It’s summertime – the perfect time for a little book bliss!
In honor of Book Lovers Day on August 9th, my writerly pals and I are having fun by sharing all the ways we adore reading. Please join me and the awesome bloggers listed at the end of this post who also share their libre love.
There are so many reasons I love books, but I’ve narrowed it down to five:
A Way to Escape Reality
“Literature is the most agreeable way of ignoring life,” wrote Fernando Pessoa in The Book of Disquiet.
Oh, the luxury of getting caught up in a good story that takes you away! Especially when life gets a bit tough. Much better than watching TV. Books allow us to stretch our imaginations and immerse ourselves in another world. Let’s be honest, books can save our sanity sometimes.
Some Spiritual Inspiration
This is one of the greatest things about reading. I’ve been reading the lyrical book of Psalms this summer and it is positively uplifting and strengthening. I write a lot about finding happiness, but the Bible wisely tells us the secret: “Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need.”
Read something spiritual and inspirational every day and reap the benefits!
A Chance to Cuddle with Our Kids and Grandkids
When my children were small, I loved snuggling and sharing my favorite books with them.
Some of the classic books they loved were Goodnight Moon, Are You My Mother?, Dr. Seuss books, Where the Wild Things Are, Bernstein Bear books, The Boxcar Children, Runaway Ralph, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and Charlotte’s Web.
Now, lucky me, there are grandchildren!
An Opportunity to Learn and Explore
“The world was hers for the reading,” Betty Smith wrote in A tree Grows in Brooklyn.
Since I was a child, I’ve always loved reading nonfiction books to learn more about the world. In fact, books inspired me to want to see more the world – which I’ve been fortunate to do over the years.
At a writer’s conference years ago, Ray Bradbury told us aspiring writers to read one short story, one poem, and one essay on a variety of topics each night for a great intellectual foundation. Great advice!
The Feel and Smell of Books
My Mom and I used to spend hours scouring old bookstores.
As a result, I’ve got quite the book collection including some cherished first editions from the 1800′s. I absolutely adore looking at, feeling, and smelling these old books.
A library gives me the same warm, fuzzy feeling.
Ways to Celebrate National Book Lovers Day
My writer friends and I are obviously in love with words and we’ll use any excuse to celebrate our love of books.
National Book Lovers Day encourages you to find your favorite reading spot, a good book, and read the day away.
So revisit a favorite novel, learn something new from a non-fiction book, explore a place you’ve never visited in a travel book, dive into something motivational or inspirational, visit your library or a used bookstore, read a book to a child, or discover a new author.
Thanks for stopping by! For more book love, please visit these awesome bloggers next (links will be published as their blogs go live). Then, please share all the reasons you love reading in the comment section below!
Cat Michaels, Cat’s Corner
Auden Johnson, Dark Treasury
Carmela Dutra, A Blog for Your Thoughts
Jd Holiday, JD’s Writers Blog
Corrina Holyoake, Venturing into the Unknown
Leigh Shearin, Leigh Shearin, Writer
K. Lamb, Author K. Lamb Blog
Images, in order of appearance, courtesy of khunaspix, Ambro, and Paul at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.