(Have You) Read Any Good Books Lately?

Now that the weather is turning a little cooler and the skies here in the Northwest are turning a little”drippier,” one’s mind turns to curling up with a good book in front of a fireplace… at least, mine does.

Fireplace or not, reading a good book anywhere… on a plane, at the kitchen table, while waiting at the doctor’s [hairdresser’s] [barber’s] [manicurist’s] office, on a bus… is a joy!

As a member of a Book Club, I recently had the privilege of presenting a book that absolutely “knocked me out,” one that lingers long after I finished the second reading. The book is A Pilgrimage to Eternity, by Timothy Egan. I highly recommend it if you are interested in extremely well-written history and adventure.

This November 2022 Poem of the Month is shared with love, and a message: Find your own “knock out” book and spend some valuable time with it. Let it take you to some wonderful places.

And remember, friends, whatever the question, Love is the answer!

(HAVE YOU) READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

Reading, as you may know, is a brainy affair:
You use you own, and borrow the author’s.
You increase your power by feeding your brain.
You, in turn, become a venturer.

A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies…
A non-reader, in contrast, lives only a few.
Books let you travel without moving your feet.
And reading good books broadens your point of view.

One glance at a book and you hear the voices
Of people who, perhaps, lived long ago.
When you read, you can easily voyage through time.
When you read, you know you are not alone.

Human nature calls for progress, and reading
Will give you the stimulus to expand your view.
To rise above the ordinary and continue to learn
Is a choice to be made, and worthy to pursue.

Reading affords awareness of others who’ve lived different lives.
As you read, your sources of information are on the increase.
The reading of all good books is like a conversation
With the finest people of the past centuries.

Reading is an exercise in empathy.
You walk in another’s shoes all the while.
You discover how they handled their personal issues.
You compare them to yours, and you smile.

Reading only one book is like eating one potato chip.
You will require more to satisfy your hunger.
The more you read, the more things you’ll know.
…Older with knowledge, but with curiosity that is younger.

Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.
You become a part of everything you have read.
Learning to read is to light a fire.
Without the skill it is difficult to go ahead.