book lovers day

Today is Book Lovers Day. In my mind, that means I should get a paid day off to wallow in pretty much my favorite thing to do – read. I love to read. I love books. I mean, REALLY love. Of the four walls in my room, only one doesn't have a bookcase on it and that's because it's taken up by the closet and the door. I have five bookcases and they are stuffed full of books, stacked two deep in some places. And this is after I sold/gave away about 8 boxes of books when I moved last. (Six years ago, when I moved from Tennessee back to California I had 18 boxes of books. Eighteen. I only lived there seven years.) It's a family trait – my Granddaddy has so many books he had them cataloged. My Grandpa regularly gives my dad books he's already read because he doesn't have room to keep them anymore. (These are the men I pretty much give credit to and/or blame for my personality.) One of my aunts even read in the shower. Now, I haven't done that but I do admit to reading while taking a soaking bath.

I can get lost in a book, block everything else out. I can't count the number of times I got in trouble because I didn't hear my name being called. I may even have read through a fire alarm. I'll read anything that interests me -- Fiction, Nonfiction, Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery, Biography, History, Anthropology, Science -- you name it, I've probably read it.  And if I like a book I can read it over and over again. I have books I've read at least five times. (To be fair, I also have books I've never read. Apparently just buying them fulfilled the interest. I swear I'll read them eventually. Really!) I'm in awe of people who can create a universe and keep it alive for 200, 300, 700 pages, and still have me wishing for more. I have a hard enough time doing that over three verses (which is why I'm pretty sure I'll never write a poem longer than a page).

I just love books.  There's really nothing more to say so I'll leave you with a few quotes.  Happy Book Lovers Day!

A book is a garden, an orchard, a storehouse, a party, a company by the way, a counselor, a multitude of counselors. -- Charles Baudelaire

There is no Frigate like a book to take us lands away nor any coursers like a page of prancing Poetry. -- Emily Dickinson

Beware of the person of one book. -- Thomas Aquinas