“Reading was my escape and my comfort, my consolation, my stimulant of choice: reading for the pure pleasure of it, for the beautiful stillness that surrounds you when you hear an author’s words reverberating in your head.”
― Paul Auster, The Brooklyn Follies
Ah… the written word. It has been my truest passion since my chubby little hands first held a book and my eager, unfledged mind tried to unlock the enchantment within its pages.
As I know it is with many of you, reading since childhood has taken me everywhere, through experiences and adventures in exotic lands beyond my horizon, and all the way back to the charm – or heartbreak – of a domestic story around the corner.
Books have allowed me to journey along with colourful, unforgettable characters, to get inside their minds, to live other, more fascinating lives. And between the lines, some books have given me truthful and enlightening glimpses of myself, that I may never have learned otherwise.
Our book club offering this month, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley, found its way with me to sunny Cuba last week, a key item among my accoutrements, and a vital part of my prescription for R and R. To me, bringing along good reading material on a holiday is arguably more important than bringing along my husband my camera. Hmm. Of course, if I hadn’t had a camera, you wouldn’t be looking at my sun-starved knees right now. 😉
In our rapidly changing world of hurried living, instant technology, and short attention spans, has the enjoyment of full-length books fallen by the wayside? Certainly not for this blogger. Even if you are clutching an e-reader, as I witnessed with many fellow vacationers, you are my kind of people.
You are the kind of people who would probably love and identify with these other delicious author quotes I found on the love of reading.
“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.”
― Jorge Luis Borges◊
“The world was hers for the reading.”
― Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn◊
“Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them.”
― Lemony Snicket, Horseradish◊
“Books are a uniquely portable magic.”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft◊
“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”
― CiceroDo you always pack a book or two when you travel? Or does a good read have the ability to take you away no matter where you are, even from your couch or in your own garden? Come, bookworms, share your thoughts!
Jennifer's Journal 
I always have a book with me – in some format. And I agree with everything you say! Happy reading and writing, Jennifer!
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A life without books is simply unthinkable. Thanks, Barbara, you too! 🙂
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Reblogged this on Jennifer Kelland Perry and commented:
Today I’m sharing “For the Love of Reading,” one of my posts from 2014. Due to time constraints as I work on my latest novel, there may be more selected archived posts popping up here and there over the winter. “Sunday Snap” will continue as usual. – JKP
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What a great post! I am an avid reader and never go anywhere without a book, or my kindle now as it is difficult for me to turn the pages these days. So just a touch taking me to a new page is a blessing. But to be honest, I very often buy the “real” book too, just so I can touch it and sniff the pages, and of course display it on my bookshelf! I will check out The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. 😊
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Thank you, Christine. Books are a magical part of my life that I cannot live without.
Sweetness was a pretty good read for a debut author. Certainly not one of the best we have covered in our book club, but worthy nonetheless. Thanks for commenting!
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When sofagirl and I vacation together, the rule is that each of us needs to bring 6 books that the other might also like, lest we run out of reading material (our destiantions infrequently have bookstores readily available). Now with e-readers it’s a bit trickier – she keeps on pestering me to get a kindle so we can swap books. But I miss sitting on public transport and checking out the book spines of fellow travellers to see who was a kindred spirit!
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Book spines, yes! There is a definite tradeoff if you stick exclusively to e-readers. I don’t think I’d ever want to give up traditional books entirely. Thanks for your comment. 🙂
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Jennifer, this post is as delicious as a good book. The last quote is my favorite. I’m so glad that you escaped from the cold weather for awhile. Here on our island the sun broke through the gray blanket we’ve been under for days.
Blessings ~ Wendy ❀
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Aww, thank you,Wendy. That one is my favourite too.
Isn’t spring wondrous?
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Cuba, sunshine, and a good book? Sounds so perfect 🙂 I love reading about others’ passion for the written word.. it’s so near and dear to my heart!
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Our week in Cuba was a welcome escape as we wait for summer (it seems to take too long getting here in NL).
Bloggers, naturally, are avid readers. I find it odd when I hear someone say they like blogging or writing but hardly ever get time to read! Go figure!
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Haha, that one always stumps me too! My boyfriend is a BIG blog reader, but he never will pick up a book. I just don’t get it!
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Well at least he’s reading something! Good blogs like ours, hopefully. 😉
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Kindles have saved me facing those ‘what on earth has she got in that huge bag’ look from people when I travel. I can load up a variety of ten or more. I am mainly into non-fiction. It was different in my childhood and I loved all the fantasy stories, but things changed in my twenties. I now only read about one fiction story a year.
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Kindles are awesome that way, such space savers! I still love the feel of a real book in my hands though, I don’t know.
I’m not into fantasy fiction much anymore either. My fiction preferences now are of the realistic type that can teach us something as well. Nonfiction is a must too.
Thanks for your input. x
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I always travel with a book or two! In this fast-paced world it is sometimes hard to find the time to read books. I have to intentionally make it part of my week!
Diana xo
p.s. Hope you had an awesome time in Cuba, even though you had to bring your husband, I mean camera! 😉
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As with any worthwhile pastime, Diana, as I’m sure you’ll agree, sometimes we have to work to carve out the time to devote to it, and are rarely sorry for doing so. What sort of books do you like? Somehow I think of mostly nonfiction for you…?
Paul and I had a great time with terrific weather (just joking about not wanting him with me!), and I believe we brought the sun and milder temps back with us. Now I can look forward to summer a little easier without being so impatient. 🙂
And speaking of reading, I now have some blog-reading to catch up on! 😉
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I read mostly to learn about things that I am passionate about like leadership, community, missions and vision, personal development. Right now I’m reading a book called The Generosity Network. It talks about fundraising as a transformative thing instead of just transactional. I do like fiction though, mostly ancient history like the Clan of the Cave Bear series and also other series like the Narnia series. (My daughter and I read those books to each other)
I know you were kidding and it was very funny! A trip south when it’s cold here is like a double-edged sword to me. It’s a break I am happy to take from winter, but when I get back, the cold bugs me even more!
Welcome back to Canada
Diana xo
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Ooh, Narnia! Loved it!
I like to read a wide variety of both fiction and non, but seem to prefer to write fiction. 🙂
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If I wrote a book, I don’t think it would be fiction come to think of it…
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I thought as much, D. 🙂
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Jennifer I loved your image poolside with your sun-starved knees, I was instantly drawn in to what you were reading. I am a hopeless book worm I usually read about four books at a time each night my TV remains off and I choose the book I am in the mood for on that particular night. I am doing the good reads challenge of fifty books in the year and am three books behind. But because I am reading four or so books at the same time I will catch up. I would be lost without books and could not dream of a world without words….mmm now theres an interesting concept for a book lol.
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Thanks, Kath. 🙂
I don’t know, Hon, a book about a world without words would be too sad for me to read, or write, I think. lol Like you, I usually have several books going at the same time; right now I only have two. As for TV, less and less of it I am finding appealing these days, so much drivel and mind-numbing repetition, isn’t there?
Do you choose your books from Goodreads reviews, or whatever catches your interest? Just curious…
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Im a library girl through and through……
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We get our book club kits from our library. The selections are well-reviewed, often award-winning, and of course, free. 🙂
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A kindle, a couple of books…no wonder my purse is so heavy”)
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Ionia, I know you’re a book-lover through and through. 🙂
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