My Second Home
No matter where I've lived as I've grown up, my second home was always the library or a bookstore. Even today, if you turn me loose anywhere near a bookstore, be careful. Because the minute I cross the threshold into a store, you won't see me again for quite a while. Usually upon entering a library or bookstore, I start with the newest books, and then work back to other sections and specific genres. I usually spend the most time in the history section (surprise, surprise), travel, and comics/graphic novels. I will check out fiction, reference, and other areas, and as of late, I've started checking out cookbooks as well. I'm always looking for new recipes/cuisines to try. There are some types of books I don't generally read, such as mysteries or sci-fi, so I rarely stay a long time near those shelves. When it comes to children's books, it depends. Sometimes I'm doing Christmas or birthday shopping for family members, and with quite a few younger cousins, and a young niece, I like to get them a good book to read. Books are the kind of gifts that last for a long time, because you can read them again and again, unlike other gift items. Plus it encourages literacy and the love of reading, which is a gift in itself.
Sometimes I wander over to the children's section to re-visit old favorites. Some of these books are classics that can be enjoyed by any age, such as the Chronicles of Narnia, or the Oz books. Laura Ingalls Wilder's books are fun to read, and some of her stories actually bring a different perspective with them as I re-read them again.
When it comes to fiction, my tendencies vary. I read a lot when I was in elementary and secondary school, and devoured a lot of the "classics." Once I went to college, I spent less time reading non-school material and more time enjoying life. Today I think I have a better balance. But one thing is pretty consistent: I must read before bed. It's peaceful and relaxing and allows me the opportunity to read a book or magazine and finish them, bit by bit. I've read right before bed for as long as I can remember, and there are pictures of me from when I was a child, taken by my parents, of me asleep, with a book still in my hands or by my side.
Unfortunately, it bothers me when I read articles like this. It's sad to know that our society doesn't value books or the joy of reading as much as I think they should. I know I was shocked to learn the city of Salinas here in California, a city of 150,000, planned to close all their libraries due to funding cuts. Fortunately, they received enough outside donations that people in the city came to their senses, and from what I understand, they now have enough money to keep a few branches running part-time for a while. That would have been ironic, not to mention embarrassing-- the hometown of John Steinbeck sans libraries. There's a pretty good John Steinbeck museum in downtown Salinas not too far from the house where he was born and grew up. I went there not long after it opened, and went through the whole museum. It was fun, and I learned a few things about Steinbeck that I didn't know, but I will say it's worthwhile only if you've read at least a few of his books. Otherwise, it doesn't have the same meaning and would be rather boring.
When I was in high school, Steinbeck was one of my favorite authors, and I still enjoy his works. By the time I graduated from high school, I'd read nearly all of his writings, with the exception of a few of his more obscure works (such as _Bombs Away_) and _East of Eden_. I finally read what was probably his most famous book a few years ago, and was blown away.
I know not everyone likes Steinbeck, or likes to read for that matter. But at the most fundamental level, books represent knowledge. Entertainment, fantasy, creativity and the like are all great side benefits, but the heart of reading is the acquisition of knowledge through language. When a society is willing to abandon that, then it's in deep trouble.
Sometimes I wander over to the children's section to re-visit old favorites. Some of these books are classics that can be enjoyed by any age, such as the Chronicles of Narnia, or the Oz books. Laura Ingalls Wilder's books are fun to read, and some of her stories actually bring a different perspective with them as I re-read them again.
When it comes to fiction, my tendencies vary. I read a lot when I was in elementary and secondary school, and devoured a lot of the "classics." Once I went to college, I spent less time reading non-school material and more time enjoying life. Today I think I have a better balance. But one thing is pretty consistent: I must read before bed. It's peaceful and relaxing and allows me the opportunity to read a book or magazine and finish them, bit by bit. I've read right before bed for as long as I can remember, and there are pictures of me from when I was a child, taken by my parents, of me asleep, with a book still in my hands or by my side.
Unfortunately, it bothers me when I read articles like this. It's sad to know that our society doesn't value books or the joy of reading as much as I think they should. I know I was shocked to learn the city of Salinas here in California, a city of 150,000, planned to close all their libraries due to funding cuts. Fortunately, they received enough outside donations that people in the city came to their senses, and from what I understand, they now have enough money to keep a few branches running part-time for a while. That would have been ironic, not to mention embarrassing-- the hometown of John Steinbeck sans libraries. There's a pretty good John Steinbeck museum in downtown Salinas not too far from the house where he was born and grew up. I went there not long after it opened, and went through the whole museum. It was fun, and I learned a few things about Steinbeck that I didn't know, but I will say it's worthwhile only if you've read at least a few of his books. Otherwise, it doesn't have the same meaning and would be rather boring.
When I was in high school, Steinbeck was one of my favorite authors, and I still enjoy his works. By the time I graduated from high school, I'd read nearly all of his writings, with the exception of a few of his more obscure works (such as _Bombs Away_) and _East of Eden_. I finally read what was probably his most famous book a few years ago, and was blown away.
I know not everyone likes Steinbeck, or likes to read for that matter. But at the most fundamental level, books represent knowledge. Entertainment, fantasy, creativity and the like are all great side benefits, but the heart of reading is the acquisition of knowledge through language. When a society is willing to abandon that, then it's in deep trouble.
posted by Mr. Sandman | 10:11 PM
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