Hitting the Books

So, I've just now gotten back into reading. Before I met Bert, I read constantly. You'd always find me at Barnes & Noble, looking throught the newest books. I'd devour one book after another. The books were my companions and I traveled places near and far with the characters. It was a lonely time in my life, and books did much to fill that void. After meeting Bert, everything was such a whirlwind of events that my life was like a novel in itself. However, now that things are settling down, I realize I miss reading. We've both found ourselves frequenting bookstores more often and are enjoying the simple pleasure of reading a good book.

In that spirit, there's been a questionnaire floating around Blogland asking people to share insight into their book collection. So, here's mine. Enjoy!

1. Total number of books I've owned:

I really don't know the exact number. I could take a wild guess and say I probably have 150 books. Between me and Bert, though, we probably together have maybe 800 or so. He's an avid book collector, and now we love to look through antique shops for old books. I love to own books that brought me great pleasure.

2. The last book I bought:

I just bought Ralph's Party by Lisa Jewell and Hillary Clinton's autobiography. Borders was having a great sale!

3. The last book I read:

I'm at the tail end of The GRITS (Girls Raised In The South) Guide to Life by Deborah Ford. My parents gave it to me as a birthday present, and it's a cute book. It reminds me a lot of the Sweet Potato Queens books. A very light, enjoyable read with insights into Southern culture.

4. 5 books that mean a lot to me:

• Summer Sisters by Judy Blume

I've read this book twice, and I don't often do that! I really enjoyed Just As Long As We're Together when I was entering my teenage years, and this was like a grown-up version of that. It's one of those books that stays with you long after you read it. Both of these Judy Blume books are near and dear to me. I can always pick them up and feel like I'm visiting an old friend. Depending on what's going on in my life, they mean a little something different every time. It's been a while since I read it, but I remember after reading Summer Sisters, it was my favorite book.

• Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells

I admire this author so much. I enjoyed this and Little Altars Everywhere. I took a Creative Writing course in college and our final project was to write a short story. One of the characters in my story was a Jamaican gypsy, and I painstakingly tried to write the story in such a way that the reader could hear the lady talking and envision her. Wells does this with her literature. You are transported to Louisiana and can picture the entire book as if you were a family friend during it all.

• Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom

My sister had this book, and I picked it up one day when I was looking for something different to read. Two hours later, all my mascara was gone, and black tears poured down my face. It's amazing that this is a true story. I thought about Morrie for a long time after I put this book down. It really resonated with me that we each have the ability to make such an impact on another person's life. Amazing book.

• Sufi poetry (works by Omar Khayam, Hazrat Imran Khan and Rumi)

I am still searching for the perfect collection of this. This poetry is truly amazing and has transcended the ages. My mom's family is from India, and this work seems to transport me back in time to the Far East. The poetry is written with the belief that God is in everything...in beauty, in love, etc. I used one of Khan's works in my wedding.

"Is love pleasure, is love merriment? No, love is longing constantly; love is persevering unwearedly; love is hoping patiently; love is willing surrender; love is regarding constantly the pleasure and displeasure of the beloved, for love is resignation to the will of the possessor of one’s heart; it is love that teaches us: Thou, not I."

Isn't that true? Love does teach that someone else comes before us.

• Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton

I remember reading this book, astonished at the beautiful descriptions. That's why I liked this book so much. It was probably the first classic I really took the time to read, and not just skim through in order to take a test. I never forgot this from the book:

"Here the snow was so pure that the tiny tracks of wood-animals had left on it intricate lace-like patterns, and the bluish cones caught in its surface stood out like ornaments of bronze."

Well, there you have it, folks. I hope you enjoyed it and will think about what books mean a lot to you. The power of the written word is a strong one. It certainly is a great talent when someone can put thoughts down on paper and leave others a little different after reading it.