Joy Challenge #5: Borrow a fun book from the library!
I love reading. I’ve always used books as a source of comfort – characters who were always there for me, locations that helped me escape reality, stories far grander than the one I’ve been given. I learned how to spell and read sitting on my grandfather’s lap doing word searches while Sesame Street played in the background, and I don’t know that I’ve gone long without reading ever since.
Lately, though, the books that sit in a pile by my desk are all non-fiction. They’re great, and written by wonderful authors with fantastic stories and incredible concepts – but I can’t bring myself to read them. Maybe it’s because I have “every-blogger’s-dream” of writing a book one day, and each new book that comes across my mailbox is a reminder that I haven’t done it yet. Probably I see them, subconsciously, as a reminder of failure and rejection – especially if the topic is close to something I’d proposed or wanted to share. Books, like social media, can be a source of encouragement for me – or where I most carefully need to guard my heart against jealousy.
But, if you’re like me, you can’t help wanting to pick up a good book. Although I do have plenty of electronic devices, I can’t help loving the feel of an actual book in my hands. I like to be able to flip the pages, see how far along I am, have a cup of tea and read until my hands fall asleep from holding a book for too long. So I’ve rediscovered a love for fiction. Fun books full of stories I could never imagine, written by authors I’ll never know in real life. And I love it that way! Finding a new fiction series is like binge watching a new show on Netflix – the characters! The plot! The cliff-hangers!
Reading has, once again, become a source of inspiration and not envy – just how it should be. Why not visit your local library and find a new book? Discover a new author, read something frivolous and fun and forget about Amazon reviews and Goodreads recommendations and best seller status. Read a book. For fun.
Questions:
- What is your favorite book you’ve read lately?
- How can doing something just for fun help you eliminate envy from your heart?
- Have you heard of the “What Should I Read Next” podcast? It’s great if you need book ideas!
I find it hard to get the time with the season I’m in (babies and preschoolers) so up early and needed all day, so I have an ever growing pile of books beside the bed! Currently reading Sarah Mae’s Longing For Paris which feels about right for the season I’m in!
I need to check out that podcast. I’m afraid it’s going to make the “to read” list even longer. At the moment, I’m reading Annie Dillard’s “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek” and loving it!