I was lucky enough to be born into a family of voracious readers. I remember everyone reading novels, newspapers, magazines. I felt I could travel anywhere in the world at an early age just by picking up a book. My eagerness to read grew, and I remember in 6th grade, I was obsessed with VC Andrews and Danielle Steele. I read every book they put out. Soon I became a collector of hardback books and loved to amass a collection of all genres. Before I knew it, my shelves were heavy with what I had read and books I had yet to read. I wouldn’t go anywhere unless I had a book tucked into my purse, car, or tote bag. I never felt alone or frightened when I was reading. I became part of the story, a character playing a role. My imagination was great, almost too good sometimes. My moods would shift depending on the storyline. Fiction or Non-Fiction didn’t matter; I enjoyed both. I couldn’t imagine life without a delicious storyline. I even imagined writing a book one day.
Then the busyness of children came, and I had less time to read. I still enjoyed reading when I had the time, but admittedly it wasn’t as often as it had once been. I did pass the love of reading to my children. I remember summers when the girls refused to go outside because they wanted to stay in and read. No matter how much I pushed them, it was no use. They would lie around and read book after book. Some parents should be so lucky. To this day, both of my girls are huge readers and love the feel of the paper and binding. Only recently did my oldest buy a kindle to make it easier when she travels. My youngest refuses to consider an electronic form of reading, but I have to admit once I found Audible, I was in love. I can listen to three times as many books as I was able to read. I listen in the car, at the gym, on my bike, or while cleaning the house. Anytime I am not using my ears for something, I turn on Audible.
As I matured, the types of things I enjoyed reading changed. I find myself looking for a broader range of topics. I still hunger for a good love story or true-crime drama. My passion for the written word has expanded my selections to include learning to make or build things, self-help, yoga, meditation, empowerment, politics, management of people, and stress: business and building relationships. I have read some classics and also done a deep dive into racism. There is so much to learn by reading, so many subjects to choose from. All you have to do is open the book’s cover, power up the tablet, or turn on your phone, then select a title. Something will resonate with you. There are so many subjects, authors, and stories from every perspective.
There are some great ways to get book recommendations. Here are a few:
I love to share any great book I have read. I am always sending Audible links to my friends because the first book is always a free read. Books are a great way to start a conversation, a great gift, and I love writing inside the cover when I give the gift of a particular book. I recently handed down the baby book “Love You Forever” by Robert Munsch to my daughter Alexis who is having her first baby. I had written in and given this book to my girls when they were very young. It was one of their favorites, and we would read it all the time. I told her it was her turn to read it to her child, then pass it on to her sister when she has her children. My daughter was in tears when the exchange took place on Mothers Day 2021. That moment was one I will always cherish. It is also a beautiful tradition for the love of reading being passed down to another generation.
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss
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