What Do You Like to Read?

I love to read. I have always loved to read. I've spent (at least) thousands of happy hours lost in a book. Most of them good, excellent, or better. A few I've struggled for a bit, not able to get into them, and then plugged along, feeling guilty for wasting the time on something not interesting - and hoping things improve by the end. Now that I am more mature and have less free time, I don't feel too upset if the relationship doesn't work out. Some things are meant to be. Some books are to be read (by me).

The list is ever long and always changing - fantasy and make believe, historical, pioneer, classics, the books instead of the movies, series, comedy, adventure, travel, crafts, life stories,...what am I forgetting? The old comics, things with meaning, idea books, how-to books, children's books (this should be number 1), picture books, award winning books (Caledcott and Newberry, not necessarily the New York Times #1 Best-selling Books List, yikes)...some mystery (especially Nancy Drew-ish), horse books (never did grow out of that), new authors that have great style and imaginations, books by friends,...I like to follow author's. I've convinced my 2nd-3rd graders that Jan Brett is an amazing author and illustrator. She is. So is Madeline L'Engle and C.S. Lewis and Donita K. Paul and Terry Brooks and Eric Carle and once I even discovered a book by Madonna that was good (Mr. Peabody's Apples), but I haven't read anything else by her, and I probably wouldn't have picked it up if I had noticed the author. Not to say that she can't write, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Too many books to list. I need a personal library, with lovely comfy chairs, great lighting, a fireplace, good tables, excellent coffee, and beautiful views from the windows. Well, I can dream, can't I?

Another source of great books? Of course, Woman's Missionary Union and New Hope Publishers. Some excellent books for many different ages. I have many, many of the books sold by WMU and New Hope. It's not fair to talk about books without telling where I've found fabulous reading.

I started thinking about books after reading a devotion in The Daily Bread. It was about an author who was often told by various friends, "I have a book I want to write." He replied, "That's a worthy goal, and I hope you do write a book. But it's better to be one than to write one." (Daily Bread, January 18, 2011, by David Roper)

Hmmmm. I know what I like to read. But what kind of book am I? When others look or talk to me, what do they read in me?

"Clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart." 2 Corinthians 3:3

I wonder. What kind of book am I?