The answer to that one has to be a resounding “Yes” ! Wait a minute, the Internet and a whole slew of electronic communication devices are here to teach and entertain us, right ? Well, not exactly. Books came to us long before the Internet and all the rest. And if you need further proof, speak to men, women and teens in our Saint-Armand –Bedford – Frelighsburg triangle, people such as Robin, Dennis, Alyssa and Haley, and they will tell you that books are an intrinsic part of their lives ; they cannot imagine life without one, or two or even hundreds of them.
Robin’s mom was her inspiration. She was a librarian who set up a library system in the Yukon many eons ago. She also read children’s stories on the radio, and had her own children read to her when they were mere toddlers. Robin tells us she has inherited this passion and unsuspectingly, has communicated this same zest for reading to her own daughter, who hopes to become an author in her own right one day. Robin’s most recent book is Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love, a travelogue of self-discovery ; she also holds Barbara Kingsolver in high regard, especially her Prodigal Summer, a hymn to wildness that celebrates the prodigal spirit of human nature. Robin admits that her tastes are eclectic, yet always stimulating.
Dennis is a restaurateur, a businessman. From the time he was knee-high to a grasshopper, his focus was business : no Superman, Spider Man or Harry Potter for this “captain of industry”. No, this avid reader prefers to pour over Forbes Magazine, consult the business section of the daily papers, and examine factual, non-fiction works that include business autobiographies such as Pour Your Heart Into It : How Starbucks built a Company One Cup at a Time, the story of visionary Howard Schulz.
Alyssa, now in her first year of CEGEP tells us she discovered the joy of reading at a time when life became more interesting and challenging, during the course of her Secondaire 1 school year. When asked what happened to spark this interest in reading, her response was : “I don’t really known. It suddenly just clicked.” An indefinable reply, for sure, but what is not obscure is her passion, today, primarily for the classics (Austen, Shakespeare, Bronte and others) as well as contemporary writers when her forays in bookstores and her wallet allow !
Haley began reading at a very young age, while most kiddies were still puttering around in the sandbox. Her tastes, as she explains, gravitate toward authors whose works she can relate to as a 12 year-old. Lisi Harrison’s Clique collection appeals to her, Dial “L” for Looser is a case in point ; the books of author Lauren Myracle are another example of the type of author that attracts her. Haley simply cannot leave a book unfinished ! She sees it through to the end. In fact, this young person so loves books that she has actually written one !
This brings us to the end of a first year’s experience “on paper” with all our readers, young and old. And now that Christmas is at hand, why not look for that “special book” at Christmas time ? Read to your kids, your grand-children, a friend or a family member during the Holidays. It’s such a good feeling ! !
All the Best to You.