For Nancy Sims of Cape Girardeau, reading has always been an intergenerational endeavor. As a child, her grandfather often bought her comic books, which ignited her lifelong love of reading. When her children were younger, she bought a newspaper everyday and they read it together, especially enjoying the comics.
Now, Sims has four grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren who share her love of reading; looking at and buying books at bookstores is a hobby she and her granddaughters enjoy doing together, and she buys books for and reads with her great-grandchildren.
Sims says she especially enjoys reading during the wintertime, when she can stay inside.
“You can read a book and learn how other people live and stuff like that,” Sims says. “It gives you some ideas. People traveling, gives you some ideas and maybe something you want to do later on in life or whenever you can get a chance.”
Sims says she doesn’t discriminate when buying books; if it catches her interest, she’ll buy it. Her collection includes many selections from Oprah’s Book Club, romance novels by Danielle Steel, cookbooks, inspirational non- fiction books by TD Jakes, and titles including “Roots” by Alex Haley, “Madea’s Uninhibited Commentary on Love and Life” by Tyler Perry and “The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois” by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers. Her favorite book is “First Wives Club” by Olivia Goldsmith, and she says books by Oprah have made the biggest impact on her life, because she enjoys learning how Oprah created the lifestyle she has today.
One of Sims’ most-prized books in the collection is a well-used dictionary her grandfather bought her when she was in the ninth grade, which she wrote her name on the outside of; she says it’s the only thing she has left from her grandfather. Another special item includes a book her high school sweetheart wrote a note to her in, on the inside cover.
Sims stashes her books all over her house: on a shelf in her living room, in kitchen cabinets, in boxes in her garage. She says in the process of moving throughout the years, she’s rediscovered books she forgot she had.
In addition to books, Sims collects shoes and purses. She says she has “a little bit of everything else,” so when a family member asks about what to get her for a gift, she suggests a book.
Due to a lack of time, Sims says she doesn’t always finish reading the books she buys. But she says wherever she goes, she buys a book, often from Barnes & Noble, Sam’s Club and Amazon.
“I’m always looking for a book,” Sims says.
Sims, who has worked in the hospitality industry for approximately 40 years, says if she sees a book she’s interested in and doesn’t buy it right away, she’ll often go back to buy it later.
“It’s good to have a nice book to sit down and read,” Sims says. “You can be going through something and read a good book, it’ll take your mind off of it. … Buy you a good book and relax, and it’ll take some of your troubles away.”
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