Thursday, September 14, 2023
Twelve book reviews later, it's time for a break. I stretch my back and walk the length of the Porch. By 11:00 a.m., I've done a double walk and eaten breakfast. Maybe I'll read something for fun.
You wouldn't think lecturers and book reviewers would read or write for their own amusement. But we do. Books are a source of life and joy for us.
I like to read. There it is.
I read novels, biographies, art books, history, leadership, religion, cultures ... whatever sounds interesting. In a week, Waldemar and I probably read 10-15 books each. We consume hundreds of books each year. Sometimes it's just for fun or to satisfy our curiosity. Sometimes we need information to teach or lead.
One of the best things I discovered years ago was NetGalley, a parking spot for hundred of publishers - before they publish their books. Wow - talk about a gold mine for a reader. I download a dozen or more books at a time to discover trends and emerging ideas. Want to marvel over design and decor? Learn how to knit or paint with new techniques? You can do it all from a chaise on the Porch or reclining at bedtime. With a library, you don't ever have to leave home to meet the world.
When we moved to Indonesia, I was curious about what people were reading here. We visited several professors and doctors and I looked for bookshelves. Most had none. No books in sight. Few people in this oral culture are readers. Or writers.
In Seattle, I had hundreds and hundreds of books. The kids had books. Waldemar had thousands in his collection, too. We'd read most of them and reread our favorites.
One autumn I gave away 16 grocery sacks brimming with books. Afterward, there were 40 shelves full (on 4 bookcases, besides books in boxes).
We gave away most of our collections and arrived in Bandung with a big digital library. We had few physical books. The slow creep of accumulation is inevitable, though.
My monthly book club exposes me to books I'd never choose on my own initiative. The nook and our bedroom shelves contain dozens of books. Upstairs is a collection of Readers Digest Condensed books (hurrah - 4 or 5 in one volume) and a big shelf of Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew for teens. 2 bookcases are full of novels and how-tos. That doesn't count the books at the office, our Kindle libraries, or digital copies on our computers.
We just like books. They sneak into a display even when the shelf is not an official "bookshelf."
Readers explore, travel, meet people (without having to converse - hurrah, says an introvert), and learn all about the world. We watch people set up their places and spaces. We enjoy the pleasure of Before & After photos and descriptions without ever lifting a shovel or moving a sofa (though we like doing that, too.)
Some of our friends are authors. We love to read their minds and hearts in their writing. It's a pleasure to edit dissertations into books and rewrite articles for academic journals. I enjoy teaching Research and Writing for grad and post-grad students to find out what's new and interesting in academics and practical projects.
I also get to write my own articles and letters (the next one is in Victoria Magazine Nov-Dec 23). Most recently, I re-published a series of 3 books. Whether or not chores get done, regardless if traffic is so bad that we miss a meeting. writers will still be writing. You'll find us scribbling a note to explore later, forwarding an idea to a colleague, or texting with a friend.
Most of all, I love reading and listening to the Living Word, the scriptures.
Lucky me. And lucky you if you're a reader!
That's all there is to say as my eyes start to blur on the page. Time to walk around the yard and look at the hillside opposite our house. Once my eyes are rested, there's a book I've been looking forward to reading.
Read more:
*Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4
*[Jesus said,] Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:27-27
*In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1
Prayer: God, help us to love your Living Word more than any other thing we read, hear, or write. Help us to seek you in the scriptures to learn compassion, lovingkindness, patience, and grace for others as well as ourselves. You still speak to us today and we are grateful. Thank you for your mercy which endures forever. Amen
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