I came across an article in the press recently about a report showing that sales of ebooks was falling while paperback sales had increased. I am not surprised by this at all, now that the initial excitement of a new toy has worn off, and been replaced with the realisation that you are not downloading a book onto your ereader but digital content. For a true book lover nothing can replace or emulate the physical book. The smell, the touch, the weight, the creak of the spine, the turn of the page.
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| one of my 'to read' piles |
I was recently on the bus and as I settled into my seat, I reached into my bag to retrieve my latest read. As I opened it, to where I'd left my Chris Riddell book mark, I noticed that the lady immediately in front of me was also reading - on an ereader. As I glanced from my page to her screen I was left in no doubt that technology could never dim my love of books. I could see at a glance how far through my book I was and how far was still to go; I could look at the cover art with a quick turn of the book; if I read a passage with particular resonance or impact I could turn to the back cover and look into the face of the person who had crafted these words; I will leave traces of myself amongst these pages as the words in turn have entered my consciousness. The experience of reading a book is a tactile and emotional one.
I have read books my whole life, a passion I have carried with me from before I can even remember, and I hope that I have passed that passion onto my son. We both have bookcases filled to the brim. Along with friends and family, my childhood was also populated with Paddington Bear, The Famous Five and Cinderella, to name a few. They lived in my imagination as vividly as any real person that I knew. Books have enriched my life and my mind and I keep meeting new characters all the time such as the wonderful Jack Reacher as mentioned in a previous post and I was recently re-acquainted with the literary legend that is Scout Finch.
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| Books from childhood |
My posts may be less regular for the next few months as this is a particularly busy time for me at work, and I also want to dedicate some serious effort to my artistic ventures, but I will still be putting stuff out here. This is becoming like another form of diary or journal for me, both interesting and enjoyable.
Bye for now
Amanda xxx
