Simple Pleasures Monday -A Good Book

I have a love affair with books. I can't help it. From an early age, I have loved to read. And I read voraciously. I always have. I am never without a book. I have books in all levels of my house. I have books in my car. I have books in my classroom. Even Camden has a ton of books. If I don't have a book, it's like being without air. I suffocate until I find something to read.

I discovered a love for reading in grade school. My mom tells a story of coming to my classroom as room mother to a holiday party. At home I was very talkative and never shut up, so it surprised her to no end to see me sitting in the corner of the classroom, noise and chaos surrounding me, while I ignored it all and just read.

As I became a teenager, I volunteered at the local library. I loved prowling around the library, shelving books. My favorite was the children's section. It brought me no end of pleasure to crawl among the children's bin, caressing well loved books as I put them away.

I love everything about books. I love the covers - the designs and descriptions. I love the pages - some yellowed with age, others crisp and untouched. I love the smell of books - the binding and glue, mixed with age. I love to hold a book and inhale its distinct fragrance. The new ones smell deliciously new and older ones have hints of aromas that tell a story all their own.

I love to dog-ear a book. Yes, I am one of those people. To me there is no better sign to show the love of a book than pages that have been turned down to mark a spot to return to at a later point. Books that have many dog-ears speak of treasured pages, stories that were meant to be continued. They show somebody cared enough to mark their spot and finish the story later.

I love to reread books. They are like old friends. After an absence, it's like returning to a treasured summer memory. In its pages are characters I've come to know and love, even though we have been apart for a few months or even several years. These old books welcome me back with open arms with their settings and stories that never change.

I get lost in books. Really and truly, I become so involved in books that it is like I am part of that book. I often call it "coming out" after I finish a good book. I step out of the book and back into my real life. I often find myself talking or acting like a certain character after finishing a book because I became so involved in their life and their character in the book.

Since becoming a mother and returning to work, my reading time is limited. I do make sure I read every day because a day is just not complete without it. But I cannot spend the hours I used to just reading. My "must read it" list is becoming longer than my "I read it" list because of my limited time. It's more important for me to spend time with Camden and Mark when I get home, rather than read. But once Cam is in bed for the night and Mark is gone to school, I read. And it's almost more enjoyable now, because I can't do it as often I used to. It becomes more meaningful. I choose what I read more carefully. If I get bored, I don't force my way through. I give myself permission to put a book away.

I am reading a deliciously thoughtful book right now. Not only is the story intriguing, but it makes me think, which is always a good combination. I am enjoying this book thoroughly. I find myself searching for moments to read it. Now is one of those such moments. I'm going to close now and go read my book. Reading - that's truly one of the most simple pleasures there is.