Photos show you I am also a bookworm.

Nicholas Sparks is one of my favorite authors.

I love to read. I could lose myself for hours in a book. In fact, I make myself stay away from reading during the day because if I got started I would still be immersed in that book till dark. Then I’d get nothing done. That would not be good. I have too much to do.

I reward myself with books normally. I have this internal dialogue that says, “If you get this done or that done, you can sit and read for an hour.” Sometimes that works out just fine. Other times, I have to delay my reward until I have uninterrupted time to wallow in the wonders of fictional adventures or pursue the knowledge of non-fiction insights. Often I read before I fall asleep at night, frequently waking up with the book straddled across my chest.

Snow days in the wintertime are the best! I wrote in a previous post that I indulge in my photographs on days like that. When I’m not doing photography, I’m rewarding myself with a good book. That is especially cozy when the electricity goes out. I light a candle or find a flashlight and curl up with my book. Sigh.

Some of my best reads have been Jodi Picoult’s Nineteen Minutes, House Rules and The Pact. I give them a great reference. Most of Nicholas Sparks books warm my heart. Wish I could write like he does. I loved The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. That’s a book I will never forget, and then Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese is totally memorable. The Harry Potter Series will be an all time favorite. I could list my favorites for hours and hours.

Inside: Take a book off the shelf and put your feet up.

I’ve decided to make myself a snow day even in the summertime. Periodically, I think we all would benefit from leaving our responsibilities for an afternoon or a day and retreating into a good book. Make a cup of tea. Depending on the time of year, curl up with a quilt or sprawl in front of a fan. It’s the most wonderful mental health day ever…like a vacation without spending a dime.

For that reason, I've created a greeting card that you can send to a deserving friend or family member, especially if they are on the 'schedule treadmill' meeting all kinds of deadlines and taking no time for themselves. Invite them to take a snow day even in summer. Take a snow day. Grab a book. Explore new lands, solve a murder mystery, fall in love or read up on a subject that is yet unknown.

I hope you get everything done you want to do today. I will do my best because I have 'a carrot' waiting for me tonight. I will read and love every minute of that relaxation. Join me?

Comments welcome. Maybe recommend a good book.