel Allende to all the historical authors like Jane Austen and Edith Wharton. I read faith books and leadership books and autobiographies too but nothing gets me quite like really rich fiction.
When I win the lottery, which I never play, I’d write. Full time. I’d write political speeches (so I wouldn’t have to endure the scrutiny but could write all the policy stuff in understandable ways). I’d write short fiction for the New Yorker. I’d write about parenting and faith and joy. I’d read everything on my nightstand which would inspire my writing.
Because if you really love to read, and so many of you have the bug like I do, you want to take a hand at crafting your own stories too.
Share with me your favorite book(s). Because you know, what’s another book on the nightstand?
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