Play Book Tag discussion

If you can express your feelings, what do books, words, stories mean to you?This can be from the view of either writing or reading.

How do you imagine life without stories and books? Some world or society like Fahrenheit 451

If you only had 1 book to read for the rest of your life....what would you choose and why?

Storytelling has been the longest form of entertainment since the beginning of time. Along with music, which is another version of storytelling. Probably live theater came next, long before books. I actually don’t think it’s possible to have a world that is devoid of both imagination, legend/history and religious tale. I think it’s an inherent intrinsic part of the human experience. I also don’t personally feel that One book would be enough to last a lifetime. We as humans need to grow and evolve. We would twist and adapt the book and come up with 1000 new stories. That’s just my take.

I think a related question to our need for stories, Is the role of buddy reads, online groups and book clubs. Because in addition to Ruben, we need to talk about this stuff. And write about it, and think about it, and be moved by it. Good books interact with us and connect us. I think it’s just part of who we are. We are our stories, even the imagined and dreamed ones!

My personal story:

I have always been a reader, but 7 years ago I had the diagnosis of degenerative disc disease. My life became a vicious cycle of surgeries and recovery. And books became my escape, and my best friends.

I cannot imagine what the last 7 years would have been like without books. They kept me sane at times when I really thought I was going to lose my mind. I agree with Amy- Finding this group 2 years ago was a God-send. Having someone to share everything I was reading and learning has been a joy!

If I had only one book, I would have to choose a series-Tolkien would be it for me.

I asked the question about one book because I loved John Grisham's answer to this question. Something along the lines of, "why would I want to do that" Wondering what kind of answers we would get here.

Amy, I love your thoughts about Buddy Reads and talking about books and how they connect with us and connect us to others.

Joanne, I love to hear how books and stories helped you to get through you struggle with cancer.

Books mean so much to me. They are my means of escape, adventure, learning, and experience. They speak to me and help me examine issues I'm dealing with or can never experience.

I find when I'm not reading and experiencing new stories or ideas, I struggle. Its like books are an anchor. They help to see who I am and where I am.

And talking about stories and books and authors and everything to do with the written word, is a necessity for me. PBT is a wonderful outlet for this desire I have to talk about and express ideas.

How I feel about stories and books is similar to how authors talk about writing. They can't not write. The words have to come out. I have to take the words in.

That is really hard to answer, to describe what reading means to me. I just love it! I love the physical act of it, of planning my reading schedule, sharing my thoughts with other people, etc. It's like being transported to another world, experiencing another reality, it can be so powerful.

I can't imagine a world without it, and I don't often think of that.
But I know a woman who needs large print and has a very limited selection (thank God for e-readers!), so I think of her often. It's not the same as the absence of books, but something I never really considered until I met her.

1 book for the rest of my life!? Oh wow... I have a huge tome of "The Centuries Best Horror Stories" or something like that I feel like I could get a good run out of that book and it would be quite diverse.

Jason wrote: "Amy, I love your thoughts about Buddy Reads and talking about books and how they connect with us and connect us to others.

Joanne, I love to hear how books and stories helped you to get through y..."

Oh thank you Jason-not cancer though disc disease is something very different-thank goodness

Meli wrote: "That is really hard to answer, to describe what reading means to me. I just love it! I love the physical act of it, of planning my reading schedule, sharing my thoughts with other people, etc. It's..."

These are all the same things that I love about books!

Joanne. Im so sorry i messed that up. I read it thrn by the time I typed my response my brain changed it sorry.

Jason wrote: "Joanne. Im so sorry i messed that up. I read it thrn by the time I typed my response my brain changed it sorry."

No problem-just wanted to make it clear, as cancer would be so much worse I am sure!

Books and reading are as much a part of me as seeing, hearing, tasting. It all started with my mother reading to me from Little Golden Books, and ever since my brother gave me 3 Nancy Drew mysteries for my birthday, I have never for 1 second not had a book at hand. I average something like a 100 pages a day (well not while reading Proust! but mostly).

Books are escape, fantasy, romance, adventure, thought-provoking, disturbing, educational -- my best friends, a sign I'm actually home someplace when shelves and piles of them are all around. If I walk into someone's home and don't see books, I tend to be very judgmental!

Like Meli - I cannot imagine a world without them. I have very bad eyesight and have friends and family members whose vision is so deteriorated that they can no longer read print books. Once upon a time this was actually something I feared -losing my sight and not being able to read. But audiobooks, even though I don't like them now, has changed the world for the seriously vision impaired. So no need to worry about that!

And Jason - your comment about PBT - I have to agree. I do have a large circle of friends with him I talk books, but we all don't read or like the same things so sometimes it's hard to find someone to discuss a particular book. GR and PBT in particular provides a community that inevitably finds me someone else to discuss a book I just read -- whether it is other souls who hated Wolf Hall, or a lively discussion on Weight of Ink.

As Amy said so well - storytelling is ancient -- goes back to those cave paintings by early man. I have to believe there is something in the DNA that leads man to storytelling in some way.

As for one book for the rest of my life (or on that deserted island you find yourself shipwrecked on) - my standard answer was Proust's Remembrance of Things Past. Because it would take a long time to read it and I'd have to read it more than once because it is not an easy read. But in truth...as a friend of mine says, it's going to be your favorite go-to read for comfort . Hers is Pride & Prejudice. I am way more shallow - mine is Frederica by Georgette Heyer.

Theresa wrote: "...I am way more shallow - mine is Frederica by Georgette Heyer."

Because of you Theresa, I picked up Frederica - and I absolutely loved it! Heyer has been on my TBR for years but have never bothered to pick one up until this ringing endorsement from you. And I can completely understand why, as I was totally entertained! Which Heyer books should I pick up next?

annapi wrote: "Theresa wrote: "...I am way more shallow - mine is Frederica by Georgette Heyer."

Because of you Theresa, I picked up Frederica - and I absolutely loved it! Heyer has been on my TBR for years but ..."

🤗 I AM THRILLED!

Venetia ranks #2 on my personal list.
The Unknown Ajax my #3

The Grand Sophy is not one of my top 5 but many rank it #1. - it is fun.