A Good Read

I can't remember the last time I read a work of fiction. I don't know why that is. I use to read fiction all the time, but lately my books have tended toward the more educational side of things. Even when I tried to pepper my selections with stories, I was usually disappointed. I started to wonder if I would ever enjoy them as much as I use to.

That's when I remembered that Lisa Genova had written a new book. I read her first novel, Still Alice, two years ago when it came out in paperback. I don't know how I found it, but I did and it quickly became one of my favorites. When I find an author I like (Anna Quindlen, Elizabeth Gilbert, Katrina Kenison, Dominique Browning, to name a few), I tend to read everything they write - fiction, non-fiction - it doesn't matter. It's the writer's voice that resonates with me. So, when I found out that Lisa Genova wrote Left Neglected, I quickly put it on my summer reading list. Until I couldn't take it anymore and ordered it last week.

I read it in one sitting - devouring the whole thing in one enjoyable day of reading, reading and more reading, just like I had done with Still Alice. And now I am re-reading that book.

People often find it strange that I re-read books. Which I find strange. Just because I know the ending, doesn't mean that the book (or movie or meal or play) will be any less enjoyable. I love to pick up books that I have read (sometimes 4 or 5 times) and quickly scan the pages for a favorite passage or chapter. I find comfort in the words - like a letter from an old friend. I transport myself to another place and time and I'm happy all over again.

If you happen to be looking for a good story, I can't recommend these books highly enough.

Image scanned from Traditional Home magazine