Books Have More than One Story to Tell

One of my simple pleasures in life is reading Victoria Magazine. I've loved it since I was a teenager and my best friend is kind enough to renew my subscription for me each year as a birthday present. Each year they feature a different writer-in-residence and artist-in-residence. This year's writer-in-residence is Rebecca Rego Barry who has B.A. in English and Magazine Journalism and an M.A. in Book History. (I truly never even knew that was an actual area of study - definitely being added to the list of things I would do if I had unlimited time and money.)

In her inaugural article for the magazine she writes about her personal library of over 1000 books. She shares not only about the books, but also about the memory attached to the books. As she writes, "Each selection has a story to tell, and not just the one printed inside. I treasure them all."

I can definitely relate to that. Certain books conjure up definite memories of where I was when I was reading them, much as certain songs will take one back to an exact moment of time. Some books are old friends from childhood. Others are special gifts that were given to me. Still others were picked up off library shelves, read, and returned, and no less loved for that fact. A story often has more than one story to tell and I am incredibly thankful for that, and for the writers who make that magic possible.

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