Books

I love books.  Not just the reading of books, the stories and histories they tell, but the actual books, themselves.  I love libraries and rooms full of books (I’m thinking in particular of the “Long Room” in Dublin’s Trinity College, pictured here). 

The singer, Sting” has the following quote, that I enjoy;

“For to sit in a room full of books, and remember the stories they told you, and to know precisely where each one is located and what was happening in your life, or where you were when you first read it, is the languid and distilled pleasure of the connoisseur.”
 

Now don't get me wrong; I have many of the modern conveniences including an i-pad, two i-pods, an i-phone, and even a Kindle.  I, also, routinely listen to books-on-tape as I drive.  Despite these modern “substitutes, I still love books.  I love turning the pages, and enjoying the smell and the feel of the paper, while I turn the pages.  I love it, on the plane, when they say; "Please turn off all electronics", because I can keep on reading with a smile on my face!

Unfortunately, this means I have too many books.  I have shelves of hardbacks, paperbacks, new, & used.  Amazon’s stock price would dive if they ever heard the news; “Chuck’s gonna quit reading”.  Much to Susan's chagrin, I have three closets filled with books at home, mostly unread. I read anywhere from 30-40 books per year, and I typically discard them after I read them (book sales, the library), but still the "inflow" is always greater than the "outflow".

 

Now that we have cleared up my love of books, I should add that;  I like to read, too.  So far this year, I have completed 27 books (through late June).  My last book was Cannery Row, by John Steinbeck.  I like all kinds of books, including: novels, history, and biographies.  My favorites are Historical Fiction and Legal Mysteries.  I even have a spreadsheet that I keep updated with every book I have read since 1984.  Counting the 27 books so far, this year, I have read 898 books, adding up to over 360,000 pages.  I am aware that this is a pretty nerdy hobby.  I don’t bring this up in a setting where I’m trying to convince people I’m (relatively) normal!

 

Typical birthday and Christmas gifts, for me, usually involve more books, and even though I provide a "wish list", I'm always excited when opening the box!

 

So to all you book-lovers (and in the spirit of inclusion, all you "readers" too); I salute YOU!