Three Worlds in a Day

 

"What had seemed to be lost was to be restored to her tenfold."

 

~A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett

We read all that Sunday, till one book was finished and another begun. We read all that day, till the sun went down and the night lights turned on. 

I lived in three worlds that day, in the world of a fanciful child thrown into hardship, and then into the legends of Arthur through the short lived tale of an incomplete story. And then, when that was over, I peered over your page, and lived in yours.

Love for Well-Worn Paperbacks

I detest the mistreating of books, as I hate the mistreating of trees. I find it despicable when people misuse something that may very well outlive them. For indeed, the average lifespan of a book, much like a tree, is very likely to outlast the lifespan of a person. And although these things appear on the surface to be inanimate, there is so much beauty and possibility for wonder and growth in these things that their unnecessary destruction angers me.

There is, however, a difference between a mistreated book and well worn book.

The most worn out book I own is a paperback addition of Charles Dickens' Bleak House.

The spine is cracked, pierced by white like so many paper-veins showing through its otherwise black spine. The cover is bent in a few places, like an old photograph, or a letter that has been unfolded too many times. What's more, my handwriting is woven in with Dickens' own words, my messy script playing around with the printed paragraphs; drawing lines and arrows, underlining the words I want to read again, the sections I spent the most time in marked by pencil. Sometimes there are scribbles too, words jotted down; thoughts and references tugged out of my mind by the on-goings of the page.

I love this worn out book, not just because Bleak House is one of my favorites, but because I love how lived in this particular addition feels.

My copy of Bleak House is worn because I read it well. The cover is bent in places from all the time I spent carrying it around with me on the inside of my bag.

I have a love for worn out books, paperbacks specifically.

There are some readers who morn the wearing out of a book. I, on the other hand, have come to be greatly fond of this process. I believe it to be my right as a reader.

There is something comforting about a well worn paperback. You can tell when it has been opened, and even to what extent it has been read. If a reader quit part way through, the cracks will stop and the further pages will not open as naturally.

But a book that has been well-read and well-opened will open easily. It will want to be opened, for it has gotten used to be handled by readers, being visited by fingers and skimmed by eyes.

Breaking in the spine of a paperback book is like wearing in a pair of walking shoes; it is the wearing through, the cracking, that shows that there has even been a journey. These shoes have been walked in. They have gone places, a well worn pair of shoes seems to say. Or, in the case of the well worn paperback: this book has been read.

“Books do not age as you and I do. They will speak still when you and I are gone, to generations we will never see. Yes, the books must survive.” ~The Hiding Place

The Life of a "BookDragon"

As a storyteller, one of my greatest inspirations is the freedom to experience other stories. Whether it is the exploration of a fictional realm, or the privilege to walk the path of another's life, reading is a writer's greatest asset.

I don't remember a day of my life since I picked up the first novel that I haven't been reading. I'm always reading something. But finding the time to do so isn't always easy. 
So how, throughout all the craziness of life, how can you find time to read?

I have constructed I list of seven things you can do to continue to read admits a busy schedule. This list is for books worms only. [I prefer the term Book-Dragons, who wants to be a compared to a worm?] 
Because reading is one of my number one priorities non-Book Dragons [worms] may find this list a little extreme and probably won't be able to relate. But, if you feel like reading this list anyway, be my guest; Just know that I already know I am a nerd so you don't have to tell me... so without further ado... here is my list.  

1. Make a goal.
Whether your goal is to read a certain number of books this year or finish the one your reading now by the end of this week, making goals will motivate you to read more. I find that when I make a reading goal for myself I often end up reading double as much as I originally intended.

2. Make it part of your routine. 
Eventually, you won't have to "make time to read," you'll just do it. Even if you only find the time to read a page or two, it's still better than not reading at all. Reading before bed is a great way to make reading part of your routine. It also helps your brain come down from a busy day, which will help you sleep better and more deeply, so don't even worry about the sleep you're losing to reading (so long as you know when to put the book down of course... which most of us probably don't.)

3.  Read everywhere all the time.
There's nothing like curling into a chair with your cat, a hot cup of tea and a good book. Although those are most readers ideal reading conditions, more often than not, life doesn't allow for this. Whether you're waiting for an appointment, or you have your book propped up on the table while you eat lunch (or held up in front of your nose as you're walking through public... lol,) drastic times call for drastic measures.


 4. Bring your book everywhere!
 (This one should be obvious, if you're going to read everywhere you're going to need a book.)
In case of an emergency always take a book with you. You never know when you'll find time to read. And although showing up with a massive novel to a gathering may be a little offensive to some people, you never know when you'll get bored or the opportunity to read will arise. 


5. Stop watching T.V.
This one makes such a huge difference. I didn't even realize how much time I wasted in front of the TV until recently when I started watching the new season of a TV show that just came on Netflix and my reading time suffered drastically. I went from reading two plus books a week to barely even finishing one. It's so easy to fall out of the habit of reading regularly. But, if you're not willing to completely drop watching TV (which I gotta admit I haven't done either,) then my advice is to prioritize. Which TV shows are worth watching and how much time do you really want to spend in front of the T.V?


6. Plan ahead.
I have a stack of books on my nightstand, and this isn't just because I ran out of space on my bookshelves. Looking forward to the books I'm going to read next gets me pumped to read more. It also avoids the bafflement of not knowing what to read next because I already know what I'm going to read next. 
 Abibliophobia is the fear of running out of reading material; But, if you're like me, then the problem is not that you worry about not having anything to read but not having enough time to read everything you want to read. There's just too many options. The World is full of so many great books. Where do you even start?! This is why I always decide what I'm going to read next before I finish the book I'm reading now.
A great way to do this is by using Goodreads. My "want to read list" is getting bigger by the day! Goodreads is a great way to keep track of what you want to read and what you have already read. It also keeps you focused on your reading goal. I am currently three books ahead of schedule, just by using this list!


7. Have a reading buddy!
I am so lucky to have two little brothers that are almost as big book-dragons as I am. I love curling into my bed and reading with them. The silent companionship of the flipping pages and my snoring cat is one of my favorite things. We also love to talk about what we're reading and challenge each other (exp. If I finish my book by the end of the day you have to read 100pages tomorrow. (Oh goodness, that sounds even nerdier when I write it down...))


Well, that's my list. I hope it was of some use to you, and if not I hope it as least motivated you to read more! 

Photo credit to Heinrich Nikel Photography. 

Check out more of his work here or read his blog here.

On a similar note, I'm planning on writing more book reviews on here in the near future.  This is one of the things I have been slacking majorly with and although writing about my journey and endeavors as a writer is a major part of this blog, books are just as important. 

Also if you want to stay updated on what I'm reading you can add me on Goodreads. I would love to see what you guys are reading and have you as my reading buddy!

Stay tuned for more book reviews coming soon!