Books as Oracles by Catharine Bramkamp
Let’s welcome back monthly columnist Catharine Bramkamp as she shares with us “Books as Oracles.” Enjoy!
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The Power of Bookstores
I wrote a blog about finding your next career or even passion by visiting a book store.
I considered this as I was prepping for a trip to Moe’s Books in Berkeley.
A four story treasure house of used and new books.
I can spend three hours in this store and feel I only scratched the surface.
I love huge used bookstores.
You probably do too.
Entering with a Plan
And I also guess that like me you don’t walk into a book store unarmed with no battle plan.
And if you avoid bookstores because they are overwhelming, what you need is to be armed.
With a plan.
At least a list.
My Amazon Wish List Strategy
My list is kept by Amazon.
Whatever and whenever a book captures my eye, I find it on Amazon and add it to my wish list.
I love my Amazon wish list.
Every time I see an interesting book — referenced in a newsletter, a review, an article, a book club recommendation, I toss the book into the Amazon wish list — free, organized, TBR (To Be Read) without the cost.
From Digital to Analog
When I travel to a marvelous book store, or just want to support our Indie bookstores in town, I pull about 10 to 15 books from the list and create a hard copy list of what I want to find in the bookstore.
That’s the plan.
Tracking Past Reads
I also carry the history of past battles.
I don’t enter a library or a marvelous used bookstore, without my history of read books (on Notes in my phone).
This helps in a used bookstore, and it is critical at Friends of the Library sales.
I started the reading book list ever since the afternoon I pulled a book from the crowded sales shelf and thought, wow, this looks great!
It was.
I’d donated it last year.
Wish List
I love books so much that I consistently overestimate the time I have to read versus the wealth of published books.
The Amazon book list holds all my scattered enthusiasm and ideas about what I probably, likely, very soon, will read.
The list holds every book that catches my eye (I’m like a magpie) and stands at about 250 books ready to be purchased.
Why so many?
Sometimes the interest is brief and on further inspection, the book is deleted from the list.
Sometimes I realize the book is exactly what I need and it is promoted to the shopping cart.
And sometimes it serves as the indie bookstore search engine.
A Reflection on Reading Focus
Prior to the drive to Berkeley, I skimmed down the 200 or so books on the wish list and pulled out 13 to focus my Saturday search.
Out of thirteen books:
- 6 books were on art and artists — specifically the Hudson River School and Impressionism.
- 2 books on creativity
- 3 bio’s of poets and artists.
- and a couple of novels.
What does that say?
Interestingly, my spontaneous book choices directly reflected the theme of my next book Take Up Space, Art and Creativity in the Second Half of Life.
Surprises from the Subconscious
The books I chose followed along with my current passion.
Which is very affirming.
And so easy, you may think I made it up just to create a great example.
Yes, the list reflected the current project, which is great.
But I also loved to be surprised, from another book list I have to consider what exactly Laura Ingalls Wilder has in common with John Ashbery?
I’ll get back to you on that.
The list doesn’t always make sense, but since it comes from your subconscious, there is something there worth exploring.
Reading Habits and Hidden Desires
If you have a book wish list, take a look.
Do you like to collect all the books of a specific author? (A list of read fiction is critical, kindle helps by informing me I already have a book that I wanted to upload because it sounded good).
But while standing in the basement of an old library where the community cast-offs lurk?
I’m on my own, and there is no cell signal.
So it’s hard to remember if I read this Terry Pratchett or that Anne Perry.
But for a dollar, I’m willing to take the risk.
Do you choose fiction based on place or time?
On this list, do you choose books related to the same subject?
Your List, Your Self
How often does this happen?
If you are choosing reading material for pleasure, what books surface?
Are you an engineer but keep adding books on the Great War to the list and to the pile of To Be Read?
Are you a baker but love to read the biographies of Roman Emperors?
Are you a librarian but collect cookbooks?
From the list –– imagine you can buy any ten books.
What do those ten choices reveal?
Let Books Inspire New Paths
Or how do those ten choices inspire you?
Would you take a cooking class?
Travel to Rome?
Write an article about the Battle of the Somme for a newsletter?
Can a simple trip to a bookstore spark a new creative pursuit?
Or do you just want to buy the next book club pick on sale and be done with it?
It’s a book.
I approve of it all.
For more on books, creativity and writing: Out Loud, An Adventure in Writing for Women
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Catharine Bramkamp is a successful writing coach, Chief Storytelling Officer, former co-producer of Newbie Writers Podcast, and author of a dozen books including the Real Estate Diva Mysteries series, and The Future Girls series. She holds two degrees in English and is an adjunct university professor. After fracturing her wrist, she has figured out there is very little she is able to do with one hand tied behind her back. She delights in inspiring her readers.
