A Favourite Pastime by Carol Harrison

 

I have enjoyed reading since I first learned how with Dick and Jane. Reading opened a world of possibilities for me. The library and church library became favourite hangout spots in my growing up years. Chores got delayed, much to my mother’s dismay at times, because I got lost in a good story and needed to read just one more chapter.

Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Danny Orlis series, and Grace Livingstone Hill were authors and series I gravitated towards. Yet I also could spend hours browsing through the set of World Book Encyclopedias my parents scrimped and saved to buy by the time I reached Grade four. What a wealth of information for my inquisitive mind.

Long after my light should be off at bedtime, I read by the little lamp beside my bed until I heard my parents’ footsteps of the staircase. Sometimes I would then try and read by the light of the street lamp outside my window. This worked better in winter when the trees no longer had leaves to shade the light from shining inside.

By junior high I loved to read to learn. Teachers assigned essays that required research and I never complained. After all my homework involved reading and writing about it.

I married someone who loved to read as much as I did and books became part of our home. Board books appeared before the little ones could hang on to them or do more than chew on the corners. Chores still became sidelined as I succumbed to the urge to read just one more chapter.

Now reading occupies much of my time over the last couple of years. Research has become easier with Mr. Google at my fingertips. The library is right around the corner from my condo and e books are available with the push of a button arriving on my phone like magic.

I firmly believe the saying the writers need to be readers. It opens up a gathering of ideas about styles and different genres. It sometimes shows me what not to do in my writing and other times gives me ‘ah ha’ moments of what might work better to grab a reader’s attention and hold it through the entire story. Both of these ways help improve my writing. As I while away the hours with my nose in a book.

My bookshelves are stuffed to overflowing. I enjoy collecting and reading books by authors I have met along the journey. I have also enjoyed a variety of series by Janette Oke, Lauraine Snelling, and Robin Jones Gunn. Lately I have been reading some Christian suspense. One author that grabs and holds my attention throughout the story is Lynette Eason.

There are many more authors I have read over the years since that first magical moment with Dick, Jane, Spot, and Sally. It’s a wonderful past time and learning opportunity.

Carol Harrison loves to curl up in her big chair in the reading corner of her home in Saskatoon. Here she reads, journals, and just takes time to daydream as well.
 

To All the Books I Love - Condensed Version by Sharon Heagy

  

A Corner of My Writing Sanctuary

Some smells are just the best. My list of wonderful scents includes: a little kid fresh out of the tub, a forest full of pines, cedars and lush mossy undergrowth, a freshly mown lawn or hay field. Lilac blossoms filling the air with hope after a long cold winter. The stomach gurgling aroma of frying chicken. A stationery store with crisp white paper and an abundance of good pens, a bakery full of fresh bread and pastries that you can smell a block away, a library with books read by many and a bookstore with fresh un-cracked volumes. All of these cause me to pause and take in a full breath, close my eyes and release a satisfying sigh. Ahhhh.

As I pause and reflect I may have always been drawn to these wonderful nose sensations but the scent of books holds a special place. From the Grade One world of Fun with Dick and Jane by William S. Grey ("Run, Spot. Run, run, run. Look, Dick. Look, Jane.") to the first time I borrowed a book with my very own library card, reading has been one of my passions. That first volume on loan from the library coincided with my love of horses, Galloping Gold by Patsy Grey. Though I never ever had a horse I was enamoured with the idea of owning one and imagined all the adventures we would have together. 

The next phase on my literary journey took me to my brothers' The Hardy Boys collection and a love for mysteries was born. Authors Agatha Christie and Louise Penny, among others, became my authors of choice. 

My nieces and sister introduced me to the Mitford Series by Jan Karon. One of my nieces even treated us to "Esther Bolick's Orange Marmalade Cake" when we went to visit. It was a divine and decadent treat. Even now my mouth waters at the memory. Those who know me well know I have a weakness for a good cake even though I am generally a salty savoury snacker with one exception of some mighty fine chocolate. 

Recently some friends introduced me to another set of books, the Sensible Shoes Series by Sharon Garlough Brown which follows the spiritual journey of four ladies who come from varied backgrounds and life experiences, and I enjoyed them all.

As a member of Inscribe I have been swept up by a whirlwind of inspiration and imagination among the pages of books published by members as well as a number of their anthologies. Wow! Some savvy writers  have even created entire worlds beyond our own! All InScribe writings encourage me to continue with my own scribbles and intimidate me a little bit. Yet, having met some of the people behind the stories and having listened to the words of their hearts, I know they support and care for each and every member and are sincere in their encouragement no matter the writer's experience. I say this quite seriously, this is not an Inscribe ad but a genuine observation. 

