It’s amazing what pops into the forefront of your brain when wasting time on Twitter. I just happened to notice the trend #worldbookday and a lightbulb went off – great idea for a blog post!
If you haven’t yet noticed, I’ll tell you – I’m an avid reader, as is my husband. Between the two of us, there are in the neighborhood of 500 books scattered around the house – some still in boxes from our move 7 years ago because we don’t have enough shelf space. There are currently 6 books in the stack next to my easy chair, another 15 or so on my Kindle, and probably about 30 downloaded pdf’s on my computer, waiting to be read. I have a habit of picking up books I think may be interesting anywhere & everywhere, knowing that I’ll get to them at some point. (There is a flea market about a half hour from here whose bookseller could bankrupt me.)
I know some of you read the last paragraph and said to yourself, “DJ got a Kindle? I thought she liked books!” You’re right, I’m old-fashioned and do prefer the feel of a paper-made book but as we’re leaving on vacation next week (with a 10 hour one-way plane ride), I thought a Kindle would be better than taking another suitcase just for books and paying the airline for the privilege. I plan on taking trips in the next few months to see the grandkids as well, so I justified the cost to myself.
What’s in my reading queue? I’m at the tail end of The Templar Revelation by Lynn Pickett & Clive Prince. This is a fascinating look at the Templars, the Cathars, and the Christian faith as a whole, incorporating some of the most recent biblical scholar theories. (Recent being 1997. Devout Christians will hate this book.) Also started is The Magus by Francis Barrett, which is considered to be ‘the’ book on ceremonial (high) magic. Some lighter reading is Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett and for pure munchability, the Elemental Assassin series by Jennifer Estep and a couple of books by Marion Zimmer Bradley. I’ve downloaded the complete works of Aleister Crowley but those will wait until we get back – I don’t think I want to delve into his mind in the bright Hawai’ian sunshine.
Yet to be re-read, absorbed a little more and then entered into my personal herb database is Native American Ethnobotany by Daniel Moerman. What a huge tome & fantastic piece of research! It will take me days to do the data entry but will certainly be worth the effort. I’m also trying to slog my way through Manly Hall’s The Secret Teachings of All Ages but his writing is so ponderous I read a couple of paragraphs and put it down with the thought, “not right now”. I have a feeling that will be a years-long project.
So, are you celebrating World Book Day? What’s in your reading stack?