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“The person…who has not pleasure in a good novel must be intolerably stupid.”

“The person…who has not pleasure in a good novel must be intolerably stupid.” post image

It hit me a few nights ago just how much I love everything about reading.

I love being asked for a book recommendation, then giving one I think is exactly right.

I love looking at my bookshelves and knowing every book on it, the story, the characters, the cover, the feelings when I finished.

I love sitting on my couch, covered with my green knit blanket, a cup of tea sitting on the table, and a good book propped up against my knees with some acoustic-y female pop music floating in the background.

I love the feeling of finishing a book, of sitting back and just letting all of it wash over me for a couple minutes in the quiet of my apartment on a cold winter evening.

I love the moment when I realize exactly what I want to say about this particular book, and what this book makes me want to say about books and reading and genres in general.

I love the feeling of possibility that happens when I finish a book, the feeling that anything could come next and that any book I pick up next could be a book that changes my life.

And I love knowing there’s a whole community of people out there, reading this, who know exactly what I’m talking about.

P.S. Thanks to Jane Austen and Northhanger Abbey for the awesome book quote and aussiegall on Flickr for the beautiful photo.

Comments on this entry are closed.

  • Kathy December 16, 2009, 3:16 pm

    I couldn’t agree with you more!

  • A Bookshelf Monstrosity December 16, 2009, 3:57 pm

    I second that. Wonderfully said, Kim.

  • softdrink December 16, 2009, 6:49 pm

    Amen, sister!

  • Kailana December 16, 2009, 7:45 pm

    Great list! Sounds a lot like me!

  • Jeane December 16, 2009, 7:52 pm

    I love all of that, too. Just different music in the background!

    • Kim December 18, 2009, 5:35 pm

      Jeane: It’s always different music with me, just depends on the mood. When I wrote this I happened to have a Pandora mix of female alternative pop on, but it could be lots of other stuff — acoustic, the Glee soundtrack, musicals… lots 🙂

  • Florinda December 16, 2009, 8:33 pm

    You really said it all :-).

  • Rebecca @ The Book Lady's Blog December 16, 2009, 8:44 pm

    Yes, yes, yes….a thousand times yes!

  • Nicole December 16, 2009, 9:19 pm

    And I love reading posts like this that sum up my thoughts better than I ever cold.

  • Jodie December 17, 2009, 3:17 am

    What a nice cheerful post to open up 🙂

  • Tracie Yule December 17, 2009, 6:36 am

    I think that I may have wrote this (j/k). Completely feel the same way and its very hard to explain this feeling to non-readers. They just don’t get it!

    • Kim December 18, 2009, 5:36 pm

      Tracie Yule: It’s true! Just today Boyfriend and I were having a discussion about why I have no problem sitting down all day with a book, but can’t seem to sit through a movie longer than two hours without getting antsy. I just couldn’t explain it exactly, but movies don’t give me the same feeling as books 🙂

  • Jenny December 17, 2009, 7:20 am

    It’s so true. I’ve felt so fond of reading lately I haven’t been getting through any books – I keep starting different ones and falling in love with them and forgetting about the other ones I’m meant to be reading. 😛

  • diane December 17, 2009, 1:49 pm

    It’s so easy to relate to this post! Thanks

  • Wendi December 18, 2009, 6:40 am

    Well put. I also love passing on my love of reading to my daughters and sharing with them books that I loved when I was little and finding new books to love.

    • Kim December 18, 2009, 5:37 pm

      Wendi: So true! I was at Barnes & Noble a couple days ago fawning over all the awesome kids books. I can’t wait to have kids (mine or someone else’s) to share books with!

  • Ali (worducopia) December 18, 2009, 8:45 pm

    What a lovely post, thank you!

  • Lisa December 18, 2009, 9:15 pm

    Yep, that pretty much sums it up!

  • Rebecca December 19, 2009, 12:29 am

    I love this, Kim! I couldn’t have said it better.

  • Marie December 20, 2009, 12:14 pm

    Beautiful! 🙂 Great post!

  • Gina @ Book Dragon's Lair December 20, 2009, 8:46 pm

    Almost exactly right. My “music” is the TV that M is watching. 😀