The Joy of Books

I am a huge lover of my books. Non-fiction because I love learning, particularly about psychology and brain & emotional development. But there’s nothing better than completely immersing yourself in a story. I tend to have about 4-5 books on the go at any one time and always have a pile of books beside my bed and on my desk – does anyone else have this problem?!

I love the feel and smell of a book, but last week I found myself enjoying reading on a kindle.

I’m not sure if it was the kindle or the heart tugging novel that I’m reading – Lessons in Chemistry. I know I’m probably late to the field – my sister has been trying to get me to read it for ages, but my 4-5 books at a time problem got in the way.

Lessons in Chemistry is of those reads that I can’t put down but I’m dreading it ending as it’s everything I love in a book. I’m hooting aloud, audibly oohing and feeling my stomach clench one minute and my heart lift the next. The protagonist, Elizabeth Zott, is an absolute hero, unwittingly paving the way for Women’s Rights as she refuses to accept the chauvinism, misogyny, sexism and judgementalism absolutely rife in the 1950s, as a remarkable scientist, mother and friend who became in inspiration to other women to help them realise their inherent capabilities, rather than just wives, mothers and secretaries. I don’t want to spoil the story for anyone who hasn’t read it but I could say a lot more about the wonderful Elizabeth, her daughter, her dog and Harriet.

There are a number of books that bring me thrills & chills, including The Marriage Portrait, God of Small Things, And the Mountains Echoed, Love in the Time of Cholera, A Thousand Splendid Suns, To Kill A Mockingbird and The Rosie trilogy.

Reading isn’t just an escape for me, it’s a reminder of my freedom, my education, my love of connecting with characters and caring about what happens to them, learning about what’s going on in our world, what’s happened in the past and how it’s impacted on our now. It opens my mind and my heart.

📖What are your favourite books?

📖What benefits do they bring to you?

📖What’s your 2023 recommendation?

📖How do you organise and display your books?