Where do book junkies hang out?

January 9, 2014

I will start with a confession.

I am a book junkie. A reading addict, fascinated by combinations of words, captivated by literary characters and made up universes. I scribble book quotes on my notebooks and many of those become my life mantras. Some days, I even pick my outfit based on what I am reading. And, yes, I have been that girl who was alone in the cafe with a book. I wasn’t crying. I was sobbing at its beauty.

On my busiest days, I will carry a book in my bag, hoping that I will get a moment while waiting for a meeting, or the bus or the train to fleetingly go back to that fictional world. Words do things to me. Words do things for me.  Whenever I struggle, I read.  Whenever I feel like I want to be a better teacher, I read. Whenever I am heartbroken, I seek solace to a book: I let the words amuse, move, shock, educate, inform me. I let the words soothe me. The written word is my drug.

Looking for more books in Bath, at a vintage bookshop

Looking for more books in Bath, at a vintage bookshop

And I am not alone. Through the blog, its projects and its Facebook page I’ve discovered like minded people, who equally love literature and have actually created or want to create their own worlds of fiction: fellow book junkies and word lovers. I wanted Reading the Lines to be a space for us: where we geek out about books and writers, share experiences on reading and writing and explore the transformative and healing power of words. A space where we read something and go, ‘Hey, I felt that.’ So that others can feel it too. Because that’s important to me. Because I strongly believe that literature is here to give us access to the depths of a fellow human’s truth, to instances of authenticity, emotion, humanness. Literature connects us.

Reading the Lines is a space where we can connect by informing, educating, inspiring and empowering each other in our creative reading and writing journey.

As a true book junkie, I got wonderful books to start 2014 with. I have selected some and present them below:

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Wuthering Heights is my childhood’s favourite book. So I was beyond words pleased when I got this beautiful edition by my boyfriend over Christmas.

The Book Thief

I wanted to read this for ages!  The Book Thief! Enough said!

Emotional literacy reading

This new year, I wanted to nurture emotional literacy in my classes. So at the moment I am reading some really fascinating books on therapeutic creative writing!

What books are you starting 2014 with? Tell me in the comments below. And if you are a book junkie, be sure to join our community by subscribing or say hi at info@readingthelines.com

Love,

Louiza

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21 comments

  • anastasia

    I started 2014 with Oscar Wilde’s The picture of Dorian Grey and I loved it:) I will also begin reading Virginia Woolf’s To The Lighthouse and some feminist novels suggested by a professor of mine in the context of a course!

  • Christos Hadjioannou

    Hi Louiza! Nice post!

    I started a…rather long project of reading Proust. The last few years I have had a very difficult relationship with literature- I was completely unmotivated and unmoved by it. But Proust seems to have unlocked something now. He is amazing. I am a slow reader though, and I don’t have much time to dedicate to reading literature at the moment, as I have to read lots of academic philosophy. But a bit of Proust every week is a real treat for me.

    I also started a writing project which I hope to finish in 2014. A collection of poems. My first one. Not out of enjoyment or literary indulgence, but for political reasons.

    Happy New Year!

    • Louiza

      Thank you Christo! That’s very kind! I am glad you have found a writer that has reconnected you with reading!

      Wow! Good luck with the new creative project! I love how you are using poetry for a socially oriented cause! Do keep me posted!

  • Motunrayo

    Well, I haven’t started reading a book yet, though, I have a book I won on Goodreads giveaway(The Hangman’s Replacement) which I should’ve started reading by now but unable to due to my school work and my ‘behind schedule’ school project. I’ve been tight on schedule but I won’t let that stop me from reading!
    I’m yet to receive my Reading the Lines Collection of Short Stories giveaway and the Christmas Surprises here.

    • Louiza

      Hi Motunrayo! The beginning of the year can be hectic, so I hope you can get time to read and enjoy! Hopefully, you will also get the book I posted to you in the meantime!

