I think my most often muttered/shouted phrase is I LOVE BOOKS. If you were to visit me in my natural habitat (my bedroom) then you would be forgiven for thinking you had walked into a second hand bookshop/ library. Most available surfaces are stacked high with bountiful tomes and anything not covered in books is probably holding something book related: a bookmark, a mug declaring my love for books or a half scribbled page of notes about a book I’m reading.
One assumes all other book lovers will understand how necessary it is to have books in close proximity at all times but it seems those evil non-book loving people out there don’t understand this need!
I find myself having to try and vocalise why books are quite so important to me and just how they make me feel but it is so incredibly difficult. However, I’ve decided that this difficulty will end today so in the future, when my dad questions if I really need ‘another book’ or my mum states ‘I’m sure you can live without that book’ or someone wonders why ‘reading is my life’ I can point them in the direction of this blog post.
So, here are five (hopefully) concise reasons why I LOVE BOOKS
1. ‘Books are a uniquely portable magic.’ Stephen King
Books have the amazing ability to transport you anywhere: to foreign countries, periods in time, other worlds; the list is endless. You can explore places you’ve never been, places you can never go and places you’ve dreamed about all from the comfort of your reading spot. Characters become your best friends; they take you with them on their journeys, allowing you to become a part of their lives. You have the chance to take the writers words, let them seep into your imagination and paint the most beautiful picture. The real world becomes unimportant; all the problems floating around in your mind can temporarily be forgotten as a fictional world takes their place.
2. ‘All that I know about my life, it seems, I have learned in books.’ Jean-Paul Sartre
Books give you endless knowledge. Fiction can teach you an incredible amount about the world but no more than non-fiction. Non-fiction books make you a better person: you become more knowledgeable, have a greater understanding and can impress everyone with the facts you glean from spending time learning about a subject in depth.
3. ‘There is no friend as loyal as a book.’ Ernest Hemingway
Books are the perfect companions. If you are feeling lonely, happy, sad, reflective, excited or calm you can always find a book to suit your mood and keep you company. Books never leave you, they never give up on you; they don’t care if you leave them and then come back to them weeks later: they are always there for you, ready to welcome you back into their world.
4. ‘Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.’ Mark Twain
Some of the strongest friendships in my life have been formed through a love of books. Sharing a mutual interest in books cements a friendship for life. Never again will you be searching for conversation: which books have you read recently, which one are you reading now, what did you find in the bookshop? Books are the perfect gift, the best apology present and the best way to say ‘I Love You’ to another book lover.
5. ‘So many books, so little time.’ Frank Zappa
You will never run out of books to read. There will be a TBR pile that you will never quite get to the end of, a wish-list that you never quite manage to fulfil. And do you know what, that’s the most exciting part of all. Reading is for life: you can read as a child, as a teenager, as an adult and as an aged person. You don’t ever have to stop, there’s no age limit, there’s no gender restrictions: anyone can read a book whenever they want to.
And that is why I love books. They’re magic, accessible, comforting, conversation starters, the best gifts, teachers and the most patient of friends.
So when someone asks me if I really need another book or if I need to keep my books in pristine condition then from now on I’ll just say ‘yes’ instead of trying to explain myself.
Yes, I need a new book: it’s a whole new world for me to discover, new people to meet, new places to explore and a new author to fall in love with.
Yes, I need to keep my books in pristine condition: they’re my friends, my most treasured posessions and then deserve respect and love
So, when someone asks you why you love books, what will you say?
One assumes all other book lovers will understand how necessary it is to have books in close proximity at all times but it seems those evil non-book loving people out there don’t understand this need!
I find myself having to try and vocalise why books are quite so important to me and just how they make me feel but it is so incredibly difficult. However, I’ve decided that this difficulty will end today so in the future, when my dad questions if I really need ‘another book’ or my mum states ‘I’m sure you can live without that book’ or someone wonders why ‘reading is my life’ I can point them in the direction of this blog post.
So, here are five (hopefully) concise reasons why I LOVE BOOKS
1. ‘Books are a uniquely portable magic.’ Stephen King
Books have the amazing ability to transport you anywhere: to foreign countries, periods in time, other worlds; the list is endless. You can explore places you’ve never been, places you can never go and places you’ve dreamed about all from the comfort of your reading spot. Characters become your best friends; they take you with them on their journeys, allowing you to become a part of their lives. You have the chance to take the writers words, let them seep into your imagination and paint the most beautiful picture. The real world becomes unimportant; all the problems floating around in your mind can temporarily be forgotten as a fictional world takes their place.
2. ‘All that I know about my life, it seems, I have learned in books.’ Jean-Paul Sartre
Books give you endless knowledge. Fiction can teach you an incredible amount about the world but no more than non-fiction. Non-fiction books make you a better person: you become more knowledgeable, have a greater understanding and can impress everyone with the facts you glean from spending time learning about a subject in depth.
3. ‘There is no friend as loyal as a book.’ Ernest Hemingway
Books are the perfect companions. If you are feeling lonely, happy, sad, reflective, excited or calm you can always find a book to suit your mood and keep you company. Books never leave you, they never give up on you; they don’t care if you leave them and then come back to them weeks later: they are always there for you, ready to welcome you back into their world.
4. ‘Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.’ Mark Twain
Some of the strongest friendships in my life have been formed through a love of books. Sharing a mutual interest in books cements a friendship for life. Never again will you be searching for conversation: which books have you read recently, which one are you reading now, what did you find in the bookshop? Books are the perfect gift, the best apology present and the best way to say ‘I Love You’ to another book lover.
5. ‘So many books, so little time.’ Frank Zappa
You will never run out of books to read. There will be a TBR pile that you will never quite get to the end of, a wish-list that you never quite manage to fulfil. And do you know what, that’s the most exciting part of all. Reading is for life: you can read as a child, as a teenager, as an adult and as an aged person. You don’t ever have to stop, there’s no age limit, there’s no gender restrictions: anyone can read a book whenever they want to.
And that is why I love books. They’re magic, accessible, comforting, conversation starters, the best gifts, teachers and the most patient of friends.
So when someone asks me if I really need another book or if I need to keep my books in pristine condition then from now on I’ll just say ‘yes’ instead of trying to explain myself.
Yes, I need a new book: it’s a whole new world for me to discover, new people to meet, new places to explore and a new author to fall in love with.
Yes, I need to keep my books in pristine condition: they’re my friends, my most treasured posessions and then deserve respect and love
So, when someone asks you why you love books, what will you say?