The Passing of a Book Lover

I run a small book club that actually reads the selected books. We are a tight group that loves books and sharing them, beyond our group reads. We have a page set up on Goodreads and talk about our lives, books and all things story in whatever form they exist. They are my tribe. The people who understand me. We may not always read the same books or genres, but we share a love of story and the feel of books in our hands. We are true readers.

Recently, we lost a member and it was devastating, but out of that loss has come a beautiful tribute to a reader.

Our friend has a large to-read pile numbering over 800 titles and we have decided to read it for her, each taking the books that appeal to us and marking off those already read. I think it’s a fitting way to honor her, a way to ease the loss.

It has made me think about life and books and how the two combine.

It is inevitable that readers will die with books on our side table we will never read and a to-read list that is far too numbered for any one person to read. My current to-read list (the short version) is over 700. My long list is far beyond that.

There will be series I will never finish, new authors I will never find and classics I will have never gotten around to reading despite carrying them on my list for decades.

The idea saddens me. My friend will never know how Game of Thrones ends, despite it being her favorite series. It seems so unfair.

We will read the end for her, but it won’t be the same. Still, it’s the best we have to offer and it is beautiful in its way. What could any reader want more than to know that the books set aside to be read will be. I think it is all any of us could hope for when it is our time.