A Bookshelf Tour ~ Valerie Ronald

 

When my husband and I moved to a smaller house last year, my extensive collection of books needed downsizing. It took time and consideration for me to decide which books made the cut and which did not. Those I kept reflect my reading interests and history. Come with me on a journey through my bookshelves to catch a glimpse of my reading world.

Bronzed bookends styled with swirling vines and leaves hold several favorite children’s books. Bound in faded blue cloth, The Enchanted Garden by E. Nesbitt, was a book prize presented to me long ago, as top pupil in my grade five elementary class. I read this treasured book often as a child. Its setting in Victorian England sparked a life-long interest in that country. Beside it are several picture books containing art by my talented daughter, a children’s book illustrator. Her creations remind me of helping her discover the magical world of books by reading to her when she was a little girl.

The next shelf holds collections of books I never tire of re-reading, written by two of my favorite novelists, Rosamunde Pilcher and Elizabeth Goudge. Both these British writers, though living decades apart, excelled at creating beautifully detailed settings that come alive in my imagination. Goudge’s vivid scenes are particularly vital to her engaging plots, rich in nostalgia and hope still found in the timeless corners of the world and in the hearts of those who live in her stories.

“Her books satisfy my yearning for the mysticism of old legends and folklore, yet they are founded on the truth of Christianity. Jesus walks every page of her books without being named, for He shines in the eyes of innocent children and beasts, He paints the natural world with strokes of love and beauty, and He speaks through the struggles and fortitude of characters who strive to do the right thing.” 1

Below a display of my travel keepsakes are the books which have taken me far spiritually. Ann Voskamp’s One Thousand Gifts, Charles Stanley’s The Spirit-filled Life, Richard Foster’s Sanctuary of the Soul, and several books by Jan Johnson. Her book, Enjoying the Presence of God, helped me discover how to enjoy God’s presence in the rhythm of my ordinary days.

Next to my collection of rustic angel figurines are devotional books I read yearly. I met author, Jane Rubietta, at a women’s conference where she was the keynote speaker. Her seasonal devotional books companion my daily quiet time with God, bringing depth and application through studying the lives of Old Testament characters. There is a list of these books at the end of this post. 2

An old book is more than just words on paper ˗˗ it is a sensory experience engaging smell, sight, and touch. It gives me satisfaction to hold a well-worn volume in my hands as the pages fall open, emitting the scent of old ink, paper, and glue. That is only one reason why I am drawn to an old book. I like to think about who its previous readers were and what drew them to this particular book. Reading words from a bygone age captures the atmosphere of the era when they were written. Some of my bookshelves house early editions of the Anne of Green Gables series by Lucy Maude Montgomery, leather-bound copies of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, and the Brontë sisters’ Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. Most cherished is an English translation of Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables, published in 1887. And, yes, I do read my old books.

My personal library does not have a particular theme or favorite topic. Rather, I choose to think of my books as old friends, varied in personality and character, like my human friends. I do not just see books on my bookshelves, I see a treasury of beloved stories, characters, and wisdom that have positively influenced my writing life and more. They have shaped my thinking, my beliefs, my creativity, and most of all, my imagination.

1 Learning in the Shadow of Two Elizabeths

2 devotional books by Jane Rubietta - Winter - Finding Your Way (Adam and Noah), Spring - Finding Your Promise (Abraham), Summer - Finding Your Name (Isaac and Jacob), Fall - Finding Your Dream (Joseph)

Valerie Ronald writes from an old roll top desk in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, with her tortoiseshell cat for a muse. A graduate of Langara College School of Journalism, she writes devotionals, fiction and inspirational prose. Her purpose in writing is to encourage others to grow in their spiritual walk.

My Reading Life by Bob Jones

 

I read all my books on Kindle.

I gave up the pleasure of reading printed copies when my role as a pastor with a large office came to an end. Ceiling to floor bookcases occupied two of the three available office walls and were lined with thousands of books collected over 40 years of pastoring. In moving out, I donated hundreds to my colleagues, and friends and a Bible College library. The remaining books were boxed up and carted home. Those boxes sit unopened six years later in our basement. Our home features one small bookcase that was already overflowing.

Thus, all my subsequent purchases became limited to digital. It’s a space efficient way to store a portable library online. And one that meets the approval of my wife.

The most recently downloaded books are an unbalanced mix of work-related and for pleasure. 80/20 work-related.

Kindle

Open my Kindle and you’ll find books that follow a read to lead theme: books about church health, pastoral health, church systems, leadership, change, vision formation, succession planning, culture creation, and network leadership.

You’ll also see my latest read, Nancy French’s, Ghosted. I’ve tracked with David and Nancy French for a couple of years. David writes for the New York Times. Nancy is a ghostwriter who was employed primarily by Republican officials as a speech writer and biographer. They are some of my favourite writers. Ghosted is filled with behind the scenes insight to many things political, Nancy’s hillbilly anecdotes, and her sense of humour.

“My dad described his twenty-five cousins as ‘rednecks, rough and ready,’ and they drank, fought, and stole their way honestly onto those wanted posters. I loved my family and never feared them, though my uncle Jasper pulled me aside and threatened to kill anyone who harmed me. I thought this was normal.”

Scroll through a few more and you’ll see another favourite, Kristin du Mez’s, Jesus and John Wayne.

Every so often I re-read books from the American Civil War era: Killer Angels, The Battle of Gettysburg, Robert E. Lee, and The Last Full Measure.

I don’t follow a reading program although I was a founding member of a book club in 1996. The group still meets. Wednesdays at 8:00am. My participation ended five years ago when my new work schedule regularly filled that time slot.

Reading and Writing Life

My reading life influences my writing life in a simple way. I appreciate the pace and look of a well-written paragraph.

Ronald Tobias, author of The Elements of Fiction Writing: Theme & Strategy believes,

“The rhythm of action and character is controlled by the rhythm of your sentences. You can alter mood, increase or decrease tension, and pace the action by the number of words you put in a sentence.” Mike Skotnicki, Briefly Writing, March 27, 2012

However, Joyce Carol Oates, aged 86 and author of 58 novels, says it best about paragraphs,

“…how to structure it, what sort of sentences (direct, elliptical, simple or compound, syntactically elaborate), what tone (in art, “tone” is everything), pacing. Paragraphing is a way of dramatization, as the look of a poem on a page is dramatic; where to break lines, where to end sentences.” Alexander Sammon, Mother Jones, September 10, 2016

I look forward to observing the reading lives of our InScribe writers.

Thank you for reading. Find more of Bob’s content at REVwords.com