Being a member of a bookclub has increased my reading world and has given me greater understanding of what readers glean or look for in a book. What amazes me almost every time we meet are the varied opinions and details each person takes note of as they read. We have read what some may call real duds and we have read some fascinating volumes, many I would not have chosen on my own but absolutely adored. My heart seeks to find something commendable, a phrase or portion I like, even in the so-called duds, because I know the effort and work that has gone into writing that book. 

Writers of faith have nurtured and helped my spiritual growth in ways I could never have imagined. Books on prayer, fasting, and apologetics line my shelves beside devotionals and Bible studies and commentaries. All are read with the Bible alongside to guide and make sure the material I am consulting is true to the Word. There are a multitude of authors I enjoy but Philip Yancy and Henri Nouwen wake up my gray cells and get me to consider things in a different way.

There are some fabulous books on writing from which I have gleaned much knowledge. Authors like Natalie Goldberg, Anne Lamott, and Stephen King have graciously shared their vast experience in order to spur us on. I must say On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King was quite a wonderful surprise. While I don't read his chosen genre, I found this memoir revealed the heart of the man and the way his writing process developed and I gained new respect for him. I think we could even be buddies.

Non-fiction books are also a part of my library and a couple I have read recently include Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas and The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson. The depth and detail to the section of WWII history chosen by each author held me captive. 

This is Happiness by Niall Williams, A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman and The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg are three of my current fiction favourites, subject to change without notice.

This blog post could be another couple of pages in length if I included all my favourite books and authors. Two pages of filled looseleaf lay on my table before I quit listing favourites and decided I couldn't use them all. (Oh, what about that one? I need to add it too!) So I won't bore you with any more details. I will say I am thoroughly enjoying reading bits and bobs of everyone's thoughts on reading and look forward to the rest of the month. Wouldn't it be lovely if we could all get together for tea, and of course cake, and discuss this topic further. Perhaps we will have a tea and cake session at conference, heavy on the cake. In the meantime, God bless and I hope you come across a marvellous book that you are excited to share with us all. Maybe your own! Maybe mine?  How wonderful that would be. "With God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26b) Until next month I leave you with my favourite cheeky Irish blessing, "May the light always find you on a dreary day, when you need to go home may you find your way, may you always have courage to take a chance, and never find frogs in your underpants." (Author unknown) God bless.

Sharon Heagy writes from the little town of Rockglen, which is nestled in the hills of southern Saskatchewan. her kids have flown the coop so she and her husband have retired to town. She writes to inspire and give hope with a chuckle or two along the way.

Are You Aging or Maturing as a Reader? by Steph Beth Nickel

 
Book Lilac Flowers - Free photo on Pixabay
 

This post originally appeared on Janet Sketchley's blog, Tenacity, in February of this year. I appreciate the opportunity to guest post on her blog on the last Friday of each month.


Over the next couple of months, I will be having cataract surgery on both eyes and may need corneal transplants in the years to come. I can no longer go as long between workouts and not get stiff—not the good kind that comes from beneficial exercise but the kind that comes from too much inactivity. My sleep patterns are wonky, admittedly because I often stay up too late.

Are these signs of maturing or aging? Easy answer, right?

Sadly, we often think of aging in negative terms and maturing in positive ones, but I truly believe we can combine the two—while acknowledging the challenges of the passing years.

Below are some tips for older readers. (If you haven’t felt the effects of aging as of yet, hopefully you’ll find a few tips that will benefit you as well.)

Tips for Readers

As we age, our bodies and minds often get less pliable, less flexible. Just as regular physical activity can be beneficial to our body, reading can help us continue to mature and reduce the mental signs of aging.

While we all have our favourite genre(s), there are many benefits to expanding our horizons. Why not pick up a book in a genre you don’t typically read?

Have you been wanting to develop your skills in an area you’re familiar with or learn an entirely new-to-you skill? Why not nab a book in your favourite format—or pull one off your shelves you’ve been meaning to (re)read?

Just as it’s beneficial to read a wide variety of genres, there are advantages to consuming books in multiple formats: physical books, e-books, and audiobooks. In recent years, I’ve consumed far more audiobooks than I’d ever imagined I would, being more of a visual learner than an auditory one. When I’m tired or busy doing something that doesn’t require my undivided attention, I enjoy having an audiobook playing.

You can use a library app and borrow audiobooks (and e-books) for free, make individual purchases from sites such as Chirp Books (their deals are phenomenal), or pay a monthly subscription rate to a service such as Rakuten Kobo and download as many e-books and audiobooks as you like.

True confessions: I have numerous apps on my phone for consuming books and hundreds of unread volumes.

How about joining (or starting) a book club? If you don’t have enough friends or family members who enjoy reading to begin your own book club, you may want to join an in-person or online club that reads books in one of your preferred genres.

Happy reading, all!

Note: My cataract surgeries went well, and after more than 50 years wearing glasses, I no longer have to do so for distance and only have to wear "cheaters" when reading and working at the computer. I'm extremely thankful for advancements in the medical field (and others) that make aging a little easier.

So Many Books...So Little Time by Sandra Rafuse

Photo by Greg Hladun

    

There is a secondhand bookstore in Cranbrook, B.C., that is worth stopping at even if you are just driving through the city and think you don't have time. Stop anyway. The store is large and full of all kinds of items to browse through besides books. When you first walk in, there are shelves of magazines, calendars, key chains, stuffed animals, magnets and much more. As you make your way further down the aisles, the bookcases appear to be endless, and there are signs up on the sides of the shelves telling you what you will find in each section. If you ask where the Children's Books are, you will be directed to the back of the store. It's not that easy to locate it quickly. But you will find it, and when you do, you will step up three narrow stairs, turn left, and you will find yourself facing a small rectangular area with books crammed onto the shelves on either side and at the end. There is a child's chair in the corner that you can pick up and take with you to sit on as you look through the books. Be careful. You will have to step around few stacks of books piled on the floor as you walk further in.

The books are packed so tightly together that you will have to remove at least three or four of them at a time to be able to finger through the others to loosen them up to be able to see the front covers. Once you do that, you enter a world like no other. If you are a book lover, it is a familiar world. One where the comforting scent of old books finds its way into your nostrils. Where your knees and back will get sore from kneeling down a bit lower every few minutes to get to the books below. Where the sounds of voices and movements from other people in the store will diminish and be no more. For you will have been caught up in the excitement of discovery; moving book after book aside, glancing at old familiar titles, then also (oh joy) coming across new titles you never knew existed.

Sometimes you will pull out a book that is in such perfect condition you wonder why that book is in that second hand book store anyway. You will open it up and there, at the top of the right hand page, will be an inscription; To Johnny, Merry Christmas! Love always, Grandma and Grandpa. You will continue leafing through the pages, hoping to find even one small smudge mark, a wrinkle or a tear that will prove that Johnny has gone through the book, even if just to look at the pictures and not to read the words. But often there will be no smudges, no wrinkles, and no tears; the book will be as pristine as can be. I have to admit it makes me rather sad to think that the book wasn't used the way it should have been but it will be one of several you will purchase that day.

I discovered the secondhand bookstore in Cranbrook a long time after I took a university class called Children's Literature. By then I had become a dedicated collector and reader of children's books. And things changed in my classroom because of of what I learned in that class. Story time became the highlight of the day for my students and me. They would sit down and wait expectantly for me to pick up the current book we were reading. Sometimes I shut the lights off to add a relaxed ambience to the room. Unless, of course, we were reading a scary book. Lights on was the rule then. Seasonal books were favourites because when the time came to start one I had such strong feelings of pleasure and anticipation about reading it. I was very familiar with each book by then and the reading of it was profoundly satisfying.

One of my favourite C.S. Lewis quotes is: "A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest". He's right. When I walk past my bookcase I often stop, pull out one of my books, and turn to the page that has my favourite paragraph(s) to refresh and enjoy the memory of those words. And a second favourite quote is: "No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally - and often far more - worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond". It's true. Most of the books I listed below are novels for teenagers and each time I read one of them I am amazed at the depth and quality of the writing I am reading. I would not have understood most of what I am reading as an older adult if I had read the book in my teenage years. God used children's books to teach me about life. I learned about the importance of family, of the pain of losing someone you love, of how precious and necessary friends are for all of us from those books. I read how God brought people together because he knew they needed each other even though they didn't know it at the time. And I could always sense his love in every story. The good parts were very good and the bad parts were very bad. Good against evil. You could find it quite easily. I know God has all kinds of ways he uses to teach his people. He used children's books as one of his ways to teach me.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Psalm 32:8 NIV

A very short list of some of my favourite children's books:

1. The Christmas Tapestry, and Mrs. Mack, by Patricia Polacco

2. Baby by Patricia MacLachlan

3. Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge by Merrion (Mem) Fox

4. The Very Best of Friends by Margaret Wild

5. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit

6. Homecoming, and Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voight

7. The Dark is Rising; a series made up of 5 books by Susan Cooper

8. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien

9. The Best/Worst Christmas Present Ever (that's right...present...not pageant) by Budge Wilson

10. The Christmas Miracle of Jonathon Toomey by Susan Worjescowski.

 

Sandra lives in Rockglen, Saskatchewan, with her husband, Bob, a very old cat named Kitty, a Gordon Setter named Sadie, and a Peregine falcon named Peet.

She is enjoying writing to share experiences from her life where God has been teaching her so many things.