Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home.― Anna Quindlen
No matter what the contents, books will never cease to amaze you. They will keep you captivated with different tales of life, love, tragedy, mystery, adventure, crime, and many other topics. They fuel your imagination and get you hooked onto their every word. From the very first page, they instantly transport you to another world, no matter where you are physically―be it stuck at home, traveling, or in the middle of nowhere.
Irrespective of the season or the time of day or night, these silent companions are ready to transport you whenever you are ready to leave (or should I say read?) No rainy day, lazy summer afternoon, or snowy night, is ever complete with this little snuggle buddy.
Unluckily, an avid and voracious reader often finds himself amidst those who'd rather wait for the movie to release rather than turning a few pages. Though these naive people seldom understand the pleasures of a good book. Nor will they ever fathom that no fancy-schmancy gizmos can ever replace the aroma of a book and the pleasure of turning pages. They will not decipher the beauty of finding an old treasure in an unexpected place or the excitement of unwrapping a book that has just been delivered. For those who can comprehend what I'm saying, you are not alone my friend. Following are some things that we book lovers will only understand.
Things Only Book Lovers Will Understand
At First Sight
There's no joy that compares to the first time you walk into the book store with a pocket full of money. The possibilities are endless, you can't help but go around the store looking for a new grab.
Happiness knows no bounds when you find a rare book or a first edition of your favorite book at a garage sale, oh the excitement!
Holding a new book in your hand gives you a thrill that has no boundaries. Then to slowly unwrap the plastic cover off it is sheer torture, but at the same time, it's quite thrilling and exciting. And then finally opening the book, and burying your nose in it and taking a deep breath. Oh, the aroma of a new book is simply amazing. Every inch of your screams, "Heaven, I'm here!"
Book in hand is equal to a Do Not Disturb Sign
I can't help but wonder if people don't understand that the book is like a
Do Not Disturb sign, so interrupting the reader is akin to a criminal offense. It is so irritating when someone interrupts you while reading. They just don't understand that reading requires utter devotion and concentration. Besides, it takes a few minutes to get into the mood and flow of the story, and interrupting that breaks the link.
No Favoritism
You don't mind being asked any question except, "which is your favorite book?" How can anyone possibly reply to that, when the answer is every book is the first and last of its kind, therefore, every book is my favorite book.
The Horror!
You take care of your beloved books as if they were your own flesh and blood. Not one page has a dog ear, pencil or pen mark, or stains on them. You are proud of each and every book you possess.
Then, you make the worst mistake of your life, you lend it to an imbecile. The person who "borrows" the book either never bothers to return it or then returns the book which now looks like it has met with a terrible accident. Pages have small tears, cuts, stains, and dog ears or dog ear marks on alternate pages. The cover seems to have faded and has lost its glory. The book that you "lent" looked new even though it was almost a decade old, and the book that you received looks like roadkill. The pain of seeing your beloved book in that state is a heart-wrenching pain.
No Movie is Better Than The Book
You are ecstatic that one of your favorite books has a new movie adaptation. You wait eagerly for months, counting down to the date of release. Finally that day has arrived when you get to watch the story on screen. You play some scenes and dialogs over and over in your head and paint a picture of what the movie will be like. The movie finally begins and half way through, you realize that you just made the worst mistake of your life by watching it. The movie as has completely massacred your mental images of characters and ruined the story for good.
Bookaholic
You get so involved in the character and the plot of the story that you start feeling like you are a part of the story. You begin to feel their pain, anger, confusion, and everything else that the character feels. You get so carried away reading the story that you cry and laugh in public. You can't help get frantic, and all hell breaks loose when there is a heartbreak in the novel or your favorite character dies. You hold your breath and pray to the heavens above to return your dear character back.
Tragedy strikes when you finish a book and you realize that you have to wait for a year for its sequel. And only you know the true meaning of apocalypse, when the author stops writing in the middle of the series.
The book or story is so engrossing that you not only forget the list of daily chores that are waiting for you, but also forget to eat and sleep. You can't wait to get back home and pick up your beloved book.
Endings
The inevitable end of a book is always a bittersweet moment which cannot be easily explained. You're sad that this story is over, and at the same time happy that the next book is waiting to be read.
Oh, Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury for the person who killed the ending of the story for you. He is no friend of yours, and you refuse to talk to him for the rest of the evening.
There's No Such Thing As Too Many
Shopping always means one thing to you, more books! No one seems to understand that
there's no such thing as too many books. Be it in your not-so-little-library, or while traveling. The conversation in your head always begins with, "what if I get bored, I need my book(s)", or "what if I'm done with the first book? It's better that I carry another one", so on and so forth, and by the end of this hypothetical chain of situations, you find yourself carrying three to four books for a three-day trip.
If this article has hit home somewhere, do let me know. And I agree, there's no such thing as too many books.
