A uniquely portable magic
“Books are a uniquely portable magic.” ― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Christmas is past and a new year has come. My favorite book of 2022 was LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus. I read a lot of other books last year but this is the one I fell in love with and keep recommending to others, even though most everyone I suggest it to seems to have already read it.
I didn’t expect to find my favorite book of 2023 so early in the year (and again, there are a lot of weeks in the future that could upset this one) but here is another one at the top of my hit parade of books:
My daughter and my sister-in-law always seem to suggest the best books and they both had singled this one out. Oh my. I read it almost without stopping to breathe. Marvelous.
Stephen King is right, “Books are a uniquely portable magic.”
I stopped buying books when I retired. I am a faithful and grateful user of the library, which is absolutely marvelous here in Asheville. There is a statewide system that allows us to get a book from any library in the state. I don’t think there has been any book I wanted to read that I have not been able to get through the library.
I am not a Kindle reader. I often wish I was because it seems there can be almost immediate gratification but I am still one of those people that likes to hold a real book in my hands.
The only problem with the library (though I had the same issue when I was buying books) is that sometimes multiple books come in and I find I have a formidable stack to read.
I read the books with the “14 day book” sticker on the back cover first—for obvious reasons. These are the most popular ones and I know other readers are awaiting these.
Here’s the stack of books next to my reading chair right now:
Yes, I like to read a wide range—from science to poetry to non-fiction and so forth. I also have a rule (this comes with the wisdom of realizing that life is short) that if I do not like a book, I do not have to finish the book. I used to feel like I had an obligation to read until the end. No longer. If I don’t like it, the book gets to go back into library circulation earlier than it imagined. Every book deserves to have someone who thinks it is the best book ever.
I have avoided (for the most part) reading full-length books about the current political scene. First of all, there seems to be a new one almost every day and more importantly, the current political scene already occupies too much of my brain as it is. I do read Heather Cox Richardson’s daily blog Letters from an American and Michael Moore’s blog and will read anything Vermonter friend Bill McKibben writes. I also love the excellent writing from the Atlantic magazine. But I avoid the hefty tomes about the latest political escapades of people I do not admire or even like.
I know that everyone is not a reader, but for me, I cannot imagine anything that has brought me more joy over my seven decades. I can still remember the thrill of sounding out those first words about Alice and Jerry and Dick and Jane.
I would love to know what your favorite book of 2022 was and what you are reading as 2023 is starting.
Here is the book that I just started last night. Not sure who suggested it to me or if I just read a review and it sounded interesting—and so far it is!
You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive.
― James Baldwin
I love Libby, too, even though, since we don’t travel a lot, I usually get the “real” book.
I volunteer with donations to our local library. I borrowed this book on your recommendation. While I enjoyed it and it was a fast read I don’t understand why it got such praise. The cover says it is laugh-out loud funny. I didn’t find it that funny. Yes, there are amusing parts, but being abused as a child, bullied, demeaned, only true love dying, raising a child on your own?