My Book Thoughts Blog, an Introduction
I am no book critic. I love books and have great admiration for (most of) the people who write them. I don’t remember learning how to read, I just remember always having been surrounded by books, books in the bedroom, books in the living room, books stashed in my school bag, ballet bag and over-night bag. My reading habits frustrated my father, who would have preferred to have conversations with his daughter during his visitation weekends. My reading habits made my mother proud, except for those times when she wanted me to set the table or help around the house in general, and had to pry (figuratively) any book I happened to be reading out of my hands. My reading habits made me the focal point of some serious middle school taunting, especially since my modus operandi was to read while walking from class to class and frequently bumped into my classmates or tripped over the odd backpack left in the hallway. Mostly, however, my reading habit has been the most consistent, defining part of my life, from very early childhood to now.
Long before I started writing with the intention to publish, I started reading books on writing. Two of my favorites so far are Mary Karr’s The Art of Memoir (HarperCollins, 2015) and Stephen King’s On Writing; a Memoir of the Craft (Scribner, 2000). Both authors discuss the importance of reading for writers, and both include book lists for suggested reading. I think I remember one (or both) of them suggesting writing about what one is reading, so, I took that advice to heart and started a book journal, which I will share in blog form here.
Once again, these are not book reviews or critiques. Rather, I tried to note images that stayed with me long after I finished reading a book, or plot turns that were unexpected and enthralling. As a history buff, I love a compelling account of a great, true story, so I might talk about something I learned. Mostly, this is an exercise for me, but I am so happy to share it with you, and I hope you take my thoughts for what they are worth.
