Then social technology happened.
I have had moments where I am back into reading and I remember how much I love the smell of an old book and the feel of a bookstore. I used to dream that I would meet my husband in a bookstore because then I would know that he cares about people.
People who read a lot tend to care a lot, I thought.
Rhyme.
Well anyway, I miss books and I'm tired of social technology.
I'm thinking of downgrading my phone because I'm tired of Apps.
I'm thinking of getting rid of facebook because I'm tired of reading all the contradicting and equally convincing viewpoints being hurled around by my friends. I'm tired of the hundreds of finger pointing "smarter than you because I live my way and I'm happy, so you must be living wrong and surely you are less happy than me" articles. I am also tired of the blogs that put off the vibe of "having an opinion is bad because you will disagree with someone and how can you still love someone when you disagree with them?" That just causes people to stop feeling and stop learning and stop believing in right and wrong. I love learning but I want to learn things without them being presented by somehow putting someone else down. **
I love that my friends have their opinions, even when they are different than mine.
I dont love that they are sometimes so rude about sharing them.
I love that people want to be constantly connected and I dont feel like I am always missing the people I miss because I can find them virtually anytime.
I dont love that the first thing I do in the morning is check facebook out of habit and I feel some weird desire to know what is happening in everyone's life and I'm just nosy.
I love that I have very strong opinions about things and I would love to discuss them with people I know.
I dont love that rational discussion about controversial subjects just doesn't happen when tact, love, and respect vanish because people feel safe behind the screen of their computer.
So even though I'm dying to learn a lot from all my smart friends and I'm dying to share the things I've learned and the things I love, I will choose to do this in person.
I dont remember ever feeling this way when I read books. When I read a good book I think about the book, I think about my life, and I grow. If I dont grow I at least enjoy my time guilt free. I dont feel threatened or annoyed when I disagree with the person who wrote the book because I chose to pick it up and read it. It wasn't put in my face and presented as fact, spread around the like latest town gossip. I can choose to believe or not believe lessons in books, but it wont offend anybody. When I share my opinions in person, I will be forced to use tact and remember that I'm talking to people who might think I am 100% wrong and that's okay.
Books are going to be my intervention from the drug of social media.
I miss books so that is why I chose them to return to. I can still learn great things and funny things and love the way I spend my time. I will still be keeping up with friends on here because I do think its a great gift to be able to do so, but I will hopefully be less facebook affected soon. I will be too absorbed in books and my real life to get consumed in the hateful, harsh internet world.
So long story long, I asked my friends to send me a short list of books they love and I am honestly going to read all of them. I already own a couple, so I will read the ones I own first and then I will just go down the list.
First up: The Alchemist (Almost done. It's great so far.)
- World War Z by Max Brooks
Is everyone hanging out without me (and other concerns) by Mindy Kaling-
The secret life of bees by sue monk kidd -
Heaven is for real by Todd burpo with Lynn Vincent - No doubt about it by Sheri dew
- Ishmael
- The kite runner
-
The alchemist - City of Bones and series
- The Art of Racing in the Rain
- Cold Mountain
- Codex Alera series
- Peace Like a River
- Okay For Now
- Glass Castle
- Bossypants
- Memoirs of a Geisha
Life of Pi- The Hiding Place
- The Scarlett Pimpernel
- Pride and Prejudice
- Hunger games series
- The Uglies
- Beautiful Creatures
- Clockwork Angel
- Clockwork Prince
- Clockwork Princess
- The Talisman By Stephen king.
- Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
- The Passage
- The Book Thief
- The Chestry Oak.
- A Thousand Splendid Suns
- And the Mountains Echoed.
Sing You Home
Picture Perfect
**(Is this the most hypocritical blog ever written?)
3 comments:
I could not agree with you more! And by the way I don't think your blog is hypocritical at all. I love following it, (hopefully not in a creepy stalker-ish kind of way) But you put things into a different kind of perspective that helps me be a better person as well. So Thank you.
PLEASE read "The Book Thief" also. So many colors and skies. The characters will change you.
And, if you can find a copy of it "The Chestry Oak." My grandmother has read hundreds of books in her life but that is her favorite- so much so that back in the day she had a library copy and before returning it she typed up the whole book on her type writer to keep. (because it is out of print.) I feel that says a lot about a book.
Also, I know people talk about "The Kite Runner" a lot, as they should, but that same author wrote another one called "A Thousand Splendid Suns" and it's also amazing. I actually just got his new third book called "And the Mountains Echoed." I'll let you know how it is!
I have a lot of those books on my shelf at home, and you're welcome to them! (also check mom's shelf, she's been borrowing my books and keeping them in her room, like Pride and Prejudice.)
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