The Blog

Do you have your book ready for reading on Wednesday? Everybody else is going to be reading then, and you don’t want to be left out. A recent survey by Barnes and Noble found that Americans turn to books and periodicals on Thanksgiving Eve more than any other day of the year, primarily to help ease the stress of traveling.

The top five reasons respondents said they turn to reading while traveling are

• Reading is a good pastime if I get delayed while traveling. (56 percent)
• Reading is relaxing and helps ease the stress of hectic traveling. (53 percent)
• A good book “transports” me somewhere else. (47 percent)
• I can catch up on books that I have wanted to read, but normally do not have the time to read. (47 percent)
• Reading gives me a chance to learn something new. (46 percent)

I know which book I’ll be reading on Wednesday, even though I’m not traveling. It’s The Risen by Ron Rash. I started reading it on Sunday and am quite caught up in it. It’s the story of a mysterious young woman who arrives in a small North Carolina town in 1969 and immediately captures the fascination of 16-year-old Eugene and his older brother, Bill.

After baking and getting ready for my family who’re coming on Thanksgiving Day, it’ll be fun to relax with a book.