Fabulous Find For A Friday----A Book

I love books.

I love stories.

I love words.


I just finished "The Book Thief" this morning, and like many before me, was very touched by this book. If you haven't read it, take the time to read it. It is very much worth it.

Not for just the story, which is moving and brought me to tears, but for the message----that words are one of the most important things that we possess. They can make you feel, can change your mind, can give you courage, can corrupt you, can soothe you, can touch your soul, and can even make you weep.

I still remember at a very young age looking at books. At first it was the pictures, the smell, the sturdiness, the fascination of what I would experience when I opened a book each time. Then, when I learned to read, I started to devour each book----sometimes not stopping to relish the cover or the feel and smell of each new book. It was like I couldn't get enough of reading. I had some rough times when I was growing up, (maybe someday I will reveal these trials---but not today) and I discovered that I could forget everything when I was reading.

Then, as I got a bit older and suffered from those awful stages of growing up, (I'm sure we have all been there) I realized that books were my best friends. I began to cherish each one. When I would go to the library, I would get so excited by the anticipation of what I would find there. It was like discovering new friends each time---but the hard part was when I had to take them back. I couldn't wait until the day that I could keep each book that I read, so that I could have my friends all around me all the time.

I still remember the love, yes love, that I would feel for each book. I found that I enjoyed reading all types of books----it was like a passion. I read voraciously. I would even read my older sister's Literature books, just to read the stories. My mother used to take my books away if I didn't get my chores done. She knew that it was the best way to punish me. I would do just about anything to get my books back!

When I was in junior high school, and even through high school, I couldn't wait for a period at school that was one that I could read in. I would often get my work done as quickly as possible in class, so that I could go back to my reading and put myself into another time and place. There were days that I remember walking to my next period/class in a daze----still totally immersed in the story that I had been reading.

In my first marriage, I didn't have an easy time. (This is another story that perhaps I will share someday---it isn't pretty.) I found that because I wasn't getting the love and positive feelings from my spouse I turned once more to books to fulfill a need that I couldn't find in my marriage. I read some pretty lousy romance type novels, as I longed for that feeling of first love again. I used books to get me through what I thought was a situation that would never end.

Thankfully, it did, and I was able, after 18 years, to move on in my life and find the amazing husband that I now have. He fulfills the gap that I had with my first husband and I find that I don't need to read those kind of books anymore. I can go back to just reading what ever I feel like----good literature----amazing stories.

So, now I still cherish books. I have this passion about owning each book that I read. People are amazed that I don't use the library to get my books from---and are quite perplexed by my conviction to own each book. I have tried to collect the books that I read in the past, also, as I was growing up. I sometimes frequent book sales at antique stores or flea markets in hopes of finding one of those books. And when I do, I get so excited. I pick up the book and caress it, holding it carefully as I open it to examine the words, and pages. The smell, the feeling of sturdiness, the images of where I was at that time in my life all come rushing back.

I have found my friend again. But this time, I can have it near.

I do have some favorite books. I once wrote a blog about some of them. I have read so many books, that I couldn't possibly list all of them or even remember all of them, so it is hard to compile a list, but you can read about some of my favorites here.

Also, if you ever decide to join Good Reads----or not----we can share books. Some of my books are here.


I re-read the post about some of favorite books and realized that I had written some of the same experiences that I just wrote about here----so just skip over that and go to the list of books----that's what is important, anyway.


Well, I started out writing about this great book that I found, "The Book Thief" and ended up writing too much about the "fabulous find" of books in general.

But I guess that it needed to be said.

So, read this book. It is my pick for this week as a fabulous find.