Books Should Be Read
“You want to write, you have to read!”
This entry was posted in Books, creative writing, Culture, Family, History, humanity, inspiration, parents, readng, words, writing and tagged Reading changes your life, Sherlock Holmes, Stephen KIng, Susannah's Reading Lists, the love of reading. Bookmark the permalink.
Thought for a second there you were giving us a glimpse of YOUR bookshelf π
And I agree. Books are meant to be read, not just displayed!
I don’t know about you…but do you judge a person by their bookshelf?
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That’s so funny Dale. Well, if I walked in and saw a lot of Judith Kranz and Jackie Collins, lets just say, it would tell me a lot. That just made my day. What a funny, clever line. Honestly.
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Right? Lots of classics in mint condition, telling you they are just for show; well-worn tomes, showing they were read and re-read, technical books – proof they went to school and had no time for pleasure reading…
You can learn a lot, I say π
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Yes, without a doubt. One glimpse at mine and you’d know I’m a history fanatic with a drizzle of Hollywood lore tossed in, capped by some classics. If you traded them in for clothing, makes perfect sense. My old jeans, my big dark glasses with a scarf tied round my neck, with vintage everything else. Interesting comparison, isn’t it.
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I agree wholeheartedly, Susannah. I have varying interests. In my various shelves you’ll find a slew of cookbooks, a bunch of guidebooks on various crafts (total waste of money, btw), classics, novels of all sorts of genres, historical fiction a la James Mitchner… I could go on but don’t want to bore you. And how I dress? Bright colours, skirts and shorts in summer, jeans in winter, unless there is a dress code prohibiting them and when I go out, always use the Carrie Bradshaw approach and dress up, never down.
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Oh please, bore me. π
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π
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It’s very interesting what you’ve started about what you can learn about a person, from the books they read. Could save you lots of time when dating someone for instance. Could be a real eye opener. A turn on, or not.
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Of course, we are not supposed to judge solely on this one fact but let’s just say that it can help in the grand scheme of things. It might help fill in more details to go with that nagging feeling. Good or bad.
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Marco just penned a swell comment, inspired by you. π
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That so?
Guess I’ll have to go snoop, now!
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You started a brush fire.
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Oh my! What powers I unknowingly have!
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Yeah…:)
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π
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Oh, I dunno that that was a description of me per se or a general example of a potential opening for a story, written in his inimitable way…
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No, I think it was all about you, and it was great. I’m still chuckling over what you can tell from someone’s bookshelf.
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That is sweet.
And glad you are still chuckling π
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Doesn’t take much but hard to come by, these days.
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Every little bit helps, I say.
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Yes, indeed.
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Just saw a meme:
“Never underestimate the power of a girl with a book.” ~Ruth Bader Ginsberg
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AWE DALE, ISN’T THAT JUST WONDERFUL!!!! AND SO APPROPRIATE. THANKS. π
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I knew it would touch you! π
You are welcome.
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Love the Carrie analogy, I totally get. And she in the series, was a writer. π
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I thought you might appreciate that one. And yes, she was. Gotta love that! π
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There’s something to be said for that whole show. The way it opened with her narrating, how it had 3 acts to every episode. They always looked great…Patricia Fields was the costumer on that who did a remarkable job dressing them. They became trend setters, and when you think it was one of the first shows of its kind on HBO, considered experimental. You just never know what will soar, do ya.
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I loved the whole show and must have seen it in its entirety at least thrice. They touched on subjects no one else would have dared for a weekly show. They did look fabulous all the time.
I used to tell my boss – who would roll his eyes when he said his wife watched it – that HE should watch it as he would learn at thing or twelve about women… and he really needed to learn.
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It was well written, that’s for sure.
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It was. And it was fun.
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I used to own them all but no longer. They were given away at some point during a major cleaning when I was in Quaker mode.
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Nowadays you can get them on Netflix or HBO on demand or whatever. I used to have them… On VHS!
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VHS Wow. It’s like saying you once owned a dinosaur. π
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Not a good way to prove my youth, is it? π
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It does have a Victorian sound nowadays. They were huge, the size of your foot, and took up a lot of space.
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Seriously!
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I think reading and breathing go hand in hand. Certainly reading and writing do. Thanks for being an advocate for reading and for the Stephen King moment too.
