Reading: The Gift That Keeps Giving

Last in a 4 part series on "Reading". Click here for Part 1 , Part 2 and Part 3

Some gifts stay with you forever.  For me, that gift was reading, and it came from my aunt.

After struggling with Thomas Hardy’s A Pair of Blue Eyes - my first read, my aunt instead of criticizing handed me Henry James’ short stories.  That one act changed everything.

Over the next two decades, I made it a habit to read one new book almost every week.   This shaped my habits early:

• Start small.  Build your “reading muscles.”
• If a book doesn’t grip you by page 50, let it go.
• Use tools like The StoryGraph to explore.
• Discuss books with friends. It adds depth and joy.
• Set a reading routine.  Say 10 pages every day.

My aunt taught me that reading wasn’t a race to finish.  It was a search for transformation. That gave me freedom and joy.

Over time, I began to seek out authors who helped me relate to people and events, communicate with clarity, and navigate life’s rough patches.  As Burke Hedges said: "You never know which book, at what time, will unlock your next breakthrough." 

[Click here to track my literary journey.]

Do you too have a story to share?   I’d love to hear that - how books shaped your world.  The comments section below is open...`

"Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers." — Charles William Eliot

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