Rebecca's Reading Room<p><strong>In the Company of Books: July Reflections and August Glimpses</strong></p><p><strong>Introducing the Monthly Review</strong></p><p>This post marks the beginning of a new tradition in Rebecca’s Reading Room—a monthly reflection on the books, poems, and ideas we’ve explored together. It’s a moment to look back on the stories that shaped the past few weeks and offer a glimpse of what’s to come. I hope it becomes a place of pause, connection, and literary companionship.</p><blockquote><p><em>“Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.”<br></em></p><p>Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird</p></blockquote><p>Each month in Rebecca’s Reading Room is a quiet celebration—not just of what I’ve read, but of how far I’ve come in my reading journey. As I turn the page from July into August, I pause to ask: What did these stories mean to me? Did they shift the way I see the world, my community, or myself?</p><p>Perhaps a poem softened my gaze. A novel stirred empathy. A work of non-fiction sparked outrage—or understanding. Have I become more compassionate? More strategic in my thinking? More alive to nuance, complexity, and beauty?</p><p>This is the gift of reading: it doesn’t end with the final page. It lingers. It questions. It transforms.</p><p><strong>Here’s what July brought into my shared space:</strong></p><p><a href="https://rebeccasreadingroom.ca/2025/07/02/empire-of-pain-by-patrick-radden-keefe-read-via-blinkist/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">July 2 – Book Review: </a>Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe. A compelling exposé of the Sackler family and the opioid crisis, this review reflected on power, accountability, and the ripple effects of silence.</p><p><a href="https://rebeccasreadingroom.ca/2025/07/05/morning-reflection-change-endures/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">July 5 – Morning Reflection:</a> Change Endures. A brief meditation on the nature of change—how it unsettles us, shapes us, and reminds us that nothing living stays the same.</p><p><a href="https://rebeccasreadingroom.ca/2025/07/07/benediction-by-georgia-douglas-johnson/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">July 7 – Poetry Reflection</a>: Benediction by Georgia Douglas Johnson. This lyrical blessing from mother to son offered a quiet prayer for strength, hope, and dignity in the face of a turbulent world.</p><p><a href="https://rebeccasreadingroom.ca/2025/07/10/bibliotherapy/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">July 10 – Essay:</a> The Serendipitous Benefits of Reading for Healing. Books as balm. I explored how reading restores, soothes, and brings clarity during times of emotional fatigue.</p><p><a href="https://rebeccasreadingroom.ca/2025/07/11/milestone-to-kill-a-mockingbird-by-harper-lee/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">July 11 – Milestone Post:</a> To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Marking its 64th anniversary, I reflected on this literary touchstone and the enduring questions it poses about empathy and justice.</p><p><a href="https://rebeccasreadingroom.ca/2025/07/20/sunday-reflection-a-garden-at-the-threshold/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">July 20 – Reflection:</a> A Garden at the Threshold. The truest reflection happens when we let the world move through us without words. Just music. Just petals in the breeze. Just the soft companionship of being alive to the moment.</p><p><a href="https://rebeccasreadingroom.ca/2025/07/22/the-square-of-sevens-a-journey-through-cards-mystery-and-literary-alchemy/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">July 23 – Book Review:</a> Book Review: The Square of Sevens: A Journey Through Cards. Inspired by a rare 1897 text on cartomancy, this post began an artistic and symbolic journey into the visual language of tarot, chance, and cultural storytelling.</p><p><strong>Looking Ahead to August…</strong></p><p>As summer deepens, the Reading Room turns toward myth, memory, and poetic resonance. Here’s what’s coming soon:</p><p>August 4 – It Was Summer When I Found You: A Reflection on Sappho: A lyrical meditation on love, longing, and the voice of one of antiquity’s most enigmatic poets.</p><p>August 18 – The Bard’s Corner: Finding Ourselves in Shakespeare’s Sonnets. How do we meet ourselves in Shakespeare’s words? This new entry in The Bard’s Corner explores timeless sonnets and the emotions they continue to stir.</p><p>August 25 – Gardens of Memory: Rediscovering Julia Kelly’s The Last Garden in England<br>A novel that spans generations and landscapes, inviting us to reflect on what we plant—and what remains.</p><p><strong>My Takeaways</strong></p><p>As I look back on July, I’m struck by how each piece—whether poem, novel, or essay—revealed a different facet of human complexity. Empire of Pain challenged me to consider the ethical dimensions of silence and legacy. To Kill a Mockingbird returned me to the fundamental importance of compassion and justice. Georgia Douglas Johnson offered strength in blessing. Even the mysterious imagery of The Square of Sevens reminded me that symbols endure because we keep finding ourselves in them.</p><p>What stays with me most is the reminder that reading is not escape—it is encounter. With history. With grief. With joy. With ambiguity. It invites me to become a better listener, to see beyond the obvious, and to hold complexity without rushing to resolution. </p><p>In every reflection I shared, I also discovered something new in myself.</p><blockquote><p><em>“The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.”</em></p><p>René Descartes</p></blockquote><p class="">A Note to My Readers</p><p>Many posts in August will have comments closed as I’ll be travelling through Norway—seeking stories, inspiration, and quiet moments among fjords and midsummer skies. I look forward to reconnecting in September with new reflections and perhaps a photo or two from the journey.</p><p>Until then, may the books beside your chair continue to whisper wisdom and wonder.</p><p><strong><em>Rebecca</em></strong></p><p><a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://rebeccasreadingroom.ca/tag/glimpses/" target="_blank">#Glimpses</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://rebeccasreadingroom.ca/tag/in-the-company-of-books/" target="_blank">#InTheCompanyOfBooks</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://rebeccasreadingroom.ca/tag/reflections/" target="_blank">#Reflections</a></p>