Thankful Thursday - World Book Day

I love reading. There is nothing quite like getting lost in the pages of a book. I get so engrossed in the action and feelings expressed, that I can feel quite disappointed to be dragged back to reality! I don't get to read as often as I used to. There was a time when I could get through a few novels a week, but I am attempting to read one a month this year - not including the books I read to the girls.

I am so grateful to parents for instilling in me a love of reading. Being able to read well at an early age opened up an amazing number of worlds for me to escape into. I hope I am able to instill that same love into my children.

So, in honour of World Book Day, here are five books that I am most grateful for:

Red Sky in the Morning by Elizabeth Laird

This is the first book I can remember making me cry. I am in awe of authors who can weave words together in such a way as to cause my emotions to overflow. I recall lying in bed, reading this, and my dad coming in to turn off my light and seeing that I was crying. I must have been no more than 10. 

The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett

The first in the Discworld series. I got this out of the local library and it made me laugh out loud, igniting a love for Terry Pratchett's writing. I have an almost complete Discworld collection now, and could happily read them over and over.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

When I read this, I marvelled at the metaphors and imagery. This is the most beautifully written book I have ever read. I haven't yet watched the recent film adaptation, as I'm scared it won't be anything compared to the book. I just can't see how the beauty of the descriptions can translate to the screen. Whenever anyone asks for a book recommendation, this is the one I recommend.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

We studied this in year 9 English, and I wanted to get a head start so I read it by myself before we started it in class. I sped through it, cover to cover, during a family holiday in the Lake District, even taking my copy in my rucksack on a long walk to read whenever we stopped. Needless to say, it got a little wet during that walk. It's testament to how much I love this book that I still have that copy, with its water-damaged pages, despite being given a more beautiful copy as a gift. I reread Jane Eyre as often as I can, because the story never bores me, and the images of God held within inspire me. I was drawn to the importance of loving someone despite appearances, and the gothic nature of the story still appeals. Definitely my favourite book.

A Little Kosher Seasoning by Michele Guinness

The only non-fiction book on my list, this is here because of the interest I have in Judaism. In this book, Michele Guinness - a Jewish convert to Christianity - writes about her life as a vicar's wife, trying to bring the joy and tradition of Jewish festivals into her Christian life and the life of her church. Having developed a love of Hannukah, I was moved to find out about the other Jewish festivals - after all, What Would Jesus Do if not celebrate like a Jew?! At a time when I was struggling with the seeming lack of celebration in the Church, this book shone like a beacon, showing me not just how the festivals could be integrated into Christian life, but why they are important and how they can point us towards Jesus. 

Literacy and the love of reading have been such marvellous gifts to me, especially when so many women in the world are deprived of them. Every day I am grateful that I can read, even when the only reading I do is another read through of Postman Bear, M's current favourite.

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