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“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only one.”
This quote, written by George R.R. Martin is from his novel A Dance With Dragons, book five in his Song of Ice and Fire series.
When asked what this particular quote means, Cornelia Funke, a children’s book author explained that “every time you read a book, you leave a little life on every page. Readers don’t just read a book, they live it. Reading helps you to live life to the fullest.” (https://gulfnews.com/opinion/letters/a-reader-lives-a-thousand-lives-1.1842577 Gulf News Readers, published June 08, 2016)
The Song of Ice and Fire series, more often referred to as the Game of Thrones series is my favourite fantasy series of all times. There are some truly amazing quotes in this series about the benefits of the written word and reading them. Another one that comes to mind is from A Game of Thrones, book one in the series. “… a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge.”
My travels and more exciting adventures have slowed down some over the years as have I, but I still enjoy reading very much and I certainly work in the right place to keep up with my favourite authors and getting to know some of the fabulous new ones as well.
It's funny how readers can choose their books for all kinds of reasons. Some examples might be:
“Oh this book takes place in Ireland, I’ve always wanted to visit there.”
“Baldacci has written a new John Puller novel, I’ll have to place a hold on that!”
“I need to have a good comical novel to lift my spirits. I wonder if Helen Hoang has a new book out?”
“I feel like I need to go back to simpler, slower times. My next book will be historical fiction I think.”
“I know they say that you should never judge a book by its cover but I think that applies more to people rather than books don’t you?”
However you decide to choose your books is definitely up to you (unless it’s for your book club). There is absolutely no right or wrong way to go about it unless you want to read the next book in a particular series you’re reading, and library staff can help you with that.
Often when people comment that they don’t know what to read next, I’ll ask what they’re in the mood for.
Even if you’re James Patterson’s biggest fan and love the fast pace and suspense of his stories, maybe you’re feeling in the mood for a light beach read or perhaps even a book to help you learn more about Thai cooking.
Whatever you choose to read, you get to live it, so I hope you enjoy the choice you’ve made regardless of setting, plot, characters, or genre.
Enjoy the thrills, chills, adventures, romances, mysteries, laughs and loves and even the knowledge and skills you acquire. Reading, one of life’s great pleasures!
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