A Lifetime Built Around Stories

I’ve been thinking a lot about reading lately — not just because Book Lovers Day was earlier this month, but because books have shaped so much of my life. (My English teachers would be proud.)  Books have influenced my imagination, my hobbies, my sense of humor, and the way I unwind at the end of the day. Even after all these years, opening a book still feels like stepping through a doorway into someplace new, someplace comforting, someplace that belongs entirely to me.

Old Favorites and New Adventures

I’ve talked before about re‑reading my favorite authors, but there’s something deeper behind that habit. Returning to a familiar series feels like checking in with old friends. You know the characters, you know the world, and you know exactly how it will make you feel. It’s a kind of emotional homecoming.

But discovering new authors is its own kind of thrill. Every unfamiliar book is a little leap of faith — will it grab me, surprise me, make me laugh, make me stay up too late? When it does, it’s magic. That’s why Five Hieroglyphs caught my eye. Anything compared to Amelia Peabody earns an automatic spot on my “worth a try” list.

Reading in Retirement: A Daily Luxury

One of the best parts of retirement is that reading isn’t squeezed into the edges of the day anymore. It’s not something I have to fit in — it’s something I get to savor. Morning coffee with a book, an afternoon chapter break, a late‑night “just one more page” session… it’s a luxury I never take for granted.

Do Kids Still Cherish Reading?

All this thinking about books has me wondering: Do kids today still cherish reading the way we did? Or has the world shifted so much that video games, streaming, and endless digital distractions have taken over?

I see plenty of young readers out there — kids clutching graphic novels, teens devouring fantasy series, whole communities built around YA fiction. But I also see how easy it is for reading to get pushed aside by screens that shout louder and demand less patience. Maybe the love of reading isn’t gone; maybe it just looks different now. Maybe kids are finding their stories in new formats, new genres, new worlds. And maybe — hopefully — the magic still finds them the way it found us.

Why Books Still Matter

Whether you’re a lifelong reader or someone rediscovering the joy of a good story, books have a way of grounding us. They slow the world down. They remind us that imagination is a muscle worth using. And they connect us — to characters, to authors, to each other, and sometimes to parts of ourselves we didn’t know were waiting.

So yes, I’m still talking about books. And yes, I’ll probably keep talking about them. If I’m going to write too much about anything, let it be this.