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Isn’t that a great story. An actor I know who was a former high school teacher, told it to me. I just loved it. He said, he wore old jeans and a navy blazer over a button-down. I can just him with those glasses getting all steamed up from his proffered enthusiasm.
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You paint a perfect picture, Susannah.
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It left a nice impression. π
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It would make for an interesting story actually.
“Her favorite books hung from the wall like literary spokes to an ever changing wheel. Each one a definition of the miles her soul had roamed. Her guilty pleasure trove of romance novels was now being overrun with dog eared recipe books. Most recently, she had become a disciple to the works of C.S. Lewis, Bonhoeffer, Austen and Martel. The words reminded her of that summer not so long ago when she learned that love was worth leaving and heartbreak was worth having,”
Blame it on Mary . . .
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I love this description of Dale. I hope she’s pleased. It’s lovely. I’m swooning on her behalf
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This piece brought to mind that Oscar Wilde quote . . .
βIt is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.β
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I’d like that on a pillow. Do you embroider???
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I can learn.
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Okay. Maybe your local Y teaches a class, or you might get Embroidery for Dummies, not that Imma is dumb with or without thread, but…options are always good.
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I’m all about the options.
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Who wouldn’t be.
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Melania?
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I feel for her. I can’t imagine what it’s like being married to him. You rarely hear about their son she clearly protects like a mama bear and her cub. I have empathy for her. I do. Go figure.
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There is respect for that, yes. And hopefully she’s hooking up with the White House gardener or something, because yikes . . the girl deserved better.
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That would be handy, plus she’d get flowers I’m bettin her husband never sends.
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Flowers, dinners . . . that HE makes. And he probably even recites poetry to her under the light of the silvery moon.
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And tells her she’s too pretty for words.
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In a language that rhymes with the stars.
Go Melania!
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As she bats her eyelids like fly swatters.
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Haha!
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Books are to be read, read again and used for inspiration in life. Someone has taken time to write about a subject so people should take time to try and appreciate their efforts. We have bookcases full of “interesting” subjects ranging from Chinese history to the Civil War, through some of the people behind the great world conflicts and then onto the dirty politics which have riven society for decades (whispers – mainly American – sorry!). If people abuse books it is deemed a heinous crime in this house. The worst thing is to open and book and then snap the spine. Truly awful.
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HEAR HEAR!!! I second this wholeheartedly. Library cards should be mandatory, and little kids should be required to read all of Babar. π
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Libraries are being closed and mothballed which is such a shame. I worry that people will not read as much now that they do not have their usual commute on the train, tube (thats your subway!) or bus to their place of work. Working from home if you can has its advantages, however taking the time during travel to read and learn from an authors experiences is equally as important. There is something about the physicality of handling a book, reading it and then putting it away for a while, that trumps picking up an e-reader and merely scrolling right. The work that has gone into writing the book, researching the subject and then getting it printed and published all adds to the excitement of the read.
Some books are a window on a world that many may never see or achieve. To have a view into another unknown place is exciting.
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How beautiful you said all that. I prefer a book in my lap, and all the media in the world could never satisfy my thirst for books, and yes, there was a time they were treated like gold and to publish put you over the moon. As for libraries closing. They’re knocking down churches, so why am I not surprised. sigh
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The world seems to be moving toward a more monosyllabic soundbite culture where opinions are expressed in meme’s or emoji’s, where emotion is expressed in equal quantities of emoji’s and where words are reduced to single letters. Maybe this is the human race returning to its origins of many millennia ago, when to seek in grunts and hit each other over the head with a large club was acceptable. The foresight of people like William Caxton in the 1470’s will soon be forgotten by the many.
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Grunt, the new English Language. I’m not interested in the crib notes of life, to be perfectly honest. Cell phones and social media have ruined the world, not Covid 19 we’re blaming everything on I was rude, it’s Covid. I didn’t show up. You know, it’s Covid. I slept with your husband. You need to understand, it’s Covid. I’m done. Wonder of Mr. Caxton needs a roommate.
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If he does need a room mate, then I am in. It is sad to see that in places such as London, all the old antiquarian book shops are closing not only through this virus but also seemingly through lack of enthusiasm and interest. It appears to my untrained eye that far too many people obtain far too little information on far too many subjects and then feel free to grunt their opinions to the rest of us.
