Regular readers of the blog will know I've been writing my own stories since I was eight, but reading for longer than that. I take reading seriously, I take book collecting seriously and I'm a real advocate for people losing themselves in a book. And since it's World Book Day on Thursday, what better time to start than now?
I love the tactile nature of books (I've still not converted to Kindle yet), I love the smell of books, I love the delight of finding a new bookshop and losing myself amongst the shelves (especially 2nd hand ones). In these current times, I'm really missing that.
I love the delight of finding a new author to enjoy, I love the thrill of starting a new book and falling in love with the style and the characters and the flow of the language and I love the sense of satisfaction - mixed with a certain sense of loss - when you close the book for the last time and put it on your lap and rub the cover and want to say "
thanks, mate, I enjoyed that".
The book can be anything you want and you don't have to spend a lot of money on a glossy hardback, or read a certain title just because it's at the top of the charts. Outside of lockdowns, go to the library (if you have any left near you) or buy a paperback, or download an ebook, or go into a second hand or charity shop (when you can) and pick up something for 20p. It doesn't matter how you do it, it doesn't matter what you read, just pick something up and open the cover and start.
 |
| Dude, in 2014, reading his latest Coronet Snoopy collection and me, in a B&B in Bridlington in 1988, reading my latest horror anthology purchase |
And here's an icon of our times, who enjoyed reading...
No comments:
Post a Comment