Reading and Sharing

In these difficult economic times, many of us seek activities that cost little and can be shared widely. Although I've heard that many Americans don't pick up a book after departing the halls of required reading, that's not what I see and hear around me. I see people waiting and reading, massing into the public libraries increasingly limited hours, and passing books hand to hand. We read online and we read via audio tracks and podcasts and we read e-books and those old-fashioned paper books. And then we encourage others to read what we've been reading, so we can talk about the themes, the characters, the language, the issues, the storytelling, the facts, and anything contained in that.

We're also tweeting madly about what we're reading (Twitter is filled with ardent lovers of words) and keeping track of them on LibraryThing and discussing them on GoodReads. TheBookMaven, an independent bookseller who tweets regularly, has started a way of encouraging readers to share what's worth our time. She encourages us to post every Friday what we're reading - graphic novels, nonfiction, fiction, poetry, technical literature, inspirational, or what have you -- and to tag that post #fridayreads As you prepare for the weekend and lean into the sabbath, why not share and find out from others what's worth reading?

Reading opens worlds to us. We have many ways to inexpensively share those worlds and grow our real-life communities by doing so - libraries, book clubs, and independent booksellers lead my preferences. Share what you're reading with someone in person and electronically -- it's a great way to nurture your spirit and your community.