Why I Read And Review Books

My husband thinks I need to parlay my blog into a money earning endeavor.  I spend a lot of time blogging, shouldn’t it pay off?  So I began examining just why I enjoy reading and blogging about books.

1.  I am a Crazy Book Lady. I wasn’t always. I used to be a crazy book girl and then a crazy book teenager.  I have only attained lady status in the last 20 or so years.  I have always loved to read.  I majored in English in college so I could read books.  My only regret, is that I didn’t major in Library Science (that’s what it was called in the olden days) so I could have spent my working years in the hallowed halls of libraries.  I took a hiatus from Crazy Book Lady while my children were young.  I only had time for Bible study reading. But all that changed in September 2001.  Along with our nation’s fight against terrorism, I began a personal war with Multiple Sclerosis.  (And with God’s strength and the precious prayers of my husband, family and friends, I am winning!)  My first symptom was a partial and thankfully temporary blindness.  I was brought face to face with the possibility that my book reading days might be at an end.  Several rounds of IV steroids later, I could see again!  I again took up Crazy Book Lady status and have not looked back.

2.  You are what you read. I was never a very discriminating reader, at least not by subject.  I did not read cheap, romances at all!  (If I read any, they were expensive).  But God had other ideas.  After a series of hot and steamy, Scottish time-jumping books, God sat me down and had a talk with me.  I soon realized that it did matter what I did in the privacy of my own mind.  I try to base my reading choices on God’s directives, and Philippians 4:8 has been a very clear guide when I pick books to read.  I even threw away a best-selling novel that I found especially distasteful, even though it regularly makes all the reading group lists (even Christian groups).  So I spend my time with classics and contemporary Christian literature.  With so little time, you need to be choosy about the many books you pick up.

3. Go tell.  Who me? Okay, I am not Billy Graham, but even I know Jesus’ words weren’t meant just for 12 poor, 1st century, Jewish men.   I believe that God gifts us with personality, talents, passions and spiritual gifts. So,  what better way for a crazy, book-loving woman to tell of His love by telling others about books!  Well, at least I think it is a great way!  I read everywhere, doctor’s offices, drive-in teller lines, restaurants . . . .  And everyone asks what I am reading.  It really is a non-threatening way to introduce God to others.  And for those who are already believers, I try to suggest (press on them) good books to read to encourage, strengthen and enlighten their faith walk.  This blog is an outgrowth of my church’s library. When I became the official Crazy Church Book Lady, I thought a blog was a cool way to get the word out about the great books in the library.  Then I found out I could get FREE books for the library if I did online reviews. Wow, get free books to read!  My husband and our budget are soooo happy.  Then I found out there were actually real people out there that I didn’t actually know reading the blog.  This was even better and a little scary.  What if I said the wrong thing?  Oh yeah, maybe God is in on this too!

So that’s my story.  I love God, I love to read, and I love to be a nuisance about getting others to read.  It doesn’t pay much, but I hear the rewards are heavenly.

Update:

I am no longer the librarian for our church, but I am still doing my crazy book thing!  I loved the time I spent working in this ministry, but God is directing me somewhere else.  And though I will miss it, I know that the library ministry was not really mine, but God’s.  So I look forward to seeing what God will ask me to do next.

Thanks for visiting,

Beckie