Dear Reader Column 12-01-2020

Dear Reader,

Rachel Dodge, today's guest author at the book club, teaches college English; speaks at libraries, literary groups, and teas; and writes for Jane Austen's World. A true kindred spirit at heart, she loves books, bonnets, and ballgowns.

Rachel is the author of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional: A Chapter-by-Chapter Companion for Kindred Spirits and Praying with Jane: 31 Days through the Prayers of Jane Austen.

Today Rachel is giving away a copy of her newest book, The Anne of Green Gables Devotional, to three lucky readers at the book club.

Email to enter and to say hello: [email protected]

Please welcome Rachel Dodge...

Books Are My Constant

This year--the year of "everything's different" and "the only that's open is nothing"--I find great comfort in the simple act of reading a book. There's something so solid and unchanging about books. The world can turn upside-down, everything can close, school and work and church can become virtual, but my love of reading stays the same.

In fantasy worlds and time travel stories, in math and science, and even in our own personal lives, we need constants--fixed points that never change. For those of us who read, books can act as a constant in an ever-shifting world.

Don't you love knowing you can pick up any book on your shelf and immediately be transported to another time and place? Depending on what book you open, you might find inspiration, escape, adventure, comfort, or healing. There's nothing quite like it.

Seeing my books lined up on my bookshelf is like smiling at an old friend, one with whom I've shared a lot of good times. And this year more than ever, I find myself drawn to comfort reads--books I know and love. They provide a certain amount of reliability that I crave. I enjoy slipping back to a world I've already explored and meeting up with familiar characters. I like looking forward to my favorite parts; I like knowing it will all be okay in the end.

I've also been reaching for nostalgia reads--books that remind me of certain seasons of life that were particularly sweet or memorable. Books I read as a child, as a teenager, in college, or as a new mom. Books I read on trips, on beaches, in cars, and on planes. Books I read in the middle of the night with the rain beating on the roof. Books I read in the stolen moments after my babies fell asleep, when the house was quiet and the chores were done.

Books have the power to change our perspective and lift our spirits. When life feels particularly uncertain, it's comforting to curl up with a good book. There's such a wonderful sense of expectation. When we read, we know the words will do something powerful: they will pluck at our heart strings, inspire our imaginations, teach us good lessons, and stir up our courage.

Are books your constant? What kind of books have you been reaching for this year?

-- Rachel Dodge

To enter the drawing for a copy of the Anne of Green Gables Devotional, email [email protected].

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]

I'm giving away snow! One lucky reader will win a package of Let it Snow Instant Snow Powder. To enter the Instant Snow Giveaway, click here. 

KIDSBUZZ: Click here to discover new books, "meet" the authors and enter to win.

Comments

[Danielle]

thanks for the chance