Bibliophile Buddies

6/17/09
For an avid reader and lover of books, there are no better folks to know than other bibliophiles or bookworms, especially if they can nose out a good book for you because they know what you’ll like or appreciate, even if it stretches you a bit. I have two such women in my life, Marge H. in Franklin, North Carolina (who has a reading room at the library there named in her honor) and Marie J. in Franklin, TN., who was recently honored for 7 decades of service by her public library. Their combined years give me 150+ years of reading experience to rely on. Every time I “unwrap” one of their finds----my word for checking out the table of contents or the first chapter of the recommended books, I am grateful for knowing women who share with me those gems that I might never find, apart from them. You see, there are LOTS of books published each year and I barely have time to read the reviews---so, they do it for me. “So Many Books, So Little Time” is the perfect adage for a working woman, especially a research & reference librarian----my stacks/shelves are not exactly bedtime reading. Plus, there are so many books not worth my time.

Visiting Marie recently with friends at her big, beautiful old home on Murfreesboro Road, I had a garden tour, yummy puddin’ cake and great book talks. She also shared a trove of books with me as a way of continuing to encourage me. One was a novel written in 1951---a delightful read about a Baptist preacher. It almost reads like historical fiction now though one of the paragraphs about the problems the church faced sounded like 2009. “The real problems here…..how to practice charity in a world of greed. How to turn the cheek in a world of war. And how to love a neighbor when your impulse is to slap him down.” I also noticed Book Club Edition stamped in red on the inside of the jacket. I imagine that she, like I and many other readers, once belonged to the Doubleday Book-of-the-Month Club. Remember the magazine ads where for only 99¢ you could choose 4 or 5 books and then only had to purchase four more during the year?

Another book she shared was a book of quotes. I love it because it has her underlines and margin notes that are such treasures. Allow me to share of few of the “nuggets” with you.
“A friend is a sanctuary. A friend is a smile. …..A friend is a hand that is always holding yours….no matter how close or far apart you may be..…A friend is a feeling of forever in your heart.“ (Pagels)

By this one MJ had jotted, “great.”

Won’t you come into my garden?
I would like my roses to see you. (Sheridan)

Sadly, I had to postpone a June visit to the mountains to see my other bookworm buddy. I long for the next visit to see her and have her share new titles with me. She’s the one who encouraged me to read Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress----we both were drawn to the cover. At her home we sit by the fire or at the table long after the plates have been cleared and we talk---about real things---and books, of course. Sometimes her husband, a retired Methodist pastor reads aloud to us—be still my heart!

These ladies are my spiritual sisters with literary leanings----how special is that!!!!!!!!!! How grateful I am!

I have called you friends. (John 15:15)