Today on Facebook I saw that Robert Crais and Michael Connelly kicked off Santa Monica's Citywide Reads program. I don't care that it is a little self promotion. Reading has been one of the loves of my life. Of course I love to read both of those authors too.
I think to my partner it seems like the other man. He is ignored, shushed and has to listen to funny or relevant parts of the current book I am reading. He doesn't mind, I think he sees the pleasure it brings to me.
It is funny because I come from a family of readers, well not all members of the family read, but many of them do. There was a recent squabble because those of us that are readers were talking about a book that many of us read, and one very insecure member of the family thought we were being uppity. I laughed. I said, you know, you too can read. Books are actually free if you really want to read. You can go to the library and check out a book and within minutes you can be in Istanbul, or Madsgascar, Atlanta, Georgia or New Orleans. What a wonderful learning experience I have everytime I read.
My mother passed on this love of words to me. It was so sad, when in the later years of her life her eyesight got so bad she couldn't read. I then started sending her what I still call books on tape. Showing my age a bit. Mom enjoyed the books on tape more than I even I can imagine.
When books on tape first became available in the library, I began looking forward to the long car rides across the country. I know that every book I have ever read, taught me something. That is a lot of teaching. Books have shaped my life and given me insight into difficult subjects. Yes, it is a passion. When I retired a few years ago, my passion became my job, I have read so many books over the last few years that I have read almost all the books by the dozen or so authors that are my favorites right now. I have found new venues for finding books, the self published books or short stories that Amazon has just opened up. Man what a cornucopia of information that is available there.
My recommendation is that you stop making excuses, if you don't read, buy just one audible book. Put it on your iPod or what ever little gadget you have for music and instead of listening to the music you usually listen to in the car, listen to a book. It can be music to your ears, and quite fun.
1 comment:
I have just started reading Travels with Charley In search of America by John Steinbeck. This book is a little different than his classics. It is a story about his travels through the US with his dog Charley. Steinbeck stays anonyomous through the whole trip. It's a good read.
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