NWBL contributor and Village Books’ staffer Lindsey McGuirk sent out this New Year’s greeting in Village Books’ newsletter yesterday and we thought we’d reprint it here, with good reading wishes to all of our readers.
“I don’t know about you, but I completely buy into the idea of a new year being a fresh start. Hope for the future, reflecting on the past, learning from mistakes as well as victories. We get to regroup and lay out plans, even if they don’t all come to fruition. In so many ways, books help guide me to closer to becoming the person I want to be. I find solace in characters with whom I can relate, and who come out stronger and better in the end. And I’m always stunned by that amazing moment when someone has put to words something that I thought only I felt or experienced. Books make me feel less alone. They make me feel connected, even if it’s to people I’ll never meet. They also make me feel connected to people I have met, people that are part of my daily life. We share books and talk about books and connect on the ones we love and grow closer discussing the ones we disagree about. Books bring me closer to people and bring people closer to me. And when I’m struggling, it’s those people who will be there for me. So like every year before, this year I’ll continue on my journey with books, never knowing who a book will connect me to, but looking forward to that moment when the pieces come together.
Happy New Year, everyone!”
Catch up on all of Lindsey’s NWBL contributions from 2012, including many conversations with some of our favorite NW authors.