While we don’t need turkeys and cranberry sauce and an Uncle Larry who makes inappropriate jokes and smells funny to remind us to give thanks for the literature in our lives, the staff here at Writers and Books did want to get in the true spirit of the season and share what about books and reading we are most grateful for. We hope you enjoy.
Two nights ago my 3 1/2 year old daughter grabbed The Quiltmakers Gift by Jeff Brumbeau and Gail De Marcken off of the shelf, and together we read this magnificent story about a quiltmaker who teaches a greedy king about the joy that comes from giving to others. My daughter asked for this same book last night proclaiming how much she loves this story. I am thankful that literature allows us to pass down what is meaningful to us through the power of storytelling.
I am also grateful that my daughter announced out of the blue to me in the car last week, “I love books. I always want to read books. Every night forever I want to read books. I looooveee books”. May that last a lifetime. It will always give her solace, joy, discovery, empathy, and knowledge.
— Alexa Scott Flaherty
I’m thankful for good literature, and to work at Writers & Books with other “lit lovers”, where we’re able to discuss the written word on a regular basis is something I’m very thankful for. Here are two of my favorite holiday books: “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, and “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” by Barbara Robinson.
–Kathy Potetti
The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon is one of my all-time favorite books. I’ve read it at least 5 times. I’m thankful for this book because it’s an incredibly well-written mystery/thriller – two things that do not always go hand in hand. It’s also a book about books, which I always find interesting and fun! A brief description: “An antiquarian book dealer’s son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book by author Julian Carax, and makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written.
— Tate DeCaro
A book I’m thankful for this year is The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing by Mira Jacob. The plot was compelling and I found I could relate to the characters. The trials that the family goes through in the book were very real and raw to me and it felt good to have such a connection with them. Then on top of being head over heels for the book, I got to meet the author when she came to town for Debut Novel Series. Mira Jacob was a delight and it made the entire processes a richer experience for me.
— Chris Fanning
It is impossible for me to pick a single book for which I am most grateful, but I always seem to return to The Chronicles of Narnia series around this time of year. My dad used to read it to my sisters and me every night and it was Aslan, Lucy, Tumnus, and the rest that opened many doors for me, wardrobe and otherwise. The adventures C.S. Lewis provided is what made me first fall in love with reading and all the imagination, empathy, escapism, and magic that, for me, all literature carries with it.
–Rylie Day
Have a joyous and safe Thanksgiving everyone!