I will start with a confession.
I am a book junkie. A reading addict, fascinated by combinations of words, captivated by literary characters and made up universes. I scribble book quotes on my notebooks and many of those become my life mantras. Some days, I even pick my outfit based on what I am reading. And, yes, I have been that girl who was alone in the cafe with a book. I wasn’t crying. I was sobbing at its beauty.
On my busiest days, I will carry a book in my bag, hoping that I will get a moment while waiting for a meeting, or the bus or the train to fleetingly go back to that fictional world. Words do things to me. Words do things for me. Whenever I struggle, I read. Whenever I feel like I want to be a better teacher, I read. Whenever I am heartbroken, I seek solace to a book: I let the words amuse, move, shock, educate, inform me. I let the words soothe me. The written word is my drug.
Looking for more books in Bath, at a vintage bookshop
And I am not alone. Through the blog, its projects and its Facebook page I’ve discovered like minded people, who equally love literature and have actually created or want to create their own worlds of fiction: fellow book junkies and word lovers. I wanted Reading the Lines to be a space for us: where we geek out about books and writers, share experiences on reading and writing and explore the transformative and healing power of words. A space where we read something and go, ‘Hey, I felt that.’ So that others can feel it too. Because that’s important to me. Because I strongly believe that literature is here to give us access to the depths of a fellow human’s truth, to instances of authenticity, emotion, humanness. Literature connects us.
Reading the Lines is a space where we can connect by informing, educating, inspiring and empowering each other in our creative reading and writing journey.
As a true book junkie, I got wonderful books to start 2014 with. I have selected some and present them below:
Wuthering Heights is my childhood’s favourite book. So I was beyond words pleased when I got this beautiful edition by my boyfriend over Christmas.
I wanted to read this for ages! The Book Thief! Enough said!
This new year, I wanted to nurture emotional literacy in my classes. So at the moment I am reading some really fascinating books on therapeutic creative writing!
What books are you starting 2014 with? Tell me in the comments below. And if you are a book junkie, be sure to join our community by subscribing or say hi at info@readingthelines.com
Love,
Louiza
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