A book is like a key that fits into the tumbler of the soul. The two parts have to match in order for each to unlock. Then--click--a world opens."--Brad Kessler
*Image is credited to Rain Tajon via www.bitlanders.com
My love for reading started when I learned how to read in school. Reading has been a silent companion for me, it made my mind wander and wonder. A magical world suddenly opens up for me, and for a short time, I can have a moment to escape from the real world.
We have this local magazine, written in our dialect, Ilocano and the magazine is "Bannawag". "Bannawag" made me read And learn Ilocano words, broadens my dictionary towards the dialect, and made me read more fluently when it comes to the dialect. Something I am thankful for the younger ones now is having a hard time reading lines that is written in our dialect.
Then, that was the start.
To read is to truly escape from oneself."--R.L. Middleton
*Image is credited to Rain Tajon via www.bitlanders.com
Reading books a favorite hobby.
The only books that I was allowed to read while I was in high school are textbooks. Yes, my sisters kept those romance novels out of my sight, and it I see one, they will advice me not to for I might get hooked and lost into world of novels.
During college, I was already allowed to, but I have to set it aside for I have to focus on my studies, though I can read at least once after exams. Despite being a patron in the university library, I really have to keep my eyes on textbooks again and reviewers. The struggle is real.
After college, that was the time I have been into reading, even tagged myself as a "hoarder" when I see a lot of books on sale. And most the genre that I bought was not romance, ore on crime novels. Yes, I am into crime novels and crime series despite the fact that I don't like those movies that includes cutting of parts of a human. Too much blood on my eyes can make me sick. And until now, I am not a fan of romance novels, though I have few of Sophie Kinsella books, hers was a romantic-comedy, the reason why I love her works.
*Image is credited to Rain Tajon via www.bitlanders.com
The change in books and I didn't change.
When Ebooks or electronic books came out, I was excited to check how would it feel to read using gadgets. I downloaded kindle and tried but uninstalled it after few minutes. Did some reading of free books on my google play books, still I just didn't like it that much, excitement died down.
There is also wattpad where I can read a lot of free novels, of different genres that I can choose from. And I admit, I love reading some of those stories there but somehow lost that interest, and I don't know why. There were authors that I even follow and some authors whose novels I have read and my sisters have collected. The site is not bad, it is great actually, but maybe it is not meant for me. And I know some teen-agers like my niece, are addicted to the site. Easy access to what they wanted to read.
Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed, and digested."--Francis Bacon
*Image is credited to www.mashable.com
Real books versus the electronic books.
This may sound like apples to apples comparison but I am trying to justify my preference over the other one, and here are just some.
1. You can touch the book physically. I love to run my hands over the covers of the books that I buy. I feel a certain connection and I always get amazed how do publising houses do those to every books. Covers can grab my attention most of the time. And that is something missing with the electronic books, I can not touch them. And changing pages with that paper flipping feels great.
2. With electronic books, you can not enjoy that "divinely smell" of the papers that the real books have given me. I can sniff the pages of the real books and it would look normal to the eyes of the others, electronic books, you can not, and if you do, people may think you have gone mad or weird.
3. Real books works anywhere and it won't die down. You can not run out of battery with real books while the electronic books, it can die down. You can also same some amount with electricily bills. Real books can make me feel warm, while the electronic book can get warm due to the battery. Two different kind of warmness.
4. I can own a real book while electronic books is nope. Yes, you can buy the rights, but with real books, you can buy the whole thing and have the right of ownership since you buy them, your own money was spent for them, right?
5. Seeing library filled with books and checking the bookstore for books on sale make me feel happy. There is the sight that gives me something I can not explain, maybe to my fellow readers can, or maybe do not know too. With electronic books, I have not seen any library filled with it, yet. So, I can not totally compare the two books with this part.
He who doesn't see the essence of books shall surely be ruled by those who find and value the real essence of books."--Ernest Agyemang Yeboah
*Image is credite Rain Tajon via www.bitlanders.com
Here are more things about books.
- The most expensive books has 13 pages and costs about 153 million Euros (in theory).
- "Bibliosmia" is the enjoyment of smelling books.
- "Tsunduko" is a Japanese term for "buying a load of books then not getting around to read them".
- "A combination of grassy notes with a tang of acids and a hint of vanilla over an underlying mustiness."--This is how the international team of chemist describes the smell or the unique odor of old books in a study.
Reading is the life-saving water of our minds. Drink pure words as much as you need and remain alive."--Munia Khan
*Video is credited to www.youtube.com via improvement pill
