I learned to read when I was four, and have had my nose in a book ever since. I rarely read these days for simple enjoyment. I usually read to learn something new or reinforce something I thought I already knew. But, I enjoy research immensely, so technically I am reading for enjoyment. As a child if I asked my parents a question about...well, anything...I was told to "go look it up." Our house was a bit like a library in that there were a lot of encyclopedias and other reference books available. We read them for fun because we didn't have a television. I still cite the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and the World Book Encyclopedia as two of my favorite books. I also enjoy gardening reference books where I can look up the Latin names of plants. For some reason this gives me a special thrill, as does reading cookbooks...
When I read a book I attempt to absorb every word. For a long time I didn't realize that everyone else doesn't read the entire book. I'm talking the inside of the book jacket, the copyright page, the address of the publisher...everything.
I made my weekly trip to the library yesterday and wanted to share my reading list with you. I'm not necessarily recommending these books, because I haven't read them yet, but this is what I picked up.
A Short History of the Honey Bee
Humans, Flowers, and Bees in the Eternal Chase for Honey
by E. Readicker-Henderson
Also on my reading list:
An Omelette and a Glass of Wine by Elizabeth David
In Search of Bacchus-Wanderings in the Wonderful World of Wine Tourism by George M. Taber
South Wind Through the Kitchen by Elizabeth David
I too read the book from cover to cover, including the edition and amount of copies in the run. And yet I refuse to label myself OCD. Labels are bullshit anyway.
ReplyDeleteI share your thirst for knowledge. Lately I'm bent on history, and I'm reading through some books on Samuel Adams, FDR, and the run-up to the Great War. The more I read history the better I feel about current events. Everything moves in a pattern.