Ruined by Reading: A Life in Books by Lynne Sharon Schwartz

A delightful gem for book lovers, September 26, 2004****


Lynne Schwartz' "Ruined by Reading" has languished on my bookshelf for quite some time while I continued to read the latest bestsellers. I regret that I did not read this delightful essay on the joys of reading earlier. Filled with anecdotes about her childhood and her initial exposure to books, this paen to reading reminds us of how we felt as children when we first entered the kingdom of books and were whisked away from the "here and now" to enchanted lands. As I read her book, I was taken back to the two-room schoolhouse as a teacher exposed us to Long John Siver and "Treasure Island". I also recalled reading Leon Uris' "Exodus" as a teenager and the profound impact it had in shaping my view of the world and the evil that humans are capable of. No doubt you too will be reminded of similar experiences if you choose to read this delightful little gem for book lovers.