April 23rd is World Book Day

Did you know that?
Well, now you do.

I came across a post from Mikro Karavaki Bookstore (Little Ship Bookstore) today on Facebook. I follow them—they’re based in Greece and always manage to stop me in my scroll with their thoughtful posts and beautifully curated images. There’s something intentional and eye-catching about their aesthetic. I’m drawn in every time.

Today, they shared this quote:
“To talk about the books we love is to talk about our lives.”
They credited it to Massimo Recalcati, and included the Greek version:

Το να μιλήσουμε για τα βιβλία που αγαπήσαμε σημαίνει να μιλήσουμε για τη ζωή μας.
| Massimo Recalcati | Με ανοιχτό βιβλίο • Μια ζωή είναι τα βιβλία της | μτφρ.: Χρήστος Πονηρός | εκδόσεις Κέλευθος |

Recalcati is an Italian psychoanalyst—and hopefully a good human, too. Regardless, the quote stopped me. It made me think about the books I have written—the Shepherd and Wolfe Mystery Series and my own memoir. I love them all. They are, in many ways, like my children. I grew them from a thought (with the help of my writing partner, David) and put a lot of time into making them whole books. I have hopes and dreams for them. I want them to be liked, to be treated well. I want them to matter—to influence, to connect.

Especially My List, My Rules—that book is literally talking about my life. The quote above could not be more fitting.

Then I went to Google.

Turns out, “to talk about the books we love is to talk about our lives” isn’t definitively attributed to one author. It’s more of a shared sentiment—something felt deeply and expressed in many forms. Some sources even linked it to Raymond Carver, though my personal favorite is from Jay Kristoff, who wrote:

“The books we love, they love us back. And just as we mark our places in the pages, those pages leave their marks on us. I can see it in you, sure as I see it in me. You’re a daughter of the words. A girl with a story to tell.”
— Jay Kristoff, Nevernight

Isn’t that the loveliest thing you’ve ever read?

So here’s to World Book Day—from one writer and book lover to you.
As always, thank you for reading, Lovelies.