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Saturday, October 15, 2016

Unlocking Worlds: A Reading Companion for Book Lovers

by Sally Allen

I read this wonderful book on a trip to Oregon and the California Redwoods via Glacier Park, Spokane, and Seattle.  My husband did the driving - it's our favorite kind of trip.  Mostly I watched the scenery and listened to our favorite music but in the evenings and when we would stop somewhere awe-inspiring I would read morsels from this book.  Sometimes I read aloud to Myke as he drove and that would spark a discussion on books, authors, and the magic of reading.

The problem with reading at a jaw-droppingly beautiful vista is you don't get much reading done.  In my plans for the trip I wanted to provide pockets of time to just sit and soak in the surroundings.  If I read a bit I remember both the book and the scene more vividly.  And if I have a tasty treat the memory can become a lasting one.

I read the majority of the book in our hotel rooms while Myke documented our trip on Face Book.  It's easy to concentrate in the mediocre environment of a hotel room compared with the grandeur of Glacier National Park.

I highlighted so many passages.  When I finish a book I quite often go back and reread those passages and then when I sit down to write my review I get to read them again.  Memories flow back in and passages are valued over again.  I'm not suppose to share bits from an advance-copy book because those bits may not show up in the published book.  

Allen shares her views about reading, connecting with the world the author creates, and the shared experience of various readers of the same book.  I related with her experiences with the written word.  She so eloquently describes what I feel and also opens up some new perspectives.

The harm in reading this insightful book is adding many more books to my lengthy list of to-be-read books.  The upside to that is I recently finished reading The Light Between Oceans.

I strongly recommend this book to any and all book lovers.  You will discover like-mindedness with Allen and you'll enjoy reading about her recommendations.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. This review reflects my honest opinions. No compensation was received.**

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