Welcome to our one-year anniversary issue!
It seems as though we’ve just begun and yet, we have a whole year full of activities to look back on, learn from and vividly relive. What stands out the most to me is all the new friends we’ve made…just like you. You mean so much to us and we are encouraged by your comments and support. Without all the new friends we’ve made, I doubt we would be having this first year celebration issue. You drive us forward!
So, it seems natural that we share what we love about reading with others who want to share what they love about reading and voilà! We’ve made a new friend or deepened an existing one. It’s easy to escape in a good book and never reach out to others but I truly believe that in our introversion, we miss out on the entire experience in the life of an exceptional book; read it, tell someone about it, recommend it to others and then, once they’ve read it, talk about it with them. The impact is palpable. Your life has been touched; you have, in turn, touched someone else’s and so on. Join a readers’ group (or better yet – start your own!), or a writer’s group, go to author readings, hang out in bookstores, libraries and even some coffee shops have been known to spark lively discussions among total strangers about a really good author or book.
My mom and I walk our rat terrier, Jaxon two miles every day. He won’t let us miss a day – rain or shine. Sometimes to pass the time, we tell each other stories. We are both avid readers so usually, they are the current story we’re reading or one we’ve recently read. It’s a great way to escape the tedium of a long walk and – let’s just say it – to simply escape. I cherish these times with my mom. You certainly learn a lot about someone by listening to them tell a tale that they really enjoy. That’s the great thing about relationships – sharing. Funny, because that’s the great thing about reading too – sharing.
Don’t let people pass you by! Let’s make it our mission in life to connect people with books and make our own lives richer in the process!
Readers Unite!
M. Chris Johnson
Editor in Chief
