A blind lust for the written word
Last week, in my blog post, I offered some suggestions from Kathryn Vercillo on how to gently return to our creative selves. I said that, like Vercillo, I would read some of my past blog posts hoping to stir up creative butterflies. I read all my blog posts about books and realized how much creativity I find through books and storytelling.
I love books - not just the content but the physical books! Yesterday I stopped into Windowseat Books in Nanaimo to pick up a book I had ordered. On the counter was a pile of books with an exquisite fore-edge, the Princess Bride. I have fallen in love with the colourful patterns and illustrations that are appearing more frequently on the fore-edge of books. I love books for their words, but I also have books on my bookshelves because of the texture of the pages, front cover designs, and now the fore-edge designs!
A single sentence from fiction
I have read numerous self-help books over the years, but it is often a sentence in a work of fiction that stops me in my tracks. Here are a few:
“The years had begun to reveal the truth of her face, as they did to all of us.” Searching for Sylvie Lee by Jean Kwok
“The truth of this hit me straight into the bowels.” - Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout
"Who hurt you, once, so far beyond repair that you would meet each overture with curling lip?" - Louise Penny about one of her main characters, the poet, Ruth Zardo
“She’s spent her whole life standing straight, so as not to spill the overflowing bowl of her parents’ love.” - Five Wives by Joan Thomas
Reading without prior knowledge
Do you ever read a book without knowing anything about it? I rely heavily on reviews and book blurbs, but occasionally I will read a book knowing nothing about it. This usually happens when I see a 5-star review from one of the bookstagrammers I follow. The last book I read without any prior knowledge was Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. I was intrigued to read that this book was first self-published and then acquired by a publishing company, with over 1 million copies sold this past year. Theo of Golden is one of the most heart-warming, hope-giving books I have ever read.
Favourite books with older female characters
I so enjoy books with older female characters. Right now, I am trying to find a copy of The Wife Tree by Joan Speak, the story of Morgan Hazzard, caught late in life between a dying husband and the opinions of her rebellious children. I also just ordered a copy of An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine. His main character, Aaliya Sohbi, lives alone in her Beirut apartment, surrounded by stockpiles of books and sleeps with an AK-47.
If you are an AARP member, you may want to read the recent article, Our Favourite Novels With Fantastic Older Characters.
“I long ago abandoned myself to a blind lust for the written word. Literature is my sandbox. In it I play, build my forts and castles, spend glorious time.”
- Rabih Alameddine, An Unnecessary Woman
Activity: Reflecting on a love of books
I expect many of you enjoy books as much as I do, no matter what genre! I thought you might like a theme explored by some of my writing groups last year. And you don’t need to write to explore this theme! Take some time to reflect on your love of books through the following quotes and reflective prompts - I’m sure they will bring back warm memories!
I opened a book and in I strode. Now nobody can find me...
- Julia Donaldson
“For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. What a miracle it is that out of these small flat, rigid squares of paper unfolds world after world after world, worlds that sing to you, comfort and quiet or excite you. Books help us understand who we are and how we are to behave. They show us what community and friendship mean; they show us how to live and die.” - Anne Lamott
“We read in bed because reading is halfway between life and dreaming.” - Anna Quindlen
“Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.” - C.S. Lewis
Reflective Prompts
Describe how your bookshelf is organized. Why do you organize it this way?
What is one book from your younger years that you have re-read? Has your perception changed now that you are older?
Who was your first literary crush or character you wanted to be friends with? What drew you to them?
If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Describe your ideal book club.
What are your thoughts on books and movie adaptations? Which do you prefer? Why?
Who were your reading role models growing up?
If you could have any fictional character as a best friend who would be?
How many books do you own? How many are in your to-be-read pile? Why have you not read those yet?
