So I finally took an hour of "me" time.
I went to a book store.
Books make me incredibly happy and during a week where I'm feeling pretty lousy I thought a book store would be the perfect way to cheer myself up. I love the way different pages feel, and the way books smell when you open them - ink and paper and, if you're sensitive enough to it, a little bit of love. I believe it takes a lot of love to write a book. But that's a story for another time.
There are good books and bad books. Big books and small books. Books full of facts, books full of maps, books full of wonderfully (sinfully) delicious romance, books about cooking better and losing weight, books about saving money and even books about how to write more books. It's amazing to me how little in the world I have had the opportunity to read despite my (in my Hubband's opinion) vast supply of books.
It would seem that book stores are not just for books anymore. I had been in the book store for less than 60 seconds when I was - pardon the strong use of the word - accosted by a salesperson telling me about the latest technology in books: a digital book. I won't use a product name because I don't want to incriminate the guilty, but seriously - when did book stores require technology? Book stores were friendly, safe places where the over-worked, under-appreciated masses could sit in a comfy armchair and read a book, or browse the aisles endlessly without worry of being interrupted by sales people. I miss that experience. Unfortunately, as much as I love book stores, my experience has left me feeling far less satisfied than I had hoped.
My closing statement: don't buy digital books. Buy the real books, with pages - something that doesn't require batteries to enjoy. In this technology-driven era, why not enjoy one of, in my humble opinion, the last great arts. Pick up a book. Read it. Pass it on and share the love.
Oh, and while I definitely understand, as I so enjoy book stores, I LOVE - cannot emphasize enough LOVE - my Kindle! I love curling up on a comfy sofa, pulling out my Kindle, and having not only my entire library at my fingertips, but the entire Amazon store at my fingertips. I love reading on it, and love shopping for new books for it. I was actually sad when a recently book for my book club wasn't available on Kindle, and I had to go back to holding a heavy book... True!
ReplyDeleteYou are so right! Books will never go out of style. Borders is my happy place (seriously!) I could honestly spend a whole day in a bookstore. I'd start with the gossip mags for a warm up, browse the beach reads, the self-help section, and then work my way around the store. Digital books? Bah!
ReplyDeleteMy dear, I couldn't agree with you more. I love the feel of the different kinds of paper in books, the way they are bound, the detail that goes into the selection of fonts, the way the edges of the paper is trimmed. There is nothing better than picking up a wonderful cup of coffee and spending hours in a bookstore, browsing, picking up books, putting them down. And sometimes, on those very lucky trips, finding a gem of a book that you read a dozen times or more, a book that becomes like an old friend.
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