Showing posts with label reading and empathy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reading and empathy. Show all posts

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Getting Lost in a Book, and Finding the World

I was a reader long before I became a writer. I was read to as a child, and it didn’t take long for me to qualify as a bookworm. I later became an English teacher so reading could be part of my profession. (I also like working with young people, so it was a natural fit.) And I still read as many books as I can fit into my schedule. I love getting lost in books.

A good book can carry the reader along to a different life. She can learn what it’s like to walk around in someone else’s shoes, or learn about a different place or time. I’ve learned about so many things, from building medieval cathedrals to Chinese cooking, thanks to books. But most importantly, I’ve been able to understand people better. I’ve had a glimpse of what it means to live as a Latina teen, or an African American female pilot, or a hundred other lives, thanks to reading. That ability to see through someone else’s eyes is the greatest gift of books. It can change lives for the better. And with enough lives and over time, it will make the world a better place.  

Here are a few of the books I’ve read in the last year that I recommend the next time you want to get lost in a book:
YA: The Ocean in My Ears by Meagan Macvie, Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee, The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough
Adult: How To Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran, Caught by You by Jennifer Bernard, Tiffany Girl by Deeanne Gist


Have you read a book you’d like to share with us? Please add a comment.

Lynn Lovegreen has lived in Alaska for almost fifty years. She taught for twenty years before retiring to make more time for writing. She enjoys her friends and family, reading, and volunteering at her local library. Her young adult/new adult historical romances are set in Alaska, a great place for drama, romance, and independent characters. See her website at www.lynnlovegreen.com. You can also find her on Facebook, Goodreads, and Pinterest.