Ex Libris

My father is a man of books. He loved to write, he loved to read, he loved to dialogue concerning that which he wrote and read. Books were always an integral part of the household and were embedded deeply into any gifting situation.Parents always kept a major dictionary readily accessible to clarify meaning of the not so randomly obscure word employed by father which should I ask for meaning was quickly directed to the source for my enlightenment. Grammar and style books became de rigor in graduate school and have continued as intermittent reading.

Clearly it was no surprise that one of the major items we recently unpacked was hundreds if not thousands of books. Even after gifting and culling many we still need new bookcases to compensate for the lack of massive built-ins of plymouth.

I've always read to my children a wide variety of books and continue to discuss with them what they read as I discussed with my father what he or better yet what he and I had most recently read.

Imagine my delight when a friend shared a new find,written by Anne Fadiman, with me entitled Ex Libris -Confessions of a Common Reader. Described as "This witty collection of essays recounts a lifelong love affair with books and language. For Fadiman, as for many passionate readers, the books she loves have become chapters in her own life story". Books indeed have defined family relationships and have been and are essential to life.


Go gleefully and consume a few thousand bon mots.