Friday, February 1, 2013

A Favorite Winter Pastime

 <>
 my heart's delight
curling up with a good book
carries me away
<>

  I don't argue with winter anymore.  I've made peace with her barrenness, her frigid kisses and her anemic sunlight.  There are other gifts to be unwrapped once  one embraces the coziness of indoor life.

    Burrowing into my warren, I find rest and rejuvenation.  I venture out but not as often, preferring to  enjoy nature from my window.

 Our list of hobbies and pastimes which are on hiatus in winter seems long at times.  However, there is one thing I  have always LOVED doing, and winter is perfect for it.



   I can get transported almost anywhere by a good author!  So, when the wind howls and the snow bites, I  snuggle up with my afghan and a stack of books.  Now that I have a Nook, I don't even have to venture out to the library, the books come to me.

    In my pile of  'recently finished', there are  several good books  I  recommend including Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward, a harrowing novel that tells the  tale of one family experiencing the devastation of hurricane Katrina.  The author's rich writing transports the reader right to the oppressive heat and ominous tension in the air just prior to and during the storm.  I  loved the wonderful characters the author created  and I cheered for them every step of the way.

  One of my favorite authors is Michael Ondaatje, the author of The English Patient.   His recent novel, The Cat's Table, is up to his usual standards of mysteriously intoxicating  use of language coupled with a dream-like mesmerizing story.  I adore his style.  This slender book is the story of a young teenage boy's voyage from his home in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) to the UK in the early 50's.  It is at once an adventure story and a coming of age novel.  I loved it.

Other recent titles I have enjoyed include Wild by Cheryl Strayed and  Digging to America by Anne Tyler.

  Now..... a list of what I hope to read in the next few months.

           **   The Secrets of Mary Bowser by Lois Leveen

           **    Flight Pattern by Barbara Kingsolver

           **   The Roundhouse by Louise Erdrich

           **   Canada by Richard Ford

           **  Behind the Beautiful Forevers : Life, Death and Hope in a             
                 Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo


What books are you reading or do you hope to read in the coming months?  I'm always adding to my TBR list and would welcome suggestions. However,  I do hope there will be reading rooms in the afterlife, otherwise I'll never finish!

   Sharing my heart's delight with Recuerda Mi Corazon Haiku My Heart          



   

   

6 comments:

  1. Lovely haiku about a love for reading ~ Yes, winter is especially good time for snuggling in and reading ~ I read mysteries, lots of different types, tao philosophy, art books ~

    Carol of: A Creative Harbor ^_^

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  2. What a delicious haiku and post! A favorite recent read for me was the Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I just don't know what I would do without a book to read... and you've given us some good titles to explore...

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  3. I love books ... am currently reading "Can Love Happen Twice" by Ravinder Singh and "RIP" by Mukul Deva.

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  4. Ah, to snuggle up with a pile of books. My idea of heaven.

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  5. I am with you sistah! Books, books BOOKS!!!
    Just picked up some used books at the thrift shop
    and then
    ordered some more..
    novels, history, books with pictures ♥♥

    ReplyDelete

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