Wild About Books

I think I've told you I have a book problem. Well, it's one of the many things I'm passing down to the frog princess. But, unlike giggling when she farts, this might actually be beneficial. I started putting her collection into Good Reads but, I've since stopped (she shouldn't have more organization than me, I'm just sayin'). Each night she gets into her bed and asks me to "read book".  I always struggle with what book to pull.

The other day, Wild About Books caught my eye (and not for the first time). It's a natural book for me because I share the sentiments of the title.

With every reading, she picks up on a new animal, a new activity. For me, it's more profound that that. Books mean so much to me.  They paved the path I walked on to get to where I am today.  My parents, who had little education, were very much aware of the importance of books. And so I never lacked them.

As I grew, books became a way for me to reach into far away lands and extract something new. A way to learn. I learn by reading. By listening to story lines woven in to beautiful words and landscape. I have a deep respect for authors primarily because of the impact that I know they have on their readers. I am one of them.

I still remember how I felt reading Are You There God, It's Me Margaret or Forever (still remember the 3 weeks I had to wait to check the book out as the junior high school girls had a deep hold on this one. I recently found a used bookstore that had the same version of the book I read so long ago. Yes, I bought it).

I don't always remember each and every book I've read but what I do know is that books have ignited a fire deep in the center of my heart that cannot be diminished.

On the contrary, with each book I read, the fire seems to grow.  And now, I have the pleasure of lighting that fire for my child. And let me tell you, I have no words to describe how that feels.

That is why I am so humbled and honored to be a community leader over at The Blog Frog for their Random House Read and Play Community. Spreading the passion of reading is not something I like to limit to my offspring so, consider yourself as a potential candidate to be infected with the reading bug.

And to start you off on the right foot, we have a Live Chat taking place today @ 9 p.m. EST. But more than that, there will be live chats with some of your favorite authors! Who, you might ask? Well, how about Rebecca Stead and Clare Vanderpool tomorrow @ 9 p.m. EST for starters?

So, do you have the reading bug? If you want to catch it, leave us a message over in the community and we'll be sure to help you out.

Reading Tent