Dear Bookworms,
One of my favorite things about reading is how it communicates ideas and allows those thoughts to be shared across boundaries. A written work can be discovered by two people living in different parts of the world, who have entirely different tastes, backgrounds and life experiences, but both of whom will stumble across one idea tucked within the pages of the same book and find it moving. They will likely never meet each other, but they will forever have this piece of themselves in common. 
That is the reason why the pen is mightier than the sword – because words have the power to get under our skin and change us from the inside out.
Those who have discovered what it’s like to unearth a bit of gold from an unexpected page frequently become hooked by the experience. We read more and more, searching for more truths and ideas that inspire us. And then we seek out others with whom to share the experience, learning even more from them in turn. It is for this reason that we put so much effort into taking reading, what is by nature a solitary activity, and making it communal in the form of book clubs and readings.
Writer and illustrator Kate Gavino is especially drawn by book readings and has recorded her experiences at the many readings she has attended, assembling them into a collection of her favorite quotes and ideas in a little book called Last Night’s Reading: Illustrated Encounters with Extraordinary Authors. It is a short but extremely touching read. The quotes are arranged by theme and each one is accompanied by Gavino’s sketch portrait of the author, making the entire book a beautiful hand-drawn treasure.
It is so interesting to read words of wisdom from people as thoughtful as authors. I highly recommend that you check it out. You will, I suspect, find many nuggets of gold that touch you, and likewise, many that don’t – but therein lies the pleasure of reading: seeking out the treasure.
Keep reading!
Live, Love, Learn
Elise and The Write Teacher(s)