Nancy Adams's Blog, page 11

The Pleasures of Rereading

"Teddy Bears Reading Group 09." Photo courtesy of jonno259's photostream (from Flickr Creative Commons)

I just started rereading The Lord of the Rings, inspired by having given my eleven-year-old dragon-loving nephew a nice hardback set for Christmas. Before that I went through the 7-volume corpus of Harry Potter (in preparation for the movie, though I was only partway through v. 6 when it came out). I was interested to see a discussion thread in Goodreads comparing the two series and asking folks which one they like the best.

I said it was like asking a parent which is their favorite child. Some books are just special, and special in different ways, and those are the ones I like to reread. For me, the question of whether I will want to reread a book once I've finished the first time is an important one. First, if I don't want to reread it, I might as well just borrow it from the library. (Hey, I know, I know. I'm a writer, too, and I want people to buy my books, but there's only so much money and space in the house.) Now with ebooks becoming so cheap and prevalent, they may become the new option for just reading one time. And for writers, that's all to the good.

I like to read just before going to sleep, but too often a new book is going to keep me awake, turning the pages, wondering how it comes out. And I'm getting too old for that. I need my sleep, especially when it's cold and the days are short. In winter, I become a hibernating animal (or wish I could). That's when I trot out the old favorites, Tolkien and J.K. Rowling, and for something completely different from those, good old reliable Barbara Pym, who makes the most mundane lives somehow intensely interesting. Classics like A Tale of Two Cities and Jane Eyre.

I could go on and on.

What are your favorite rereads, books to stay cozy in bed with on these long winters' nights?

View more on Nancy Adams's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on December 30, 2011 14:54

The Feast of Saint Nicholas, Dec. 6

Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Santa Claus, Father Christmas . . .

By whatever name, he has become a beloved figure of the season

Here are some fun links for you to enjoy:

The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to the those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.