"I am not going to the bookstore. I am not going to the library. I am not taking any books from you. I have decided to read all the books in the stack next to my bed before I get anything new," my friend announces between a bite of a raspberry meringue cake and a sip of white tea.
"You know it doesn't work like this. If a book comes along that asks to be read, you forget your stack. It can wait," I smile and slide my fork into a blueberry cottage cheese cake.
Cake, tea, friends, and a book talk in a glass-walled fifth floor cafe with a view toward old town with church towers, red roofs and golden tree tops feels like a perfect almost start for the fall break on Thursday afternoon. Two of us have one more day at school, the third one has university lectures to give.
As avid readers we buy, we borrow, and we share books. We keep adding to our stacks and never have a situation where we don't have anything to read. We all have each other's books at home.
As if to prove my Thursday statement true, on Friday morning a student comes to me with a book in one hand and a plastic bag with bay-blades in another.
"My mom sent it to you. She thought you might like it," he announces, gives me the book and walks on to his cubby where his friends are already waiting.
Even though I have three books waiting, I know that the new book will be my first read during the holidays.
A book in hand or in a stack is always a beautiful way to greet days off. I see your teac and a beautiful autumn backdrop, Terje. May you enjoy your autumn days. (If you have some of your magnificent shots for #AbundantAutumn Gallery, please send them my way. I also would love poems from you and your students.)
ReplyDelete"If a book comes along that asks to be read, you forget your stack." How true. For me it is The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follet. It is the prequel to the Pillars of the Earth, one of my all time favorites.
ReplyDelete"If a book comes along that asks to be read, you forget your stack." How true. For me it is The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follet. It is the prequel to the Pillars of the Earth, one of my all time favorites.
ReplyDeleteLove this! Yes, somehow those books in the book stack never quite get the attention that they should...they will, they will, they will! My latest "find" was Zadie Smith's Intimations, a lovely read during this time of pandemic - thought-provoking and engrossing.
ReplyDeleteBooks do have powers. I loved your view of a book asking to be read. I have one that has been asking to be read for months, and I keep waiting for a less burdened mind, but it persists. I should just stop everything and read it. (The Overstory by Richard Powers).
ReplyDeleteAh, Terje! Books, what a gift. I wrote a poem yesterday about reading. The first line was "Do I choose or am I chosen by reading?" That was a sweet gift from the parent of your student. Enjoy! I love all the pictures you've shared. I also had to look up bay blades. We've been going to school virtually for so long that I haven't seen these yet!
ReplyDeleteA cup of tea, fall color and a book in hand. There's nothing better than a book sent our way by a friend. I hope you're enjoying your fall break.
ReplyDeleteThe imagery in this post is wonderful, and the sentiment universal among readers. How fortunate to be surrounded with people who regularly suggest new books to read! And now I must go investigate what you just received....
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