Every book has a story beyond the story

I know that my coworker Angela Cornell covers the day of the week side of things, but I thought Thursday was my sort of day. For those that might not have known, Thursday was National Book Lover’s Day.

I have a lot of fond memories of my youth that include books. Today, I’m going to talk about one specific book. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. I remember reading Jurassic Park in the backseat of our family’s station wagon on the way to a funeral. It wasn’t the funeral that I remember, but it was the reason why I was reading the book. I was in elementary school and my family didn’t think that I was old enough to read it. So, like any other stubborn child, I did the exact opposite and read it cover to cover. I absolutely loved the book. In fact, I still have the same paperback copy. It’s the one that was reprinted when the movie came out in 1993. I made it a tradition to re-read it every year. As a result, the cover would rip, and the pages started to loosen from their spine.

An adult would look at that ratty old thing and throw it out. You can easily replace the book on Amazon for $8.99. You can have it delivered free on the next day if you’re a Prime member.

However, as a child I never really believed in throwing things out. Plus, I didn’t have $8.99 available to purchase a new book. We also didn’t have shipping the next day, the internet, or Amazon at our fingertips either. So, I borrowed some duct tape from my dad’s workbench and fixed up the spine. Then, I took some clear packing tape and essentially laminated the cover with it.

I wasn’t the best when it came to book renovations, but I thought it was a decent job. At that point, I was in high school. My parents were divorced by then and my siblings and I would spend every other weekend at his place in Niles, Michigan.

During the summer, my father would DJ at several classic car shows, weddings, and divorce parties and would take us along. I, in turn, would take a book to read. I became adept at reading while loud music blared in my ears. It’s actually a very handy skill to have. When summer changed to fall, my dad would take us to races and demolition derbies at the South Bend Motor Speedway. And, once again, I’d bring books with me. Stephen King’s The Stand, Crichton’s Jurassic Park, and other tales of fiction got me through many nights of loud cars zooming around in one direction.

If you were to look inside my copy of Jurassic Park, you’ll find a signed picture of one of the racers. During intermission one night, the drivers parked on the (I think you call the grass in the middle of the racetrack) infield, and the public had the chance to go out and meet them.

I remember receiving one of those very nice planner/organizers for a birthday or perhaps graduation. It was one of those things where it had a small three ring binder for a calendar, notes, or whatever. Well, with my old copy of Jurassic Park on the verge of falling apart, I emptied out the contents of the planner and used the leather zipper shell as book armor.

There are a few items that I’ll risk my life to grab if my house is on fire. My old, tattered, paperback copy of Jurassic Park is one of those. It has been with me throughout every major event in my life. My parents’ divorce, high school, college, my marriage, and my divorce. Admittedly, it would be foolhardy to venture into a burning building for a book I could replace for just $8.99. But, to me that specific book has sentimental value that you cannot put a price on.

Do you have a book that holds more stories than the one written by the author? If so, take a few moments and share them with somebody else. Happy belated National Book Lover’s Day!