Welcome to the Tea Room

So you might be wondering ---what exactly is the tea room?

The tea room is just a place to document my reading habits.

Why would I do that? Well, I read voraciously. I read science fiction, fantasy, romance and whatever else happens to strike my fancy. I am also a writer. So it goes without saying that reading a good book is an important part of being a decent writer.

I from time to time am going to post book reviews. These aren't going to spoil the stories, but they may contain some plot points. I figure if I take the time to read a novel, I should be a bit more willing to take the time to acknowledge that I read it, and rather I enjoyed the read or not.

So today is day one.

I picked up a copy of The Map of Time by Felix J Palma from my local public library. If you don't frequent your local library, you should.

I love libraries. I spent many a summer afternoon curled up in one section or another looking at and reading everything I could get my hands on, on one subject or another not to appreciate the wondrous nature of the library system.

In the area where I live, we are lucky. We have a fantastic library system made up of numerous buildings. Many of the small towns in the area have their own libraries. The large towns have bigger libraries that sprawl out in a landscape created by shelves populated by a seemingly endless supply of a paper and ink children who will wander into our lives and change the way we see ourselves and the world.

Books are a kind of magic that no one can deny. They can act as a catalyst, as conveyance, and most of all they can be escape. A writer once said that books were important not because they were escapist, but because they offered escape. The quote was much more eloquently put than that, and I believe it was Neil Gaiman, who said it, but the idea behind his words remains the same. Books provide safe havens for peoples whose hearts, minds and souls are at risk of being trampled on by the unkindness of the world.

He has a very valid point. Books can save lives. The  power of words is indisputable. Words have allowed rulers to rise and tyrants to fall. It's not all about the words, but what those words can incite people to do. Words can drive people to become more than they ever dared to dream, be it bad or good.

Mr. Gaiman's actual post regarding Escapism can be found here.

I've never met Neil Gaiman, I most likely never well, but by the simple fact of being one of the word smiths of the world, he's someone I would be honored to share a cup of tea with.

----Liese