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.

Does life get much better?
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
3 responses to “A Good Book is Never Out of Place”
[…] with my parents who came to visit for the weekend. When my book club hosted the author to our recent read, we enjoyed a special dinner of Mustard-Roasted Salmon with Lingonberry Sauce. I convinced my […]
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Love, love, LOVE this post! And the photos are priceless. Brought me back to my younger self being made by my Mom to go outside and play even tho’ I just wanted to remain buried in my latest book…. walking to the local library and being allowed to pick out books in the adult section….treasures, treasured reading!
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I loved summers as a kid for all that reading time, too — and the memories of the musty children’s section of the library in the basement of the old Carnegie building . . .
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