There's Nothing a Good Book Won't Fix
I woke up this morning with a book on my mind. There’s a
good reason for that. I went to sleep last night with a book on my mind, and it
lived in my dreams.
I LOVE books. I love reading. I adore being transported to
other worlds, living the life of a main character for a little bit of time,
thrilling in the magnificent imagery stuck in my brain by a creative wordsmith;
and equally, I love knowing it isn’t real. I can leave it at any chosen moment
if it makes me cry, if it creeps me out, if it makes me feel deeper than I have
the capacity, at that moment, to bear. I
love these things about books.
Victoria Schwab wrote in her book The Archived, “There’s nothing that a hot shower won’t fix.” I’d
add to that thought ~ There’s also nothing a good book can’t fix. (Hold that
thought – that’s another topic).
And so, I need to read every day, in almost the way I need to
breathe. Reading is an addiction, and a good book is the cure. I made the
remark, once, that my “dream job” in a “dream world” would be working in a
library. (Hey, surrounded by books, but with no need to make change or have
impatient customers standing over me as I learn to use a computerized cash
register – easy peasy). But I have often wondered how librarians truly feel
about their work – are they frustrated by the hours they spend handling books
without being able to open one and read
it? Or does the anticipation thrill them? Does even the smell of books, their dusty,
musty scent, make a librarian’s brain swell and burst open with buds of happiness?
Sort of a “librarian, start your engines” kind of thing.
Which brings on another thought: I frequently see that
continuing argument in Twitter-land and elsewhere about e-readers vs. paper and ink books (notice I didn't say "real" books).
The groups weighing in on the “I’d rather hold a real book in my hands” side
cite the smell and feel of books as a reason to support their argument. The
group, generally, who have e-readers don’t spend much time arguing about the
upside or the downside; they just read.
I represent both sides and feel they are but one side. I have a dusty, musty
library in my home, and it is filled with books I have read, some of them over
and over. There are famous people who vow that any book worth reading the first
time is worth at least a second read. I agree, and I love my home library. I am
a keeper of books, never able to give
away or get rid of the ones that touched my heart the first time I read them.
Having said all that, I love my e-readers. I have a Kindle, a Nook and a Nook
Tablet, each serving a different purpose in my reading life. An e-reader is
like carrying a library in your purse, and its shelves are crammed with books
for any mood or fantasy or place (and no need to worry about running out of shelf space). The convenience is amazing, as is the ease of
turning pages when you need a second hand to do something else (feed a baby,
hold a coffee mug, eat a cupcake, the possibilities are endless). I say that
reading is reading … reading is about words forming pictures in your head, the transportation
to another planet, the escape to peace or the bold daring of adventure … not the
manner of serving them up.
We are a family of readers and writers. My dad came home
from WW2 with the desire to write a book about his Pacific Theatre war
experiences. Though he never wrote the book, the local historical society
published his lengthy memoir in one of their collections. My mother tells of
making up stories and illustrating them with a friend when she was young. She
wrote her biography for her children, grandchildren and greats in 2007 when she
was 85. My sister journals and will one day write the story of her first husband’s
courage in the face of cancer. I wrote and illustrated stories my whole life
and enjoyed the one class I took in writing, which resulted in short stories. My
son grew up reading comics and graphic novels and illustrating story ideas; he’d
love to co-author/illustrate a graphic novel one day. My cousin Matt is a
published author of essays and non-fiction. When Courtney began writing for
teens, I entered the world of writing and publishing with her and find it a delight
every step of the way. It is the ultimate joy for this reader who would really write if only she could. The author community
is a close-knit one; it is filled with people united in their love of words, who
are always encouraging each other, who nudge other writers to raise their own personal bar, to move from one
level of achievement to the next and who genuinely appreciate each other. I get
to live my dream, vicariously, through my daughter’s ready imagination and
creativity! I am very blessed and thankful.
A new pleasure ~ reading an author’s acknowledgement page
and knowing some of the writers mentioned!
And now, let me get back to that book, the one I woke
up with this morning!
