Fox Cities Book Festival -- Part 3

This afternoon, I took an hour of PTO and went to check out one last author at the Fox Cities Book Festival. Will Schwalbe, the author of End of My Life Book Club, was going to be at the Neenah Library at 3:30. If realized this earlier in the week, I could have flexed my schedule and won't have had to take PTO but such is life.

Let me start of saying how much I love Neenah Library. I had free 2 hour parking on the street and they had cookies and beverages. Nothing fancy, just Oreos and water and hot water for coffee and tea. This is first event that I saw refreshments. And they have band-aids so when you cut your finger on the book drop or the door, you don't have to leak blood everywhere.

Will was another fantastic speaker. He talked about his mom, books, and life. It was mostly about his mom and antidotes about her like how her dying wish was to build a library in Kabul, Afghanistan.

His message was simple. A book should make you want to do something when you finish reading it. That something doesn't have to big or flashy but the book should motivate you in some form. It might be taking the time to learn more about the topic you just read, not skipping over an article on Afghanistan or some other unknown place, or talking about the book. Your motivation could be bigger like writing your Congress person or donating time/money to the cause in the book. I have to agree. Books, even those summer beach reads, are more than just words on a page. They make you think, hope, dream, and pray. Books can take you places. They can help you discover new places, new ideas, new things about yourself.

Will's other message was just as simple as the first. Books are great conversation starters. "What are you reading?" can be a way to connect to people and maybe find something new to read. Maybe you have a relative/friend/co-worker you don't talk to much because you don't have much to say but if you ask them what they are reading, you may be surprised how the conversation will flow from there. I'm pretty sure this won't work on all people because the hubby is not a reader. If I asked him that question, the response I'd get would be the sports page or some rule book. However, the sports page can be a good topic of conversation and just maybe it might get him to read a sports book. Doubtful but I can try.

So my friends, what are you reading?