Books That Haunt the Heart
When Stories Beckon from the Shelves
I originally planned to release this post in early February, but because so many were (and are still) suffering from the current political climate, I sat on it. Sharing my books felt like an ill-timed marketing pitch, as if I hadn’t read the room before barging through the door with my wonky-wheeled book cart.
Lately, however, I’ve witnessed several of you sharing the stories you’re reading in an effort to ease anxiety, welcome a distraction from this burning world, and/or as an act of rebellion. THEY WILL NOT STEAL MY JOY!
As such, I’m easing into the room with my squeaky little cart and setting up a table in the back corner. You are welcomed to mosey by or sit a while and rest with what I hope you’ll find is a really great read.
During the winter storm that blew through the South last month, I watched The Booksellers, a documentary about New York City’s bookstores—past and present—and rare book dealers.
One of the dealers made a statement that resonated in my bones when they said, and I paraphrase:
In the age of Amazon and Barnes and Noble, people don’t shop for books the way they used to. They typically know what they want to read and they buy it; readers don’t mosey into bookstores and stalk the shelves in search of a title that jumps out at them.
That’s the type of reader I am.
I’m in a perpetual search of stories that beckon me to read them. That means I’m also the type of reader who buys a book and saves it until I somehow know it’s the perfect time to read it. When this happens, it feels like the Universe knows exactly which story I need at the exact moment I need it. It’s as if reading were medicine or fuel... and I can assure you that it most certainly is both.
If you’re in want of a book to choose you,
I’m delighted to invite you to peruse my own collection. Who knows? You could stumble upon a story that beckons to be added to your shelf for reading in perfect timing.
What book is haunting you?
Comment the book you can’t get off your mind or heart. I’m eager to be summoned by my next read...
About Mandy
Amanda "Mandy" Hughes is an author and instructional designer who uses the tarot to inspire storytelling. Her book Mystic Storyteller: A Writer’s Guide to Using the Tarot for Creative Inspiration and companion tarot deck are helping her peers do exactly that. She also writes fiction under pen name A. Lee Hughes. Mandy lives in Georgia with her husband and four sons, two of whom are furrier than the others (but not by much). Visit her website at www.haintbluecreative.com and find her on Substack @HaintBlueCreative.