One of my favorite questions to ask a reader is, “What are you reading right now?” Hearing a title, author and brief plot summary not only gives me an idea of a new book that I might want to read, but a way to get to know a person a little bit more. I love hearing about why a person chose a particular book, and what his or her opinion is about the author, style subject matter, or plot. As one of my favorite Bloggers and Pod-castors, Anne Bogel says, “How good it is to be among readers”. This is true for me. Hearing about books is comforting and truly makes me feel balanced as if all the world is right for a little while.
This year I am have read two different books that were recommended by my very good friend Sarah. She really enjoyed, “At the Water’s Edge”, and “Living Well Spending Less”. It was really neat to pick up two books, where I was familiar with the author, but would not necessarily have read without the recommendation. Nichole, a friend of mine from work recommended, “The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a changing world”, and I absolutely loved it. I truly savored the book like an exceptional piece of dark chocolate. Had it not been for her talking about the book being so amazing, I am not sure I would have picked it up, let alone bought it.
One of the reason I belong to a few book clubs is to have exposure to the recommendations from so many other readers. I love hearing someone talk passionately about a book. While I did enjoy both of these books, there are times that someone will recommend a book and I just won’t be that into it. Maybe it is not the right time, or maybe it is not the right book for me. “Literary Matchmaking”, as Ann Bogel calls it is tough. The good thing, is that a number of the books I get are from the library, and therefore can be returned without a lot of hassle. When I find myself wishing that the book was over, then I know that I have to put it aside; unless of course I am almost at the end, or I sense there is still something that can be gained from the book. With the massive amount of books in circulation today, there is always something else that I would almost certainly like better.
On recommending books. While it is tough to truly know if someone will love a book that you recommend, it is worth while to share what you are reading. It makes you interesting, and gives you something to talk about. Plus, it is another way to give. Podcast
Enjoying Every Mile 