Brenda AKA Inhaler of Books

**For a few months, I was keeping a book blog called Inhaler of Books. I soon came to realize, however, that it wasn't for me and certainly not worth taking time away from this blog which is where my family would like to see me more often. So I am shutting it down, but there are some things I wrote that I want to keep. I am moving some posts over here and I will hopefully take the time to talk here about what I am reading once in a while.**

**Originally written on October 6, 2009.**

My own space. A space to call my own. A space that is all my own even if I do have to be present at my laptop in order to gain access. A space where I can be creative and design to my heart's content. Okay, starting to sound a little like an HGTV show now.

It's been much too long since I've given real purposeful thought to what I read in books. I love reading and I love what I take with me from my reading, but I miss writing about what literature teaches me like I did in college. I had a professor whom I loved but whose name I now, sadly, can't remember who taught me to expand on the thoughts I have while reading. He wanted us to think on purpose and at length. Most of all he wanted us to write it all down.

I loved it! Many students complained about their reading journal but I truly got into the spirit of it. It became a wonderful exercise to me to start out with some thoughts on a poem, short story or novel and see where those thoughts took me. Without sounding too existentialist, I actually learned quite a bit about myself. I also was able to use it to vent my college girl angst. Very helpful since I was every bit as much a twit as the students I now teach.

Anyway, I am happy to have this space. I hope to use it well although I fully and firmly believe that life will get in the way of being here as much as I would like to be. Eventually I may reach out and put my URL out there in the comments box of some brilliant book blogger, but for now this space is mine all mine!