It's Book Week!

Finally! It's here! I wish everyone wondrous moments with books! I'd like to share my thoughts on books and reading for the Book Week.

Are You a Book Person?

A good book is a kind
Of person with a mind Of her own,
Who lives alone,
Standing on a shelf By herself.
She has a spine,
A heart, a soul,
And a goal -
To capture, to amuse,
To light a fire (You're the fuse),
Or else joyfully, Just to be,
From beginning To end,
Need a friend?

J. Patrick Lewis

If you’d ever ask me how to become a book person I’d say: read amazing, fun, exciting, lovely books that you just can’t put down! It’s that simple. I believe many people approach reading the wrong way: they try to force themselves or are forced to read, and so see reading as a difficult and dull chore. Instead, see it as a wonderful thing. Reading is a joy. It is a time of peace, of adventure, of exploration, of just enjoying a good story. If you are a book person and love reading, it’s something you look forward to doing each day. Pleasure of a good book means losing oneself in it, to become best friends with a character, to curl up in the silence, wrapped in the deliciousness of a book.

Is reading a book better than playing outside? Better than a good conversation? Better than exploring websites on a topic that excites you? Better than exploring nature? Better than playing sports? Better than drawing or painting or playing music or dancing? I don’t think so. I think each activity has its own benefits and pleasures.

However … reading is more than a means to an end … reading is an end in and of itself. It’s a joy, and that’s how you should approach it.

Inspired by Leo Babauta, a journalist and writer