Kathy Carlton Willis shines the light through her communications firm as writer, publicist, coach, editor, speaker, and more. She’s built a network of industry connections and is affiliated with Advanced Writers and Speakers Association as well CLASSeminars. Her columns and book reviews have appeared online and in print. Kathy is a contributing author for The Reason We Speak, It Happened By Design: A Series of God-Incidence Stories, and Groovy Chicks’ Road Trip to Peace. She is editor and writer for The Christian Pulse devotions. She’s enjoyed stocking empty church library bookshelves to equip readers with tall “to be read” stacks, and is always on the hunt for her next favorite read. Check out her professional blog at http://kcwcomm.blogspot.com and her Website at http://www.kathycarltonwillis.com/. KCWC offers a wide range of services at every price-point, with several new services added just this month, as Kathy’s husband Russ joins the firm to double the luminosity.

This Thanksgiving season I issued a challenge to list reasons to be thankful for books. In fact, I think books top the list for non-breathing objects of my gratitude—it even seems as if books do breath.

When I learned to read, new worlds opened up to me. Even though I grew up in a town of 4,000 people, I felt like the entire world was as close as the nearest book.

Growing Up Surrounded by Books

Rhyming books entertained me and taught me character lessons before I really knew what character was! Dr. Seuss made me chuckle while showing me to be good to people.

I lived inside the lives of others through their biographies, teaching me the “stuff of life” necessary for success. I didn’t aspire to be them when I grew up; I aspired to be the me I was meant to be. Reading their stories proved my dreams possible. These heroes didn’t allow their limitations and trials to keep them from achieving greatness. I determined not to be a victim of my circumstances!

Novels taught me the good, the bad, and the ugly of romance. Before I ever went on my first date, I had developed preferences concerning the opposite sex. I could differentiate between fantasy and reality, which helped me avoid the drama of love life.

Our local movie theater was often out of business. So instead of watching movies, I learned to create movies in my head by reading books. I sifted through the clues found in edge-of-my-seat mysteries and psychological thrillers, thoroughly entertaining myself—as if my brain had developed Technicolor imagination.

Continuing Education as an Adult

I learn different languages by reading. Not foreign languages in the proper sense of the word, but different terminology. I can speak intelligently on a variety of subjects, thanks to books. For example, I understand the medicalese of the healthcare profession. I also learned the industry of writing and publicity by allowing books to answer my questions. Questions are like an appetite to me, and reading is the food of choice to appease the hunger.

Every time I take on a new job, I enroll in unofficial “continuing education” at the library. When it was time to teach court-ordered anger management to offenders, I bulked up my know-how through reading what the experts had to say on the subject.

Books encompass every part of my continued learning. I turn to books when I need to learn more about diabetes and other health situations. I consult cookbooks when I want new recipes. Now that we’re working to live on less, books teach me helpful tips to save money.

I’m thankful for books because they help me grow. They entertain me—I’m never bored. They educate me—I’m never done learning. They empower me—I can take my life into my own hands. And they inspire me—pointing me to a God bigger than life.

How are you thankful for books?

Read what others have to say on the subject, and make your own gratitude list.

Gratitude Quotes about Reading and Books

“I’m thankful for reading because it allowed me to strengthen my imagination, and in turn develop a passion for storytelling.” Jesse Tschopp

“I am thankful for books because it’s my break away from everything. My chance to sit and actually relax.” Jocelyn Weidel Pethtel

“I’m thankful for reading because words are delicious.” Holly Baxley

“Even from the heart of Africa I can walk the streets of New York, climb the mountains of Tibet, and sail into the islands of the South Pacific—all while enjoying the comfort of sitting on my veranda watching the splendor of an African sunset.” Patrick G. Coleman

“When as a child life became too hard, books allowed me to escape for a little while.” Lee Franklin

“In a book you can escape for a while and be anything or go anywhere. A wonderful source of knowledge. I am always in the mood to read!” Katherine Little

“I get to enter a whole new world, a whole new time, a whole new place. I can be anyone, anywhere, anything I want to be. I can forget everything going on in my life for just a little bit.” Rebecca LeeStrong Hitt

“I am thankful for books because they have saved me from myself. The way I love to tell stories, I might have become a compulsive liar . . . or a politician . . . or a used car salesman.” Sandie Bricker

“Books unlock windows with unfamiliar vistas, views that are hard to see from my usual perspective. They open doors previously bolted shut, either because of my ignorance or my unwillingness to see what’s on the other side.” Ron Benson

“I am thankful for books because without them, the world would be a dimmer, duller, dumber place.” Loree Lough

“Books make me laugh, they make me cry, they take me away . . . and they grow my mind. I am thankful for books because they not only advance civilization, they advance faith. They bring me closer to God and closer to my brothers and sisters . . . and give us a way to speak to those who come after us.” Roseanna White

“I am thankful for books because they allow me to discover such rich landscapes of history, people, and places my eyes will never see. I am thankful for reading because I am allowed to and I can.” Pam Starman Stoddard

“My family has always been a reading family, and now that I am retired I always want to have a next book to go to.” Helen Gebhart Wolf

“I’m thankful for books because they teach me. As long as there are books, I’ll never stop learning.” Debra L. Butterfield

“I am thankful for books, for they let me know I am not alone.” Golden Keyes Parsons

“I can escape this world, explore others, and go back or forward in time. I can truly feel what others have experienced.” Billi Geary

“Books continue to give readers a wealth of knowledge and wisdom. They are the teaching tool. Where would we be without books?” Marvin Ferguson

“A bookstore is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking.” Jerry Seinfeld