Joys of Reading 2 - Bout of books (Jan 2022)

 On day 2 of the Bout of Books Read-a-thon (Jan 2022), I’m contemplating which types of books bring me joy. Here goes.

Joy 2 - Going New Places through books

Books take us places, new and old, through words, descriptions, and illustrations. I know in the summer, I explored travelogues and books about places. (See my August posts on this blog.) This is particularly fun when reading in place, when savoring the adventure while in your armchair or on a beach.

Where’s the joy? It’s two fold. 

The first is going to a new place, a place you always wanted to go and haven’t yet. It’s learning about the buildings, the history, and culture in anticipation of an in-person adventure. Perhaps you saw a movie or TV show about a  place and now you want to know all about it. Books will take you there! What Joy!

The second joy is re-encountering or re-experiencing a city or place you went to in the past and just loved. Maybe you went to a city as a child and now want to “see” it through adult eyes? Or you want to learn more about a place you’ve just been to but didn’t have the opportunity to take a tour or see the sights. Joyfully, books can take you to a city or country and show you ‘everything’ about the place.

Maps and illustrations will set the location in context, letting you “see” what buildings look like, or a river, or the countryside.

In all, taking time to read and savor a book about a place will bring you joy along with an adventure.

Let me know if you want a reading suggestion.

That’s my reading nugget for day 2.