Decisions, Decisions.....
I have often thought of books as the lego world of the adult. Our house is scattered with them everywhere. Sometimes we don’t even know what we have because we acquire them willy nilly at a bookstore, a book fair, a resale shop, or receive a total surprise in the mail - and I won’t even bring up the Christmas haul! We may find ourselves stacking them (or simply scattering them) across the rooms to be perused later after the dishwasher is filled, but then we forget. And some ‘laters’ often don’t come until maybe two years down the line. We might accidentally step on one or move another to get to the one most re-read because it is, well, known and comfortable. Many of these strays catch our eye and we decide to read them. But life happens or we put them down with the well meaning promise to finish them later….to be fair, we never actually define what later may mean. But there they are, the pieces of a literary lego land just waiting to be built into something wonderful for our imaginations to wander in instead of being painfully stepped on as we exit our bed in the morning. In short, books are to be READ. And I mean to read them this year. Given my determined effort to seek out the lost and lonely volumes in row three of the bookcase or those under the bed for safekeeping, my categories have become a bit unique.
The One Poem a Day Books
I have read Frost. But only certain selections over and over. My intention is to avoid those I have read and choose a new poem each day. If I like it, or don’t quite understand it, I will read it again the next day. It will be a fluid sort of thing. But I will read a poem one way or the other each day of 2026. I discovered this past year during chemo that poetry is not just icing - it is daily and heartening bread. I am concentrating on Michelangelo, Frost, and Janet Lewis this year. But of course, these will not be my only poetic fare. One does not abandon Emily Dickinson or Hopkins or George Herbert ever - not even for the yearly book list. They are always on it.
Three Fairytales a Week
I have chosen this lovely volume of Victorian Fairytales I received many, many moons ago and have never cracked open. This is the year. The selections are lovely and I even saw George MacDonald represented in the pages. I look forward to reading fairytales again.
The Try, Try Again Book
Flannery is the only one in this category. I love everything about her soul but I sincerely do not like her stories. But I am determined to get through them all before I pronounce any more judgements.
The Just for Fun Books about People who have become Friends:
Some of these I have started and some I have gotten for Christmas. They will be my joy to read and finish at last. Bede, The Letters of Caryll Houselander, The writings of Hildegard.
The Benedictine Books
My daily dose of spiritual reading will come from these volumes. I am truly excited to see where they lead my soul. I must say the niftiest find was an old book of my Dad’s that I did not know I had. The Waters of Siloe by Merton. A history of the Cistercian Monasteries in the U.S. and the Abbeys in Europe from which they came.
Nature Books
The Complete Language of Flowers and Nature Stories from the Vienna Woods. These lend themselves to further trips down rabbit holes I am thinking. I love a book that sends you down a rabbit hole. I am also reading about Bronson Alcott’s failed Fruitlands experiment as contrasted to the wonderful success of Henry Shaw’s daring dream of building a great and beautiful garden in rural St. Louis patterned after the great gardens of Europe that he had seen. Why did one fail and the other succeed?
Books Recommended by Interesting People I know:
Henri Nouwen is a name I have heard forever and have never read. This year I shall at the recommendation of my daughter and my dear friend K. Finally, The Human Soul and it Relations with Other Spirits by Dom Anscar Vonier recommended by truly lovely and interesting substack friend.
So, it may be biting off more than I can chew, but these are my choices this coming year. I look forward to seeing what is ahead in thought, in imaginings, in the excursions down rabbit holes. It is the Bibliophile’s privilege to delight in his/her books.
Happy Reading!
I do not feel inclined at this time to have a paid substack. But if we were together in a cafe discussing all these thoughts, I would not be opposed to you buying me a cup of coffee - with cream, of course. In that spirit, if any of my posts resonate with you and you feel so inclined, you can donate here: buymeacoffee.com/denise_trull
I’m excited for you! A feast of books!! I’m also excited for us because I know the ideas and inspirations contained within will deepen your imagination and love and this will all inevitably spill over into your writings for us to be challenged, encouraged, and inspired as you do! Also, I endorse The Return of the Prodigal Son book too. Rarely a week goes by that I don’t encourage a friend or directee to read it!
I think, inspired by your example, I may finally just sit down and do something similar that I've been putting off for years. Only not books, but records. Music was awfully important to me back then when I was working (not in the music world), and there are the ton and a half of old records, the kind with little holes in the center of them. All you need to do is clean the stylus, plug in the headphones and get them spinning.
Could it be a New Year's resolution that lasts longer than a couple of chocolates and a cup of joe?