Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Slice of Life: Reading for Pleasure!

I join my fellow bloggers in "serving up a slice"
to the Tuesday Slice of Life (SOL) community.
Thanks to Stacey, Betsy, BethKathleen,
Deb, Melanie, Lanny, and Kelsey
 for hosting this meeting place each Tuesday
and nurturing our writing lives.

This is one of those weeks when I'm in search of a slice. When that happens, I generally read other slices and before I know it, someone's slice of life inspires mine. This week's spark came from Mandy's slice who shared what happened one day when she stopped all reading to pick up a favorite author, Nicholas Sparks: "I was charmed by the story the characters were living.  I found myself choosing reading over chores. . . I need to remember these feelings and foster them again for myself."

I'm in two book clubs, but every once in awhile, I need to break away and pick up a book that I read just for me. I find these books most often at the Choice Reads section in our public library. I love the serendipity of discovering a new-to-me author just by browsing these shelves. This past spring, I read and loved Bookshop at the Water's End by Patti Callahan Henry. And in June it was The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy. Do you see a theme here? I find it difficult to resist a book about bookstores or libraries. And both of these were delightful, and reminded me that occasionally I need to indulge in the sort of books that I love, books that as Mandy put it, have me "timing other activities and mapping out reading breaks." I hope that your summer includes some time to indulge yourself in something that you choose to read just for fun! (And please tell me about your recent favorites in the comments.)

11 comments:

  1. I love that you read about bookstores or libraries! Kindred spirit!! Have you read any of Will Schwalbe's books? They are books about books!

    I don't have a go-to author...but I always have to be reading something

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    1. I read The End of Your Life Book Club and loved it. When I weeded shelves recently, I decided to give it to my daughter. But first, I have to jot down the plethora of titles from the sticky notes inserted in the book! Did you like Books for Living?

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  2. Thank you for sharing these titles, Ramona. They both sound like they'd be right up my alley. Continuing this theme, have you read The Storied Life of AJ Fikry, by Gabrielle Zevin? I think you would love it!

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  3. Ramona, I'm so touched that my slice helped you with your writing. I always wish I was part of a book club and you make a good point about finding books for yourself also. I like to read books about libraries too. I'll recommend The Bookshop on the Corner, The Bookseller, and The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend.

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    1. I've read The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend, but not the other two. Thanks for pointing me to some new library/ booklover titles.

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  4. oh good new books to read. I also love reading books about books and libraries. Have you read The Little Paris Bookshop? It is a fun read as well.

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    1. Yes, I've read and enjoyed The Little Paris Bookshop.

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  5. Mmm... thank you for this post (and for directing me to Mandy's). I love thinking about my go-to books and authors. My personal choices are quirky for sure & related to specific times in my life, I suspect: The Hero & the Crown is a YA book that I have read over and over; Expecting Someone Taller may not even be in print anymore, but Tom Holt makes me laugh out loud. But my favourite book about books is probably Helene Hanff's 84, Charing Cross Road. Now that's a book I could read again right now!

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    1. Oh, Amanda, 84 Charing Cross Road is a definite favorite! I've never read The Hero and The Crown. It may be time to put in on my want-to-read list.

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  6. Love the theme running through your books. All the bookstore/library books I would have recommended were mentioned above and you already had read the all. :) I hope you find some new titles to read for indulgence.

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