Getting lost (and found) in the wonderment of a good book.

 I love a good book – Fiction or Non-fiction, it doesn’t matter. If the writing is good, I will most certainly get lost (and found) in the pages.

A good book will take me on a Journey. A Journey brimming with opportunities to discover new places, new people, new ways of being.  I lose (and find) myself there – time and again. A good book will take me away – to another time.  I will find myself there too.

My imagination takes me away to another realm. I lose myself in the pages – just for a little while. My grateful heart always brings me home.

A good book will awaken the senses. The brilliance and intensity of each are limited only by our imagination.  With every word, we create its sensory counterpart through our imagination – we visualize, we hear, we smell, we taste, we touch.  

Beyond the joy of getting lost in the story, and the many known benefits of reading, I have discovered three added bonuses that occur when I get lost (and ultimately found) in the wonderment of a good book.   

An Opportunity to Travel.

Many authors will create stories centred in their most beloved and familiar places. The beauty and wonderment of the familiar are eloquently shared as their story unfolds. 

Best selling author Nicholas Sparks resides in New Bern, North Carolina, and many of his books are centred in North Carolina. His descriptive writing transforms my arena to a coastal masterpiece.  Every page reveals details about his beloved North Carolina. The sounds and smell of the ocean vividly come to life through his narrative.  He welcomes his readers to the shores of the Outer Banks. I accept his invitation every time.  

Another favourite author of mine, Liane Moriarty lives in Australia, and many of her stories take shape with Australia as the backdrop. The uniqueness of living ‘Down Under’ is effortlessly brought into view with each reference to Landmarks, Culture and Architecture that are the essence of Australia. In those moments, I am there, in Australia with her characters.

Irish Author Marian Keyes often invites her readers to walk the streets of Dublin, Ireland through her stories. It doesn’t take long before your senses come to life with hints of Irish music, dialects, and scenery.  The Irish charm will inevitably leap from the pages.

Critically acclaimed author James Patterson has sold over 300 million copies worldwide.  With 147 novels under his belt, of which 114 are on the New York Times best-selling list, there’s a reason he is so popular.

A James Patterson book will most certainly take you through the streets of New York or Washington, solving crime.  Through his Alex Cross series, we are immersed in the everyday life of a forensic psychologist. With each novel, he invites me to join him (safely from the sidelines) in his crime-fighting, clever and heroic existence. 

Regardless of which author you lean towards or favour, their stories will invite you to explore a place. With the turn of every page, we become more acquainted – the place becomes more real, more familiar. 

Through their words and my imagination, I have been transported to Italy, London, Afghanistan, South Africa, Vietnam, Poland, and more.

That’s the Wonderment of a book.  We travel without moving an inch.

An Opportunity to Expand your thinking

Rarely do I read a book where I am not presented with a word or concept that intrigues and motivates me to explore it further.  I am ardent to discover its truth and origin.  I eagerly join a knowledge-seeking, perspective expanding mission.

It could be a name, historical event, or concept that I am not familiar with.  As I read, my knowledge and understanding grow. If I still have questions, with a few simple keyboard taps or a Google voice command, my knowledge and understanding are further expanded. The web of learning will often spread well beyond my initial quest.   

An Opportunity to Quiet the mind

In our increasingly demanding and high-intensity world, it is healthy to escape and quiet the mind. 

When I read, my mind is focused only on reading the words. I simply can’t digest the words while being distracted and thinking about something else. It’s not possible. If I do, it’s usually brief, just until I realize I have no idea what I just read and have to re-read it.  It’s usually only a few sentences.

When I concentrate and just read, I am completely enthralled in the story.  My mind is quiet.  I am not thinking about or bothered by my daily woes or my to-do-lists.  I am simply and wondrously – with every turn of the page – enjoying the story as it unfolds.

That’s the wonderment of a book. We get permission to quiet the mind and stay there for a while.   

Thank you for allowing me to share my joy of reading. I’d love to hear from you, and welcome any book or author suggestions you would like to share.

With gratitude,

Nicole Osmond

Customer Success Coach

As a Customer Success Coach and 3 X business owner, I am living my passion and helping companies succeed by cultivating a customer committed mindset.

A Writer with Heart – I weave words together to stimulate, elevate, and motivate. My blog is my canvas to share my ‘experience nuggets’ with you! Thanks for stopping by! With gratitude, always – Nicole