GOSSIP FROM THE GIRLFRIEND GATHERINGS

Learning from YOU to empower ME !

The Best Thing in Life #13 – A Good Book

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Students Reading Books Showing EducationOne of the treasures I learned to value very early in my life was a good book.    I was fascinated with books before I learned how to read.  When my older brother started school he came home and read his books to me.   Books were readily accessible in our family household as our parents controlled access to the one and only television.   Picture books fueled my imagination and when I started school reading naturally became my favorite subject.

As I entered my pre-teen and teenage years, my love of books did not diminish.    I was a student who loved the time spent in the library.  I read the classics, fiction, mythology, religion, autobiographies – whatever caught my interest.    In the summer, I walked 1-2 miles in the middle of hot Houston days to go to the bookmobile that came bi-weekly to my neighborhood.   All of my friends thought I was crazy reading so much while school was out.

I visited many beautiful places in the world, learned about other cultures, and plotted my life’s path all from books.   I even raided my single aunt’s hidden collection of sexy romance novels and imagined the qualities of the lovers I wanted in my life.   I must admit few lived up to those qualities and that is probably why I am single now.

Books have been my constant companion on business trips, road trips, and vacations giving me delight as I relaxed on beautiful beaches or sat in a solarium on cruise ships while traveling to some foreign port.    The Kindle has made my relationship with books easier as I can carry my entire library with me now and keep my suitcase under 50 lbs.

When I think of life without books I recall an old Twilight Zone TV episode where a man truly loved books.   All he wanted to do was read but at the expense of failing to do all else to the chagrin of his nagging wife.    Then one day the world came to an end via an earthquake and he was the only person left.   After he got over the shock, he realized he now had all the time to read.    So, he went to the library.   Just as he was settling in to read there was another tremor which caused his glasses to fall to the floor breaking into pieces.     I could totally identify with the anguish that covered his face at that moment.

My definition of a good book is one that enhances knowledge, experience, compassion, belief, and faith which makes it one of the best things in life.

 

QUESTION(S)

Do you love a good book?

What is your definition of a good book?

NaBloPoMo #16 – In Choosing a Book to Read, a Book Cover Will………

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NaBloPoMo November 2013Women Having Coffee

Now, I know there is an old saying that states, “don’t judge a book by its cover” but book covers are very important to me in making my book choices.   This is especially true for books that I randomly select.   If it is a book from one of my favorite authors or a book that a friend has recommended, then the book cover has less importance and will probably warrant just a glance.   However, that randomly selected book will get a thorough review starting with the book cover.    The book cover is the first impression.

I think my preference for book covers can be traced back to childhood before I started school.   When my older brother started school he would come home and read to me always pointing at the pictures in his book.    I was jealous.   I wanted to go to school and I wanted to read, too.   So, I would get our children’s bible stories book, turn to all of the glossy pictures and make up stories in my mind about what was happening in those pictures.   Now, when I select books to read, I do the same thing with the covers and anticipate discovering if the actual story is similar to the one I imagined.

Girlfriends on the Road – In the City that Keeps it “Weird”

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If you are a book lover, then you should have joined me to attend the 17th Annual Texas Book Festival in Austin, Texas.   I am a native Houstonian but I have fallen in love with Austin!  I have found that it is rich in cultural surprises and my visit to the Texas Book Festival has proven to be one of the most engaging events.

The 2012 festival sessions were held in tent locations on Congress Avenue and in various locations inside of the beautiful Texas State Capitol building – even inside of the House and Senate chambers.   The weather was beautiful on both days with just enough chill to warrant a quick stop at Starbuck’s in between sessions.

It was my first book festival and I had a great time discovering authors and books that I never would have encountered had I not attended the festival.   Some notable mentions are

Tony Danza – “I’d Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had: My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High”

Damien Echols – “Life after Death: A Conversation with Death Row Survivor Damien Echols”

Naomi Wolf – “Vagina – A New Biography”

Henry Wiencek – “Master of His Mountain: Thomas Jefferson and His Slaves”

Ron Rozelle – “The Forgotten Texas Catastrophe: The School Explosion that Killed 300 Children”

Jodi Egerton – “Secret Sex Lives: A Year Spent on the Fringes of American Sexuality”

Jenna Hays McEachern and Edith Royal – “DKR-The Royal Scrapbook”

As you can see from the list above, the subject matter was very diverse and attractive to all types of readers.   There were also sessions for children books and Jewel was there to talk about her new book for kids.   So, the festival is a wonderful venue for family entertainment.

This was such a wonderful event for me and well worth the 3 hour drive from Houston to Austin.  I plan to make this an annual event and hope that all of you will consider it in your future plans.

QUESTION:

Are you a book lover?

If so, what types of books do you read?

Are you willing to expand your interests from your normal subject matter?

Would you consider attending the Texas Book Festival?