It was Harry S. Truman who said, “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers”. Reading is one of my favorite ways to help me understand the people, places, and things around me as well as find inspiration to reach my potential.
I have always enjoyed reading, but often find competing activities for my time -- taking care of my family, managing my full-time job, and staying involved in volunteer work. I have often said that my ideal vacation is sitting on beach under a palapa, listening to waves on the beach as I work my way through a stack of books.
I dive-in to reading all kinds of books -- self help, historical fiction, religious, sci fi, motivational, and biographies. Currently, I have a list of 119 books on my "Want to Read" list in the GoodReads app.
Last year my dream vacation didn't come true, but I did unexpectedly found myself in a position to read with almost unlimited time. On July 17, 2021, I had my first (and only) grand mal seizure that was so intense that I broke my back in three places -- two compression fractures and one burst fracture. I was severely restricted in my movement for several weeks. For the first time in my life, I couldn't take care of my family, go to work, or even volunteer. So to pass the time and take my mind off of my injury, I read. And read. And read. In fact, I read 56 books totaling 20,822 pages in 2021.
Although I hope to never repeat such a severe and limiting injury in my life, I appreciate the time I had to read like never before. Below are screen shots from my GoodRead apps of some of my favorite books that I read in 2021.
What are your favorite reads?
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