Integrating your Bookshelf: Obtaining Reading Balance.

Verse of the Day: Even there shall thy hand lead me, And thy right hand shall hold me. -Psalm 139:10

I'm Baaaaaaaaccck! did ya miss me? *Moriarty voice* :), I definitely missed you guys! 2020-2023 has brought about some absolutely amazing experiences in my professional/personal journey as a creator. I walked away from my teaching job last year to pursue my career as an author and artist in earnest. I have been working from home, diligently working on my fourth project which is due for release in October of this year! not only that, I am now newly engaged! (you can call me MRS. Quill) ;) I couldn't be more excited to pick up where I left off, creating meaningful, engaging and inspiring content for wonderful people such as yourselves :). If you are new to the quill, I welcome you with a big hug and lots of love, for those returning, welcome back! (you get hugs too!) :)

Preferences are the ways in which we compartmentalize things we favor over the norm, so it is not unusual for many bibliophiles such as myself to have books we love and hold dear to more than others. However, there are drawbacks to ONLY reading your preferred genre. Today I would like to talk about three reasons why you should consider expanding your reading horizons and branch out your shelves to books and literature outside your norm.

1. Fresh perspective in a new voice

If you only read Non-fiction biographies or Classic Disney books, your knowledge is limited to just that, and while having extensive knowledge on a subject is fantastic and not easily acquired, it would benefit us to be able to discuss a large range of topics and not just our “desert genres” which is what I call my pile of comfort poetry and fantasy stories. You will open yourself up to a new way of seeing the world from beyond your favored lens and it will reward you with more insight and the capabilities of applying some of what you already know into new context! (maybe even inspire some new written work!) Balance is healthy for any avid reader.

2 A new community opens to you

Every genre has its fandom and by immersing yourself into unfamiliar text territory, this equips you with the ability to explore new worlds of literature and its nomads. You’ll meet new people with a different outlook on the book community, and this allows you to share what you have learned from what you love and what you are currently learning. You can ask questions and seek answers from veterans of the reading materials you are not well acquainted with and answer questions they may have about your preferences, books and authors. A life as a book lover is to remain a teacher and student for life. :)

3. Provides a sense of well-roundness

No one likes to feel limited in their capabilities and unfortunately one genre only people tend to fall into a state of stagnation when it comes to conversations they feel comfortable with having and

I do believe in reading materials that matter to us personally and having those comfort books are greatly important, for many of us, those comfort books are how we came to love reading in the first place, but I do believe that the reader who is well balanced in their reading materials are well-versed to participate in a wider range of topics and conversation. I believe that this propels your confidence as a reader, a writer, and as a person. Here I would like to provide a list of books that you can use from my own collection to help balance out your shelves!

1. An Old Friend From Far Away by Natalie Goldberg

2. Called to Love by Kaye Miller

3. The Soul of Creativity (multi-author collaboration with Diane Ackerman, Jean Shinoda Bolen,Riane Eisler, SARK, John Fox, Eric Maisel, Robert Fritz, Judith Cornell, Don Campbell, Christina Balwin and more!) *Edited by Tona Pearce Myers with a forward by Angeles Arrien*

4. Atomic Habits by James Clear

5. A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf

6. Leaving Time by Judi Picoult

7. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

8. Murder at Mallowan Hall by Colleen Cambrige

9. The Dream Giver by Bruce Wilkinson

10. Inventing Elliot by Graham Garner (it call it the younger brother to John Knowle’s “A Separate Peace” )

11. Still Alice by Lisa Genova

12. Pumpkin Heads by Faith Erin Hicks

13. Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix

14. The Fall of The House of Usher by Egdar Allen Poe

15. Sugo Chara (my first manga!) by peach pit

16. DNangel by Yukiru Sugisaki

17. +Anima by Natsumi Mukai

For the fun of it, I have not mentioned the genre of these books and stories. It was difficult not to add books that were my favorites because I have 20+ comfort books in my collection so this list took some time to make. These were books that helped me broaden my shelf when I decided to read new things and hopefully they can be a door for your new adventures as well! Happy Reading :) and as always...

"For the love of life and literature, stay prayerful, stay positive and write on!" :)