Cherished Books

Storm clouds hang thick and low. Lightning explodes and thunder shatters the air. Rain thrums, then drums, then thrums, again. Everywhere the light is murky, diffused, subdued. The kind of day for a good book, a cup of tea, and a blanket tucked around me.

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How nourishing are cloudy, rainy days in the heat of summer! They bring the delight of chilly mornings. They let you pull on a sweater and socks. They remind you that life is not always wavering heat and forest fire smoke. They let you breathe.

And they let you read. Even when you should be writing your weekly Friday post (grin), they say, Go ahead and read your book instead.

Loves, I knew you’d understand.

So here we are on a Sunday morning together. It’s blue sky and sunny outside now. Summer rolls on. And before we roll alsong with it, let’s talk about books.

I’ve told you about my dreamy dream of one day having a personal library of favorite books (see Reading Lately). Which will be like having a personal library of friends. (You do think of favorite books as friends, don’t you?) Floor to ceiling shelves holding volumes of every subject that holds interest and sparks joy. Carefully curated, though, because only the most meaningful and useful will make the cut.

You can imagine that I’ve been collecting images and ideas for how this room will be. (Shall I do a post featuring all my inspiration for it one day? Yes? Until then, look here, skip to 44:18, for one idea I’ve squirreled away.) But I’ve also begun collecting titles, moving them from my mind and onto a page. It’s a start.

I’m always sleuthing for new books to love, to add to my list, to have on my one-day library shelves, and to share. Even if it means asking a perfect stranger about the book she's reading (see Reading Lately). If you’re willing to talk about books that move your heart and soul, I’m your girl. I recently asked one of my pen friends, who I’ve never met in person, if she is a reader, and if so, what three of her favorite books are.

She wisely replied with titles she’s read multiple times. (Goodness, what better way than this to a define a favorite book?) She said The Lantern Bearers by Rosemary Sutcliff has lovely prose and includes her favorite themes of loyalty, loss, and redemption. She described Ralph Moody’s, Little Britches series as full of goodness, and I have to agree with her that you can’t get through them without shedding a tear (or, in my case, sobbing). And that Robin Wall Kimmerer’s The Service Berry, has been profoundly moving as she’s sat with its passages.

But it was when she went on to include several children’s books (Anne of Green Gables, Where the Red Fern Grows, Caddie Woodlawn) that something particular rang true in my soul. She said that revisiting a child’s world helps her when life is overwhelming. My goodness, yes. Yes! And I suddenly knew with a shining ah-ha: So this is why I’ve had the urge to reread Charlotte’s Web and The Secret Garden this summer!

This is how books are friends. They join your life and stay, through the good times, the hard times, the joy, and the grief. Their message holds. They comfort you and humor you. They teach you and challenge you. They wreck you and they heal you. They’re simply there, right when you need them most.

So now, loves, it’s your turn to join in this conversation. In the comments, share with us one, two, or three of your cherished titles. Then we’ll all be ready when the next rainy day comes.