Does the Autumn weather inspire your reading? Or are you a mood reader? Or do you run by a list of what to read next? I have my stack(s) of TBR and when I finish a book I have the great joy of picking out the next one to read that jumps out at me. I like to read seasonally with a book now and then which fits the time of year. I read many books at the same time, so it's fun to throw a seasonal one or two in there.
Books Parts edited by Dennis Duncan and Adam Smyth
This fascinating book deconstructs the book as an object - as a collection of essays on the different parts of a book. It felt like analyzing the anatomy of a book and it was such fun to read the history of such book parts as the front pieces (does any book have those now?), end papers, table of contents, copywrite page, notes to the reader, footnotes, pagination, indexes, blurbs, etc. As someone who is not only interested in good books for their thoughts and words, I am also keenly fascinated by the object itself - the history of how a part came into existence and how that might have changed through the centuries. So, I am a self-confessed book nerd in all aspects of the book.
Thomas Aquinas Selected Writings
This is my morning book. It's a whopper - over 800 pages, and it's just a "selection". As I am drinking my coffee I read a few pages of Thomas Aquinas. If I am reading a book of philosophy, I read it early in the morning - it's my most clear-minded, well-focused time to read something that needs deeper attention. Aquinas is a Saint, he lived from 1225-1274 and was a theologian and philosopher. He draws on the ideas of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and Augustine and is one of the greatest medieval philosophers. He asks the deep questions on faith, goodness, God, conscience, being, faith, reason, etc. He was able to argue both sides of the answer, and then answer based on Christian belief. It's fascinating, thought-provoking, and I am learning so much about building the argument and being able to see both sides of it as if in a debate. I am almost halfway through enjoying my morning philosophy with Saint Thomas.
Poetry by Heart edited by Andrew Motion
I stumbled upon this book of poems as I was looking for a new collection to enjoy (you can never go wrong with a good collection of poetry) and this one was based on the premise of memorizing poems and also reading them aloud, as poetry to meant to be read. It's a collection of poems ranging from the first English poetry to modern days and I am reading some poems I've never heard of before. Another thing I love about this book is there are QR Codes with a link to The Poetry Archive where I can listen to the poem being read, and enjoy it as it is meant to be enjoyed. Hearing a poem read forces me to slowly read each line with the speaker, and process the words in a deeper way.
The Brontës by Patricia Ingham
I will read any book on the Brontës. The lives of the creative siblings as they lived in the early-mid 1800s Yorkshire England endlessly intrigue and inspire me. I've read many books on them and still learn more with every book. I found this book on my last visit to Oxford, at an Oxfam charity shop. Reading about this familiar family of siblings (Charlotte, Emily, Anne, and brother Branwell) I thought about how intelligent they were by their own pursuits. They read all the old and new books, with no restrictions from their curate father, and kept up on all the political news, which would include the wars with Napoleon and triumph of the Duke of Wellington. It all inspired them to create their own worlds with characters and political turmoil that drew from what what going on their world at the time.
Leaf Peeping by Erin Vivid Riley
I am such a sucker for books on trees, leaves, and the world of forests. I can probably thank my Dad for that. His father worked for the U.S. Forest Service, so he spent his childhood travelling as a family to all the many national forests as grandpa had to travel there for work (he had a supervisory role of some kind). Therefore, in my childhood, Dad always wanted to go camping and hiking. To be out in the forests of North Carolina, Georgia, and everywhere else we journeyed to. His idea of a vacation was being out in nature. It reminded me of my childhood when we would go to North Carolina almost every Autumn to see the leaves - we were "leaf lookers" and even had the sweatshirts to prove it. This little nature book was pure delight. I loved the lessons on why leaves change colour, a guide on how to identify different types of leaves and trees, the varieties of trees and where they grow best, the regions of the U.S. and some other countries forests for the Autumnal trees. Dotted with some quotes, cute ideas for a nature outing, and fun facts. I will revisit this little book many times again.
I leaf you with our classic family shot of one of our roadside stops in North Carolina - my mom and I wearing the very stylish Franklin, NC leaf looker sweatshirts (none of the boys seemed to want to be so stylish), and I hold a vintage camera to capture all the magical scenes of trees and leaves. I wonder if any of my photos actually turned out. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment