
Bookish Discussion
I have always been a reader. From the earliest age I was enchanted by books and story telling. As a child I just read everything and anything that I could get my hands on. Our local library was right across the road from my primary school and I was a frequent visitor.

Reading was a great way to discover more about people. I grew up in a small town long before the days of the internet so reading was a portal to a view of the whole world. I learned about history and science, but I also learned about other people and their cultures. Reading helped to mould the person I am today.
I think as readers we constantly absorb so much of the world through our books. I think it is George R.R. Martin that said
A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The person who never reads lives only one…
…and I wholeheartedly agree with that.
To me, my books are how I travel the world.
What Books Have Meant to Me
I live with a long-term illness and it means that I am frequently housebound or at the very best these days have quite limited energy and sadly I have had to put my career plans on hold for the foreseeable future.
But my books… My books make me feel as if I have lived the richest life.
My books are a comfort and a solace, but they also educate and inform me. When you have a long-term illness like I have, you can really feel like the world is passing you by and that everyone is forgetting you.
But through my books I have found acceptance of myself.
I have found something in my life that gives me great joy and getting to discuss my passion for reading with all of you guys is the highlight of my every day.

Some of my Favourite Reads
The following is a list of the books that have had the greatest impact on my life and ones that feel very much a part of my own story even though my life has been very different to the lives of the majority of the characters from these books.
- When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr

- Back Home by Michelle Magorian

- Kiss the Dust by Elizabeth Laird

- The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger

- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

- Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

- Chemistry by Weike Wang

I don’t know what exactly it is about each of these books but they all just feel like me. They’ve all either taught me something about the world (When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, Back Home, Kiss the Dust), or about myself (The Catcher in the Rye, The Fault in Our Stars, Chemistry) or just about art in general (Beautiful Ruins).
What are your comfort and/or most impactful reads?
Do you have any books that you feel are a part of your soul? That somehow are integral to the essence of who you are as a person? Let me know in the comments below.
Thanks for reading this everyone!
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I’m just wondering how on earth I missed this post!? This was a wonderfully heartfelt post, Emer! I can feel your love of books and as a fellow bookworm, I can totally relate to you. Books (and the library!) saved me from bullying when I was a kid and it saved me from myself when I was going through some turbulent times with my mental health over the last few years. So lovely that you shared this with us! *Big panda hugs!* 🐼
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Aw thanks Dini (I post way too much, far too addicted to blogging so very easy to miss lol!!!) But gosh I will always be grateful to books for what they have added to my life. In so many difficult times they have been my solace so I very much get you with how books helped to rescue you from such horrible times. I feel almost sad for people that don’t love reading because of how I feel that it enriches my life. Big hugs back to you 💞
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This was a really lovely post. Thank you for sharing. I think books have a way of giving us the words to describe something going on in us, or our lives that we may not have processed as well without them. They’re a fresh perspective. A way of feeling and sharing with others. I think we need books, at least I do…Isn’t it a marvellous thing to have words?
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Oh that’s just the most perfect comment. You completely encapsulated how I feel in a few lines. Words are everything to me, I only wish I were more skilled with them 🙂 Thank you so much for commenting ❤
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This is a beautiful post, thank you for sharing ❤️ Keep doing what you’re doing as I love reading your blog and am very glad I came across it!
📕MP 📚 X x x
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oh my gosh thank you so much *beams with happiness* that is the sweetest compliment 🙂 ❤
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Great post 🙂
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Aw thank you :))))
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You often hear people talk about the power of books but you have just shown that it’s not simply talk. It does work.
by the way have a look at a Ted talk where a girl from china talks about how books opened her mind https://www.ted.com/talks/lisa_bu_how_books_can_open_your_mind?referrer=playlist-the_power_of_fiction_1
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I’ll definitely check out that ted talk soon. Books are just amazing really. I don’t think I could ever truly explain how much I love them and why it is they mean so much 🙂
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this is such a wonderful post *hug* happy 100 posts to you!
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Aw thank you Amanda!!! *sends hugs right back* :)))
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Awww this is SUCH a lovely post!! ❤ Thank you so much for sharing your story and putting into words the love of books we all feel as bookworms ❤
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Aw thanks so much Holly! I really appreciate that 🙂
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