Thoughts on bookstores…and how I miss them
Normally I reserve this blog for thoughts on artwork, upcoming projects etc but I must take a moment to express my regret in the decrease of book stores. First let me preface my rant by saying I’m a bibliophile. I love a good book. In my world the only thing better than a quiet evening with a new book, some good wine and cheese is an evening spent with my son and husband. Even with that qualifier I still crave evenings with a good book and a glass of wine. A properly written book can suck you into a story, it can transport you to other worlds, expand your emotional horizons and lighten your burdens. For me a good story has always been an escape. I was an awkward teenager, I didn’t fit into any standard molds and paid the social prices for it. I spent many a night reading some Anne McCaffery novels wishing I could ride a dragon and talk to him/her telepathically. It was a solace in a time where I didn’t fit in; as such Books became my friends.
Now as a busy artist and stay at home mom I rarely have time to read and if I do I’m reading a book on my iPhone after being awakened one too many times in the middle of the night. My poor husband somehow objects to me turning all the lights to read a paper book… go figure 🙂 In this digital age so much is ‘paperless’ and the environmentalist in me loves that in theory we’re creating less paper waste but the reader in me misses books. Don’t get me wrong, I am a techno hound; I own a kindle, and love it. I love that I can travel with my personal library of 300+ books in one thing that fits in my purse/diaper bag… you gotta admit that’s crazy cool. I no longer have to pack a duffle of books or make a deal with someone that if I read all my books I can then move onto theirs. I read many of my books on my iPhone, my iPad and enjoy them but it’s just not the same. I miss the fun of walking through a bookstore, poking through fun book covers skimming authors and generally enjoying touching and smelling a book.
The increasing prevalence of digital bookstores is taking it’s toll on our bookstores. I see Barnes and Nobles going out of business (ok they already have but you get my point), and small book stores going under and I am sad. I love that Barnes and Nobles and Borders made it cool to surf through a bookstore. Yes I surfed through the bookstore hoping to meet an intellectual guy who didn’t mind my dozens of books stashed around my house. Yes I smelled books when I started them and yes I miss sitting a bubble bath with a trashy romance novel that has slightly warped pages from my wet hands. If only we had endless room and money for both digital and paper books that way I could have both! As it is I have incomplete series on my kindle because I can’t stand it and just buy a hard copy book. This also means I have random books on my bookshelves and no longer have complete series of books in my bookshelves… except for Harry Potter and Barbara Kingsolver books. A girl has to have standards.
My thoughts for the day!