  • Daphne

    Happy new year!amazing post. I’ve started 2014 with The picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde. I have just started reading it but looks really promising! I too would love to read Wuthering Heights..I am looking forward to a great year full of beautiful different stories:)all the best!

    • Louiza

      Thank you, Daphne! That’s very kind! Loved and still love Wuthering Heights, if you do read it let me know what you think! Have a lovely, creative and successful year ahead!

  • Michelle

    I’ve read nick hornby’s a long way down which was brilliant. Starting wildes a picture of Dorian grey and want to read James Joyce Ulysses
    Michelle xx

  • Shana Miller

    Words are life to me. I love this article and can relate to your love of words! I love meeting fellow book/word lovers. Yesterday at an antique barn the owner noticed I had picked up a couple of their books and struck up a conversation with me. We soon realized that we shared a passion for books. She asked me if I had ever read anything by Jodi Picoult. Astonished by the fact that I hadn’t she scurried over to their collection to see if she had anything by that author to just give to me. She was willing to give away merchandise to a fellow book lover simply because she wanted to share the wonderful experience of that book. I love that about us book lovers. 😉 Unfortunately she didn’t have anything by Picoult to give to me but in honor of that book lovers passion for Picoult, I will put her on my reading list!
    I am starting out the year with The Secret of Lost Things by Sheridan Hay. As soon as Ted Dekker releases his latest I will definitely be picking that up!! I highly recommend Ted Dekker to anyone who hasn’t checked him out yet; you won’t regret looking him up. He’s a legend in the making! His writing can literally blow your mind!!! My favorites of his are: The Bride Collector, Black, Red, White, and Green.
    “Reading is dreaming with open eyes” (can’t remember the author of that quote but I LOVE IT!!!)

    • Louiza

      Shana! I love your comment! What a lovely anecdote from your life! And not unexpected in our book junkie culture! 🙂 Happy reading those great books and thanks for the recommendation! ‘Reading is dreaming with open eyes’ -Yes! Love it!

  • Marios

    2014 started very well in literature for me. I have already read:

    1. Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
    2. The mysterious flame of Queen Loana by Umberto Eco

    I have started my third book for this year which is Total Recall by Philip K. Dick.
    It looks like a very busy year 🙂

  • Orestis

    Hi Louiza and friends!

    Thanks for this nice, upbeat post!

    Book-wise, I have started my year as such:

    “The rules of Photography and when to break them” by Haje Jan Kamps
    and a bunch of books on Turkish language – I am teaching myself.

    Keep it up and keep us posted,

    Best regards,

    Orestis

    See our old Nicosia “photo-stories”: https://www.facebook.com/old.nicosia.revealed

    • Louiza

      Oresti! Thank you so much for dropping by! Wow, that sounds really interesting! I am sure we will see some rule breaking in your upcoming photos! And I loved the Old Nicosia photos, they are indeed photo stories-some of them unfinished or interrupted narratives!

  • Chris T.

    “Η τέχνη του να έχεις πάντα δίκιο” του Άρτουρ Σοπενχάουερ

    Για να αναγνωρίζεις τις άδικες απόψεις που με σοφιστικά τεχνάσματα παρουσιάζονται σαν αληθινές. Για να γνωρίσεις τα όπλα ενός ευφυούς αλλά υποκριτή ψευδολόγου, που κάνει τα άδικα να φαίνονται δίκαια. Για να προστατεύεις την αλήθεια και το δίκαιο.

  • Andrea Marcou

    Living in Cyprus is not very easy to come across other people who love to read and write (well at least for me , I really don’t know anyone)

    I started 2014 with a collection of poems by Lang Leav and then I continued with “A game of thrones” by R.R. Martin , “Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe” by Benjamin Alire Saenz and I am now reading “The bronze horseman” trilogy.

    The book thief is one of my favorite books and the movie is also AMAZING , you should definitely watch it after reading the book!

    • Louiza

      Well, it’s great to have you in our book loving community, Andrea! I love the connection with fellow book junkies! Wow such great selection to start your year! I am getting even more excited to read the Book Thief!

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