Confessions from a Book Lover. Pt. 1

One of the first things people notice when they walk into my apartment are my beautiful bookshelves. They are right now filled to overflowing because everyone knows I love reading so everyone gives me more books during the holidays! I love it, but my fun reading has been taken over by my literary reading (more on that later) so in consequence, my books overflow the shelves. Most of these solid, wooden bookshelves were handmade by my dad, who is a woodworker by hobby. They are beautiful, tall structures that make me imagine every day of having a giant library of my own. At the moment, though, I live in a small apartment and must allow space in my living room to live and write.

I just re-discovered a used bookstore in my hometown, which contains rows and rows of newish and very old books, combined with old records and even DVDs for those who want to see the movie with the book! It makes me happy browsing the shelves, but I also get to chat with the cashiers and other customers about their book selections. Anyone who works in a bookshop like this might be partial to a favorite genre, but are still super knowledgeable about the world of books. If they aren’t, they are quick to follow through with answers.

I recently went on a book spree for my birthday and enjoy looking at covers, finding books by obscure authors, or diving deeper into drawing processes. The idea that books hold authors’ dreams and motivations inside their covers always spurs me to find other genres or new writings. However, I am not opposed to re-reading amazing books and recommending them to friends. Unfortunately (for me!) several book readers I know only read books once. As one woman told me, “There are so many good books out there. If I re-read books, I feel like I’m missing out on something!” I usually lean towards the FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) mindset for most travel and experiences, but when it comes to books, I will agree to disagree! Even in my busiest moments, if I turn to a book that I’ve read and enjoyed, the ending is not spoiled for me. Instead, I find myself relating in a deeper way to the characters, noticing new nuances in the repeated reading, and remembering why I loved that book in the first place. Books that are especially confusing during the first reading are often enlightening the second time around, slowly growing into favorites.

My literary books are usually those from the library, which I am generally hoarding in response to some research or another, depending on which project I’m developing. Seriously, think: Stacks of books piled up right next to my couch because I want to remember that I do not own them, but I still need to read them. My cats love it because it's like a pop-up maze! Right now the theme is pirates and in a couple months it’ll probably be graphic novels! I visit my local library on a weekly basis for several reasons. 1) I use the printing capabilities for some color printing in my classroom. #teacherlife One of these days I’ll purchase a color printer! 2) I get to browse shelves full of stories I’ve never read or really do have on my shelf, just waiting to be opened. It reminds me there are reasons why I chose my TBR books in the first place! 3) As mentioned before, I use as much research as I can in physical books. I scour the internet, but there’s something in the initial searching, re-reading passages, and getting an idea of where I want my story to flow. It makes the adventure that much more fun when I can leave the library with a handful of books and know I didn’t blow one hundred dollars on books.

Additional Book Recommendations:

I have so many books that catch me and won't leave my mind. These are stored in the "favorites" of my Goodreads section, which are good go-tos when I am looking for something inspiring to read! I'd recommend you building your own, if not for re-reading enjoyment, to have wonderful books to recommend to others. To be continued...!