Always a Reader

A reflection and prayer to start the day with Andrea Rea.

Good morning.

I’m a reader and always have been. So I was delighted recently to discover recently that a much-loved obsession of my teenage and early adult years in America, the Book of the Month Club, is still going strong.

In fact – on this day, 100 years ago, the newly formed Book of the Month Club sent out its first book selection to subscribers. The chosen book was by the English author, Silvia Townsend Warner. Her book, "Lolly Willowes or the Loving Huntsman", is a satirical social novel about a young woman who becomes a witch. How delightful! It touches on gender roles, family love, social convention and religion. It’s been called an early feminist classic and was, I think, an impressive choice for an emerging book subscription service – especially since the first directors of the company were all men.

The Club has always focussed on up-and-coming authors, giving a boost to new writers, many of whom have gone on to become household names. For the club’s tenth anniversary in 1936, a book by unknown author Margaret Mitchell was the main choice. It was called Gone With the Wind. John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men was a choice the following year, and Book of the Month’s 25th anniversary year choice, JD Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye became one of the most taught and most censored books in American history.

Despite declining rates of reading, Book of the Month, is gaining in popularity in America, with over 400,000 active subscribers. So there’s hope for readers – and writers yet.

Lord God, thank you for books and learning. Help us to continue to value the written word, even as we are bombarded every day by sounds and screens. Help us to find quiet places in our lives to explore the joy of reading.

Amen