Celebrating Our Favourite Reads Over the Past Year

Short and long fiction titles

Today would have been my father’s 91st birthday. I’ve missed him now for three years. Although he did not overtly encourage me to write (indeed, he was somewhat suspicious—of fiction in particular!) he celebrated my MFA by building me a beautiful nine-shelf bookcase with his carpenter hands, and he did pass along to me his love of research. Writers’ families can be truly mystified by what it means to have one of us in their midst, But I was appreciative of any acknowledgement, and the bookshelf was the first thing to “make the cut” when I down-sized.

For writers, there’s the significance of acknowledging Readers. Blessed are the readers—they are sorely needed and worthy.

Some weeks ago, there was a day of weak winter sun here—noteworthy in Vancouver, where it’s generally grey from October through to some time in March.

But on that day I saw this woman outside, reading. A beautiful sight to a writer. (I had to stop myself from throwing my arms around her! I only took a photo.)

I’ve written a post about the significance of reading as a writer.

But there’s something about reading as a reader, too. I’ve been seeing online words lately about how art is dying, books are dying. “No one reads,” some say. Really?

I’m not sure how writers can think that “no one reads.”

When the world shut down a couple years ago, there was a return to books

Not only have independent bookstores survived through this time, they’re thriving. Too, we saw those “little libraries” in communities take on their own importance. Friends and strangers worked out book exchanges on social media. Time in isolation became time with people-on-the-page.

one in my neighbourhood

For me, reading as a reader reminds me of why I began to write:

To create stories that allowed me the slowed pace I need to work through human understanding.

To hear the sounds of meaning.

To try to figure out the mystery.

To laugh.

Later, reading when I was feeling the push to write, there was a history I wanted to be a part of, even in my own small way. It felt more familial to me to be buried in a book than to have Christmas dinner at my parents’ home at one point.

I don’t know why each of you is here. Some of you have shared why. In my years of learning to write—ongoing, yes—I know what I’ve wanted to find in writing community and pieces of information and knowledge of the craft, but we are all so different. The fact that so many of you are staying with the Unschool, and actively reading the posts does let me know that you are getting something out of this, and I am grateful for that.

Time to celebrate books and reading!

Novels and short fiction for this round. (Works for young readers, too.)

Mull over 2021 and this past month: What are the titles that have most stood out for you, maybe even after months since reading? Be as detailed as you want, though the title and author and one line about what has most stayed with you, what most resonated, is just fine! You can add how it worked for you as a writer… but mostly focus on the READ. And the joy in that. It’s critical.

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