Fall is for readers

Happy Labor Day! Actually, forget that. Labor Day is fine and all, but what I’m really looking forward to is tomorrow.

Because even if Summer technically lasts until the 22^nd, I’m going to honor the unofficial start of Fall tomorrow.

I love Fall, every single thing about it. I’ve had this big heavy pink scarf I’ve been waiting to wear. Actually, I have a huge collection of scarves, because they’re easy to make and I love them. And they’ve been sadly ignored all Spring and Summer. But their time to shine is coming soon. I love the flavors of Fall, the cinnamon, cloves and ginger that everyone is actually appreciating in a pumpkin spiced latte. I love the smells of Fall, the leaves, the apples, even the smell of the heater coming on after a long Summer. In the Fall, I feel most alive, most vibrant. I feel like my true and authentic self.

The huge amount of stationary on sale this time of year doesn’t hurt.

I know that there are many of you cussing me out right now. I’m basically dancing on the grave of the most popular season in America. Well, I have news for you, I don’t care. I am celebrating Fall, and you should be celebrating too.

I’m assuming that if you’re on Paper Beats World, you’re kind of into books. In fact, I hope you’re insane about books. I hope you have book launch days marked on your calendar, don’t go anywhere without something to read, actually participated in the Goodreads Reading Challenge. I hope you’re that kind of reader because that’s who I’m writing for. And if you are that kind of reader, I have news for you.

Fall is made for books.

It is the season for stories, and I can prove it. For one thing, the Summer Blockbuster season is over, so we’re not going to movies as much. I do love movies, and that’s one of my favorite things about Summer. But now I’ve seen all that I really want to see. (Actually, I still want to see Christopher Robin and Slenderman.) Instead, I’m spending more nights chilling on the couch with kettle corn and my Kindle.

Actually, most of my outdoor activities get replaced with staying in and reading in the Fall. I probably get through more books this time of year than any other time. I also get more writing done, of course.

Honestly, everything about Fall is intended to make reading and writing the most pleasurable pursuits you can imagine. Consider a coffee shop in an Autumn storm, with the warmth and glowing lights inside. Everyone’s snug in sweaters and cozy jackets. Leather boots and soft knit scarves abound. The smell of coffee lingers in the air, and everyone is more inclined to linger over another cup. It’s all made so much better by the chill of outdoors, and the gratitude that comes from not being out there.

I mentioned that everyone is willing to linger this time of year. That’s good because in the coming months there might be little time to linger. The holidays are coming, and for most people, that means a lot of extra work added to already crammed full schedules. NaNoWriMo is also coming, and I know that’s going to take up a lot of my time. Then there’s weatherizing the house, and trying to finish up some projects before the year is done.

What I’m saying is, the quiet is not going to last, much like the pumpkin spice lattes we all love so much. So, we’ve got to savor both the season and the flavor while we can.

With all of this, I can definitely see why we chose this month for Banned Book Week. (Week? Didn’t this use to be a month-long event?)

I love this event, and every year I accept the challenge to read banned books. This year I’ll be reading Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury and Harriet The Spy, by Louise Fitzhugh.

I hope that you take advantage of Fall while it’s here. Please let us know in the comments below what books you’ll be reading for Banned Books Week.