Heartbeat of another

My relationship with books has always been rich and intense, and now the question arises how to take it to the next level.

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A book is a heart that only beats in the chest of another.
—Rebecca Solnit

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I was always reading extensively since early age. Books were my friends. My reading might have been interrupted when I took time out to co-write own life-story and romance (HIGHLY recommended). That’s when the internet took over and I barely spared a moment to look at a story of another in book format.

But when my life was put in swift motion with an occasional earthquake, it was time again to listen to what others have to say, be it bloggers or book authors. I love that I’ve been reading again, be it firm-bodied or invisible books, your posts or articles on a variety of subjects that interest me.

I wish to draw your attention to my Booklist which is compiled by your favourite book titles. It means the most to me when somebody trusts me with their favourite title(s). All you need to do is click on the link and see if your favourite is on the list already, and if it isn’t drop it in a comment. Just beware that when I get around to reading it, I’ll know more about you than your bartender/hairdresser/shaman/analyst. 😀

And when I figure out what, how and for whom to write so that my book would not remain sitting in the storage, or linger unread on the web, or reach a handful of kind folks like my blog pieces do and then be swept away by always new, new, new, so much of it, on an hourly basis, in the matter of minutes like earthquakes when there are 20 in an hour (I’m not exaggerating, here is live feed) – or even if I don’t: the time is ripe to make my heartbeat heard.

In the meantime, here is my storybook with pictures. (I recommend clicking on the first.)

One of my first heroes: Winnie-the-Pooh

Followed by an even bigger heroine: Pippi (and bestia). The book courtesy of a Pippi from another coast.

This is mom’s book with poems for children (the translation of one poem from it follows below). Mom and dog #1 illustrated by Mina Fina.

When I moved to Italy, amore’s Ford proved to be a bottomless pit, so I could also bring some books. Heap 1.

Heap 2 of the move survivors.

A bit later the third addition followed.

These were handpicked by our Chairman.

Or is it Stairmaster?

The first arrangement was by colour.

Red and black and white, ahh.

Just a bit out of the way, hm?

Soon other books and new shelves were added and the colour code was broken.

The view from the stairs.

A very special shelf with the very favourites: Winterson, Vonnegut, Robbins, Adams, Kureishi, Oklopdžić, García Márquez, Rushdie, Irving, Morrison, Porle, Dimkovska…

Mom’s friend borrowed me this one. Just right for two who have met online. In English it is, cluelessly, called “Love Virtually”. The catchline above reads: “Writing is like kissing, only without lips.”

The last batch of firm-bodied acquisitions.

Even though nowadays I read the most in this way. It’s great if your shelves are full and you don’t wish to disturb the one next to you.

I put in our olive tree only that which I really love. Mom’s book “The Present”.

You read it, you colour it, you close it, you translate it.

Let me finish with a poem from mom’s book, first in original and then as translated by me. It was a bit tricky because the poem describes the behaviour of letters by using the letter in question throughout. I decided to use the letter in every word (in the case of “r” in the second line only.)

Illustrated by Mina Fina.

WHAT LETTERS CAN DO
by Meta Maksimovič, translated by Manja Maksimovič

A – STANDS APART AND TRAVELS FAR.
E – WHEELS HER FEET OVER THE STREET.
I – HIGHLY LIFTS HIS TINY FIST.
O – HOLLOW HOLE SLOWLY ROLLS.
U – RUDELY LAUGHS BUT BUYS YOU STUFF.

JUST R CAN DO NOTHING MORE
THAN MURMUR, PURR AND SNORE.

Photo: a © signature mmm production