Books are a permanent and essential fixture in our home.  Over the years, as I review photographs and memories, I realize that books are fixtures in our lives, not just our home.

In the past year or two, I have made room in my life for a book club of wonderfully interesting women.  We meet every other month, sometimes  discussing the book at length, other times just enjoying each other’s company, food and drink, with the book a secondary focus.  We were honored with the presence of the author himself at our last gathering, as one of our members happened to have a family connection to him.  (By the way, our author-attended evening involved a definitely recommended read — The Theory of Remainders by Scott Carpenter — a suspenseful novel set in the Normandy region of France.  It is a captivating read that would be a perfect companion for a long car ride or flight!)  During a time of life where finding time to read for pleasure often takes a back seat, book club “forces” me to make time for an activity that always gives more than it takes.

Books are like friends to me — different personalities, different experiences.  Getting lost in a good book is the best.  (And as the weather turns colder, running a hot bubble bath with a glass of wine at my side and a good book in my hand is the perfect end to many a night!)  Some books are fine if read just once, but others demand repeat performances, often spaced over time, when life’s intervening experiences shed new light on the static words.  To Kill a Mockingbird (my book club’s next pick) is one of those always-fresh reads.  I believe this will be my fourth read of the classic novel, and I look forward to finding yet another new insight or hidden gem as I turn its pages once again.

Other favorite reads (old friends) over time?  The list is long, but I will share a few , including several sentimental favorites:

• The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
• Gift From the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
• The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
• Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
• The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

New books (like new friends) can add a different perspective, sometimes unexpected, sometimes fun, sometimes reflective.  A few newer reads that were worthwhile:

• The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown
• Life of Pi by Yann Martel
• Buffalo for the Broken Heart: Restoring Life to a Black Hills Ranch by Dan O’Brien
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
• Following Atticus: Forty-Eight High Peaks, One Little Dog, and an Extraordinary Friendship by Tom Ryan
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett
• The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
• The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series by Stieg Larsson
• A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

What is one of your go-to favorites, that you have read more than once and always recommend?  Or perhaps it is a newer book that comes to mind when asked to recommend a good read?

Ciao! ~ Kat