Read

I got the bracelet in the picture above awhile ago at the Salt Lake City library, it says read in 8 different languages.

I love to read. I love the smell and feel of books. I love old bookstores with used books. I was lucky to be able to work at one of the biggest used bookstores in New York City, Strand Bookstore I loved being able to be around books, being able to talk to people about books, and selling books. I could never get a paycheck without buying at least one book.

My favorite book is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. I think everyone should read it. It is about a young girl named Francie Nolan and her family. It is about her growing up in the early 1900's in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Betty Smith is such a wonderful writer, she has a way of writing with such an understanding for what it was like to be a child and growing up. I think I like it a lot to because Francie reminds me of me, just little things like going out on her fire escape to read with her bowl of candy's and watching the people. I read it for the first time when I moved out to San Francisco area to help my sister Becky with her then baby Jonah. I also got my first job as a hostess at the restaurant Becky was a manager at. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was such a great book for me at that time in my life and I fell in love with it, with the characters, with New York. I wish I was a better writer to explain just how great this book is. I try to re-read it a lot, my copy is very used and is so special to me.

I just wanted to share my love of reading. I want to instill it in my children also. I read Max three books every night before he goes to bed and I will read to him more often as he gets older. There are so many great books out there.

Here is one of my favorite quotes from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn:
"Maybe," thought Francie,"she doesn't love me as much as she loves Neely. But she needs me more than she needs him and I guess being need is almost as good as being loved. Maybe better." - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn