There are few places where I am as happy as I am in a bookstore.
There’s something magical about walking through the shelves of books stacked almost as tall as I am (okay, I’m not very tall so that’s not much of an achievement) and just looking at the covers.
My local Australian bookstore Dymocks, like many around the world I am sure, writes handy little thoughts on series, then sticks them to the shelves underneath the books. I love taking the time to stop and read those, especially when it’s a series I’ve already read. That might sound counter-productive, but one of my favourite things is finding out what others thought about a book or series I’ve read. Did they like it as much as I did? If not, why? What was it that drew someone to a book I didn’t like, or didn’t interest them about one I did?
Then there’s the smell. Paper and cardboard and ink, nowhere smells like a bookstore. Even a library can’t quite capture that same smell to me, but maybe it’s about knowing when I’m in a bookstore I’m about to walk out owning a brand new book, not just borrowing one someone else has.
At this point I feel compelled to point out that there is no right or wrong way to read. Ebooks certainly have their place, and I myself own a lot of them. You can’t beat them for convenience. So long as you are reading, you’re doing it right.
But for me, nothing will beat the feeling of holding a book in my hands while I read it.
What’s your favourite way to purchase books? What about to read? Do you have more ebooks or physical books?
What in the Words? 