Day-by-day--a reader's delight

If you’re an avid reader, you no doubt have lists of books-to-be-read and stacks of books you bought or were given but still haven’t cracked open. So, it’s not as if you don’t have anything to read.

But what if you’re restless or just want a fresh jolt to guide you to a book you want right now?

I highly recommend Hallie Ephron’s compact guide, The Bibliophile’s Devotional. Each day of the year has a page that introduces you to something wonderful to read—mostly fiction, some classics, some contemporary; a little nonfiction; and even a couple of poetry suggestions. Each entry begins with the book’s first line, then includes a summary, and ends with a line from a review or quote about the book.

For example, take today (June 9). We read the enticing first line of O Pioneers! by Willa Cather:

One January day, thirty years ago, the little town of Hanover,  anchored on a windy Nebraska tableland, was trying not to be blown away.

Ephron succinctly describes the 1913 novel, deftly capturing its portrait of immigrants making their way in a harsh new land. The entry ends with a quote from Katherine Anne Porter in a review lauding Cather as having “clearness, warmth of feeling, a sense of the artist who could be trusted…”

Each day’s entry is equally delectable, inviting the reader to consider choosing that book to read—or re-read—that very day. Or soon.

There’s an art to summarizing the essence of a book in a few sentences, and Ephron has mastered that art. What a wonderful way to start every day, exploring possible new reading.

I bought this book for myself the year it was published (2009) and started every morning by reading the day’s passage. I recently came across my little book and was reminded of what a gem it is—and I’m going to re-read it, day by day, beginning tomorrow.

A note: The Bibliophile’s Devotional is available on Amazon, but recent reviewers note that the Kindle version has faults. It may be a better bet to try to find it at a second-hand store or library book sale. It is worth the hunt.