Episode 10: Books or Looks?

I restrained myself last week.

 7^th March 2013 was World Book Day, but I waited.

I waited in order to give everyone a fresh slap in the chops with the wonders of literary genius.

I waited, but with a plan, to wait until a week later when you may have ‘forgotten’ to pick up that book you bought or ‘forgotten’ to read that new novel someone lent to you or maybe you even ‘forgot’ to go and sign up at the library?

NEVER FEAR! I am here to remind you to take that trip to the library, have a browse on Amazon or maybe even purchase the sequel to the book you decided to read last Thursday, all because of the encouragement provided from World Book Day.

People should be encouraged to follow a more book filled life. Books have always been a part of my life, as my mummy likes to tell people about my childhood; ‘Ruthie would just sit there in the corner with her wee book, no trouble at all’. Thanks mummy, so I’ve been a total geek my entire life then? She just kills any social credibility I may have mustered. But it was, and still is, true;

Here we have le bookcase bottom right, these shelves are dedicated to books I read for pleasure, academic books and textbooks etc. have another bookcase, on the top is my sausage dog book bookmark (see episode 7 for explanation) and the bottom left shows my little bookie beauties all lined up and waiting for my literary consumption, like a book to do list on the top shelf, yet to be explored.
It makes me happy just thinking about sitting down and reading them all.

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”
~Jane Austen

I love listening to people reasoning out why they don’t read;

1.       I don’t have time to read. Do you not have time to eat, have a bath, travel to work or go to bed? Unlikely.

2.       I can’t afford books. Library?

3.       I have no space to put them. Although it isn’t my personal preferred method – eReader?

4.       I don’t like books. Well see you in hell blasphemer.

Saying you don’t like ANY books is an extremely loaded claim as you are implying that you have read every book and didn’t enjoy a single sentence. Have you read every book in the world?

No you haven’t, and your hypothesis on not liking ANY books is therefore null and void. It’s also very narrow-minded, like saying I don’t like ANY fruit because you didn’t like a plum you had once when you were sixteen.

Everyone likes something, unless you’re Eeyore, and in fact even he likes eating thistles. So you see Eeyore might enjoy reading a nice book about the best thistle species for summer and where to find them?

‘Having time’ to read is also an easily solved issue, most people these days spend their evenings watching TV. Mind-numbing, thought burning, intelligence annihilating TV. For HOURS on end. Everything in moderation, there’s nothing wrong with catching up with some of your favourite programmes and enjoying cuddling up with a movie. But just think on the fact that you burn more calories sleeping than watching TV. That is how much of nothingness TV is. Your brain is more active sleeping and you aren’t even conscious.

The benefits of reading;

·         It makes you smarter. Obviously! Not only are you keeping your brain active and improving your memory but you are gathering more information whether that’s learning real facts or dissecting moral dilemmas.

·         Reading improves your vocabulary, grammar and spelling which also benefits your own creativity and writing skills.

·         It’s a stress buster. I find this exceptionally potent myself, which is why I very often delve into fiction. Escaping from reality makes it much easier to step back and deal with issues.

·         It’s fun! You know what you could read which is regularly updated with interesting short reads? A blog ;).

The benefits of reading with a cup of tea;

·         Above list plus you also now have a nice cup of tea.

The benefits of reading with a cup of tea and biscuits;

·         Now you have tea AND 2 milk chocolate digestives. Win for life already and you haven’t even opened the book yet! It’s all about preparation, settle down somewhere quiet and comfortable and prepare to enjoy yourself.

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”
~ C.S. Lewis

As highlighted in the movie Matilda by her somewhat simple-minded mother, Mrs Wormwood, some girls are led to believe you have to set your life down a path based on either books or looks. As if being academic means you couldn’t possibly groom yourself.

I mean sometimes you stay up late to just finish the end of the chapter, and then just the next chapter and then the next, and just a few more pages... and you know what? There’s not that much left to just finish the book! You probably look like you’ve suffered from a lifetime of insomnia the next morning because you were too tired to get up and brush your hair but wasn’t it satisfying finding out what happened to Harry and Voldemort??

Less of your old fashioned opinions Mrs Wormwood, smart women are sexy! Even with bags under their eyes...

 Everybody has their place of solace, a thing you do just for you that relaxes and refreshes and lets you escape problems and worries. Books do that for me,

and sometimes there’s even a snuggly sausage dog hiding between the pillows and blankets on your reading chair!

I have my book, my sausage dog, fluffy blankets, a cup of tea and 2 biscuits. If the fiancé comes around with a crème egg now I’ll just have to die because my life will have already hit its peak.

 

A few of my own recommendations for Geeks to get started;

 For a little Geek;

Tony Robinson’s Weird World of Wonders: Funny Inventions – Tony Robinson and Del Thorpe

For a Chic Geek;

How to Walk in High Heels: The Girl’s Guide to Everything – Camilla Morton

For a History Geek;

Fall of Giants – Ken Follett

For a Fantasy Geek;

The Eye of the World – Robert Jordan