Reading Days

When I was a college student many moons ago, reading days would be scheduled prior to final exam week. The idea was to give us time to catch up on our reading assignments and to study for the upcoming tests. I thought the concept was excellent and my fellow students and I really looked forward to those days.

I am no longer a student per se, but I do still enjoy my reading days. These consist of mornings or afternoons or both when I put my feet up, have a hot cup of tea and read a good book. Since I am in a book club, I often have a specific literary project already selected by our group. But I still manage to fit in some fun-to-read books that may not rock the world, but are, well, just fun to read. Some of these books take me to far away places like Tuscany or Provence. Others offer a familiarity because they are set in a local or regional area that I know well. Reading is one of those gifts in life that is there for the taking if you choose to partake.

Last week, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet a best-selling author. I asked her how she turns a thought into a book. She explained that there are different ways that her storytelling unfolds. I have been reflecting on this and realized it is much like a day in our daily lives. Some of my days are very planned with appointments and commitments and others days just happen. In both of these cases, new things develop that change things up without realizing it. In the end, a story has evolved with various characters and it has a beginning, a middle and an end.

I have heard that ‘“true reading” is gone out of style and books are a thing of the past. Today readers consume tidbits of news, stories and information via social media and quick sound bites. But I believe there are many more readers than we realize who still love a good novel or a series of short stories or a blog. Isn’t it wonderful that there are all types of platforms for reading, including a kindle, a laptop, a cell phone and, yes, even a book.

So make a date with yourself and put it on your calendar: My Reading Day!