Weird Book Quirks #2
Time got away from me, I didn’t realize I hadn’t updated in a while. Whoops. Good thing I’m only doing this for fun. :D
Like most bibliophiles I find it difficult to travel anywhere without a book. I always have one with me, whether it’s the short walk to the office where I work, a drive up the street to get gas, I always have a book because you never know when a chance to read might crop up.
That’s pretty normal and not too “weird” for a book quirk, right? Well, here’s where it gets a little strange. This last Spring Break I had a grand total of four days off from work (I teach horseback riding as a gym for a school) and spent it where I usually do when I have a chance to get off campus. I went to my parent’s house. Along with clothing and a few DVDs that I felt I might want to watch while there, I lugged home four books of various genres, my two Nooks, and my iPad which has both the Nook and Kindle apps on it. So between the physical books and the ebooks, I had over 100 books with me.
But I went even further. There isn’t a bookstore near where I live, so as soon as I got to my parents where did I go? Their local Barnes and Noble, where I proceeded to buy three more books. It’s almost like they’re my safety blanket, I don’t feel protected unless I’m surrounded by books and I don’t feel fulfilled until I’ve bought one more. Just one more when I have about 300 in my house that still need to be read. I joke that it’s an illness, but it’s an illness that I embrace fully.
As my main character, Jane, once said, “that’s what books are, possibilities, the chance to get away, even if it’s only for a little bit. To visit somewhere new, somewhere exciting; to meet new people, run with werewolves or fly with dragons, the adventures [are] endless.” (Collide, Kent).
I love the possibilities, the strange and wonderful that books hold. The chance to learn something new (I just added a few upcoming nonfiction titles to my amazon wish list) and the ability to visit new places without leaving my house fills me with excitement. One day I’ll be able to see these places in person, and when that day comes I’ll be filled with memories of the books I read, the characters I enjoyed and the adventures we shared.
As much as I love writing and working with my characters as they tell me their own stories, I love and appreciate the gift of reading because it allows me to explore outside of my own internal worlds a little bit and experience someone else’s vision.
That’s why I lug hundreds of books with me wherever I go, and can never resist the temptation to stop in at a new or used bookstore whenever I have the chance. I never know what new adventure might be hiding around the corner waiting for me to find it.
