For the love of reading
Whiling away post surgery with books
I’ve been saving quotes about books and reading for a postsurgery column and it just happens to be that this week featured World Book and Copyright Day, and English Language Day and I am happily post surgery.
Not that I need an excuse to write about books; I’ve gone through five in the past week.
What I’m realizing is that reading books, like just about everything else is something you can take for granted. Predevices I was never without a book close by. If I was watching TV, I had a book to read during commercials,
When I travelled alone, I’d go to a restaurant or pub with a book and be perfectly happy. A book is much better company than just any old human. It actually helped me meet some interesting people.
In fact I would recommend reading alone in public places as potentially a better way to find romance than online dating.
If I remember correctly there’s always the scattered nignog in any social scene who has no filter but for the most part, any person who would find a person reading to be attractive are readers themselves or at the very least, not intimidated by the fact that you can and like to read. This seems to me to be a lot more reliable than ‘likes long walks on the beach.’
Don’t try this method if you don’t really like to read. That would fall in the same category as posting the wrong picture of yourself. And it would make sense to be honest in your choice of reading material. There’s no point in trying to look like you’re enjoying The Complete Works of Karl Marx if you think he had a brother named Groucho. How long do you think you can pull that off?
Having said that, I have no time for book snobs. Read what you like and be a happy reader. Mark Twain observed that ‘classics’ are books which people praise and don’t read. As tongue in cheek as that may be, I read for pleasure and many of the ‘classics’ are hard work. If I wanted to work hard I’d clean my house.
While turning up my nose at book snobs, I realize that I am a phone snob. If I see someone reading a comic book I’m more favourably disposed to them than I am with the person looking at their phone, which really isn’t fair because most people with their noses in their phones are actually reading something. (One time always having your nose in a book wasn’t meant as a compliment either).
QUOTABLE
Back to hard work, slacking off seems to be a common theme for book lovers. There are groups of them/us on Facebook always posting quotes from Anonymous like:
“Reading won’t solve your problems but then again neither will housework.”
“Sometimes I think I should just put down this book and get stuff done. Then I laugh and turn the page.”
I will share with you some other quotes about reading;
“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.”– Joseph Addison.
“If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.”– J.K. Rowling
“I read for pleasure and that is the moment I learn the most.” – Margaret Atwood
“I cannot remember the books I’ve read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.”– Ralph Waldo Emerson
“You’re never too old too wacky or wild, to pick up a book and read to a child.” — Dr. Seuss.
“The day I become too old or wacky to read to my grandchildren, I hope they will read to me.” — Janice Wells.
You may quote me on that.