Today there’s awful news about explosions in Norway. Now, back in the time of our heroes and heroines, it would have taken days, maybe longer, to find out about things happening in other countries. Now it’s seconds. And people are responding to the crisis with sympathy and offers of help, as they should.

It’s my belief that the more you can find commonality with someone, the more sympathetic you are. It’s not a controversial opinion, and it is why I think many city-dwellers are more comfortable with people of other ethnicities than people who live in more segregated (no pejoratives meant) communities.

Anyway. One way that many of us in the romance community find commonality with others is through our shared interest in books. This is a theme I have talked often about, the great joy and amazing friends I’ve found through reading. It’s hard to dislike someone if they love Loretta Chase as much as you do, for example. Or perhaps if you find you have reading in common, you might find other areas you can discuss.

Not that global crises such as what might have happened in Norway could be solved if we all shared a book; I’m not even close to that naive. But the commonality of reading makes me appreciate what I’ve learned through that sharing with others.

I’m grateful for that, so thanks to all my friends, both on- and off-line.

Megan