The Library (For the Love of Books!)
Books rock. Little miniature worlds, filled with experiences, information, fantastic trips-they all have a way of either transporting us from our world to theirs, or filling our heads with knowledge.
As a child, I was fortunate to have parents who valued books, reading and education. They read to me from day one and I loved books as soon as I was able to read them. There were many trips to the library and armfuls of books carried back and forth. We would also take trips to the B. Dalton (remember B. Dalton? Before Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com?) and I was allowed to get about as many books as I wanted. It's not that we were rich but Mom was not going to put a limit on my reading aspirations.
Admittedly much of the information that we need is readily available free online, and being a super-efficient geek about these things, I did venture through a phase where I cleaned out most of my books and simply looked up anything I wanted in cyberspace. Something was missing, however. There really is something to be said for holding a volume in your own hands that you can page through, highlight and dog ear.
There have been many books in my life over the years. I read daily and am shocked to meet and talk with someone who doesn't! Some books I love because they introduce something to my life I might have never considered. Some teach me how to do things with pretty pictures and easy step by step directions. Some are put on the shelf and referenced when I need to learn something. Others are new worlds that I can enjoy for an hour before I go to sleep. And a few books are just plain guilty pleasures.
Please, venture on over to my library and take a look at what's on my bookshelf these days:
What's on your bookshelf? Please share in the comments section below.
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Great post! My feelings are very similar and I was lucky to have parents that did essentially the same as yours. I can't remember EVER being told "no" when I wanted a book. Some of the fondest memories I have of my Mom involve her curled up in a chair or on the couch totally engrossed in what she was reading. Having a full bookshelf in my home just makes it feel...homey.
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I can't imagine a life without books. I, too, use the web for research, but I love my shelf of reference books and classics more! I grew up with floor to ceiling bookshelves and now many of those books are in my home, too. Great post!
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I also love reading, and have done so ever since I've been a small child. I totally prefer a physical book with real paper! Maybe that's because the feeling of the pages, their sound, and their scent add to the reading experience?
I am currently reading "Grace and Grit" by Ken Wilber, and "Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness" by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana.
Great post, Crystal! I really enjoy the way you describe things.
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