Reading
Two more days until we go to the hospital to induce labor! Of course, we have the hospital bag packed with all of the necessities for my wife and a bottle of Fiji water for me (I don’t care for hospital food and water). I don’t plan to bring much for myself, but I will pack a book to read during any downtime. Books have always been a huge part of my life. I want to get into that more right now.
In my home, there were many books to read. Some of my early favorites were The Rainbow Fish and Are You My Mother? My grandmother (on my dad’s side) also had a plethora of titles to read that she used when she tutored kids during the summer. I would sometimes sit in on their sessions and then sneak away to read the books myself even though they were well above my grade level. Books would transport me to places I never thought possible and engage my brain in ways that seemed no less than magical.
When I was in elementary school, I remember visiting the city public library with my mom on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. The children’s book section seemed enormous to a young boy. I would scan the shelves in awe of the possibilities and adventures I could take (for free!) by simply borrowing the book and opening the cover. I went through series like Curious George and titles from Dr. Seuss. Later, I would find The Boxcar Children and Goosebumps. Every week, my tote from the library was full and I couldn’t wait to jump into a book so I’d start one on the car ride home.
My maternal grandmother was also a voracious reader. In her late years, I think she read through the entire mystery section of her local library. She introduced me to the Stephanie Plum Series written by Janet Evanovich. I was probably a bit too young for some of the more scandalous material, but the pacing in her books drew me in.
When I started reading the Harry Potter books, I was captivated by the wizarding world created by J.K. Rowling. I remember convincing my parents to take me to the bookstore on the release day of one of the later books in the series so I could take it on our vacation road trip. A multi-hour drive never went so fast. I was tearing through the book. Some might say I was spellbound.
I’ve also gone through phases of reading series by Nelson DeMille, John Grisham, Vince Flynn, Michael Connelly, and many others.
Books have helped me through hard times; like reading Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking after my mom died. They’ve also been brain candy like many of the mystery and spy novels I’ve consumed over the years. Books are comforting to me because I know that I can leave my headspace, at least for a while, and experience something completely different. I can inhabit a world carefully crafted by an author who has poured their heart and soul into the writing. The written word can be an incredible gift to give and to receive.
So long for now.
-Felix