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That’s very true. Our up and coming election is proof of that, how everyone who knows nothing, or at best, very little, has an opinion blaring across cyber space. It’s everywhere, like Nazi propaganda of yore. sigh
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I have to admit that again, with my untrained eye, the people who purport to run our lives are those who are giving us as little information as they dare. We are then expected to believe their vague word soup style language without question. This is where books come into play. We try to read the “behind the scenes” information, the details that aren’t provided readily to the general public. Sigh indeed.
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I sadly feel, unmoored, as a citizen of my country for the very first time, ever. The definition of unmoored is, adrift…insecure and confused, lacking contact with reality. That about covers it.
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I think, sadly, you are not the only person who feels like this when they have to listen to their “leaders” spout the nonsense and vitriol that their supporters cravenly lap up. If anyone carefully questions the direction and the manner in which the “leaders” conduct themselves, the questioner is immediately shouted down and told to shut up or leave if you don’t like it. There is previous history of this type of language and actions.
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It’s gotten so out of hand, and with this election coming, I’m afraid it will get worse. Our country is on the edge.
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There’s only one thing to do. Get your nearest and dearest book, grab a large coffee and bury yourself in the artistry and wonder of the author.
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I do that every day. It’s my saving grace. π
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My parents have a bunch of book shelves that line one wall in their family room. As long as I can remember those shelves have been occupied by a lot of classics. Hard bound collections of authors like Twain and Hemingway and a few others. A bunch of other stuff also. But there is some Dostoyevsky on that wall. A few years ago, a co-worker suggested I should read Crime and Punishment. Some time afterward I was at my parents’ and noticed it was in their library. I asked to borrow it. My dad said, “Sure. Go ahead.” So I did. I got about 20-30 pages in when I got to a paragraph that went on for nine pages. Yes, a single uninterrupted paragraph of nine pages. I agree with you that books are meant to be read, but not that one!! I stopped reading at that point and returned it to my dad.
Regarding King’s advice, I totally agree with it. I don’t see how anybody could think they can write a story without reading a lot themselves. Yet, I regularly see people on twitter challenge that common sense principle. And trust me, I’m not a huge believer of “rules” for writing, but that’s not really a rule. It’s just common sense. I would love to see a story written by somebody who claims not to be a reader.
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I loved this whole piece Midget. Yes, Crime and Punishment is punishment all on its own. He’s not a fave of mine either since, it’s too depressing for much too long. I read that Dickens got paid by the word, so his tomes make sense. Maybe Fyodor got paid in bulk as well.
Reading and writing go together like cream and sugar. It’s a no-brainer, but social media has wrecked the minds of so many being neurotically occupied with checking it every five minutes. I see kids on the street all the time almost getting hit in traffic, scrolling like its life and death. For me, reading it makes up more than half of who I am. I’d love to see your those bookcases. How great to have reading parents. Their legacy to you. π
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Time was I could spend hours in a library or bookstore; pitiful that I no longer can do that. Living conditions changed so I read e-books. At least, I can read. I love books, always have…always will. My mother read paper backs…romanticized. She lost her vision later in life and she said what she missed the most was reading.
Michael and our four sons are avid readers…at least M was until Parkinson’s knocked him out..
I love the Steven King anecdote…wonderful.
Thanks for your beautiful writings, Susannah! Bravo!
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I have nothing against eBooks. Reading is reading. I love the S. King story too. Imagine those kids hearing it from someone like him. They had to be over the moon.
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Go ahead and light a candle for me, Susannah. Somebody needs to light a fire under me.
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I was afraid you’d say that. I’m sorry Anne. Truly. I wasn’t remotely thinking of you since I wrote it before you said you didn’t read very much.
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Oh, no! Don’t be sorry! I commented just to be funny. Shoulda kept my mouth shut!
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Never. I’d miss your puns.
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Cheers to your love for reading books.
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Thanks Frank.
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When one of Pookie’s bothers first came to my home (before our marriage) he looked at my giant bookshelf and asked if I really read all of them. Being a nonreader, he was completely amazed that I had. I confessed that I was never able to finish Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s Gulag Archipelago.
There are certain books that I don’t lend out, knowing from experience the odds are very slim that they would return. I like to reread them every 10 to 20 years. Pookie says that when I’m in my dotage I can just read the same book over and over and it will always seem new, ha ha!
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You’re a teacher Skinny, books are in your DNA.
My favorite book joke:
A man walks into a library and asks if thereβs any books about turtles…
Librarian: hardback?
Man: Yea with little heads… Tell Pookie. π
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