Thursday, May 9, 2013

A Trifle Bookish

There was a time when society looked askance at ladies who showed too much interest in intellectual pursuits. Reading (in moderation) was only appropriate if it was literature of an Improving Nature. Ladies' magazines were also acceptable. Novels, on the other hand, were quite out!

If a young lady of marriageable age made a habit of reading extensively, her family had to keep it a secret, lest it threaten her chances of attracting a suitable husband. The best thing you could say about a lady who read too much was that she was "a trifle bookish."

I've always been a trifle bookish. All right, more than a trifle. I read every chance I get. I carry my current book around with me like a toddler with a security blanket. There are books in every room in my house. With the bookshelves overflowing, they occupy tables, chairs, and even the floor.

In a recent conversation with my Darling Son, he called me an obsessive reader. It took a few moments for that comment to sink in, since I was just getting to the good part of a romance novel I was devouring. Obsessive? Really? I pondered the concept for a few moments before going back to my novel.

Since that time, I have given the matter a lot of thought, and have decided to embrace my obsession and share it with the world. When I'm not reading books, I like to talk about them. In this blog, I will be sharing my love of books in hopes of starting a dialogue with other bookish people. Stay tuned for future blog entries on books from all sorts of genres--mystery, romance, science fiction, fantasy--whatever strikes my fancy at the time. What kinds of books do you like to talk about?