I am a lover of books and it’s more than just the words within them. The slightly musty smell as they age. The way the pages slork up the moisture in my hands as the hours whiz by. The solid hefty weight of a hardcover or the light, might fly away if not desperately clutched to feeling of a paperback. I love stacking them on my nightstand and I love the sound of the stack toppling over in the middle of the night when I accidentally knock it with my pillow. Whish-whish-ker-thudd-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud…thud.
Sometimes I hesitate to call myself a true bibliophile though. I am, in some ways, lacking. I am unkind to books and though it shames me to confess it I cannot seem to mend my ways. I break their spines. I read them in the bath as their pages slowly ripple and warp. I toss them about in a careless fashion and in the end they are a broken, rumpled mess. I never borrow books anymore for fear of the potential public outcry.
Also, I am hesitant to tear myself away from my old, rumpled friends and seek out new adventures. I love to immerse myself in the familiar. I delight in finding hidden depths, new insights lurking amongst old, long known words. I read my favourites dozens upon dozens of times as if seeking to wring every last drop of pleasure from them. The poor books. Oh how I use and abuse.
I have, however, found new joy through the ever varying experience that is life in the blogging world. I’ve come to know and even, I tentatively put forward, befriend, authors of no small talent whose works now adorn both my bookshelves and my Amazon wishlist. The newness, ah the newness. It’s still frightening every time I crack a new one open. I can’t not finish a book, you see, and the fear of literature was deeply ingrained in me during my first year of University (oh the horrors of the English 101 reading list!). And yet, recently, I have found nothing but delight.
I plan to talk some of my new friends (with their poor broken spines and water spotted rumpled pages) up a bit in the coming weeks. Not sharing the loveliness of them is creating a powerful itch at the back of my mind and frankly, it’s driving me mental. I’m going to start the process by giving away my own little self-published quote book (yup, can’t sell the darn things, I have to give them away).
To qualify simply leave a comment on this post telling me how fabulous I am (I’ve had a rough couple of days – humour me please). One winner will be selected at random, and I’ll select another based on how much their comment made me grin, laugh, or blush.
And, for those who are curious, here’s a peek at the before and after pictures of the furniture reno/rearranging we did this weekend.
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[...] world of nighttime fears, but now, here in the light, I can remember. She is worth this. Please click here if you would like to (but have not yet) enter the drawing for a free copy of my self-published [...]
23 Comments
I DO think you’re fabulous and you don’t have to give me a free book for saying so!
You are so fabulous! Everyone loves you and we all wish we could live such a charmed Canadian life! ;) I really like your new couches by the way and though I am slightly appalled that you break the spines of your books, I can’t fault you for reading in the tub as I myself have done that on many occasion. I’m looking forward to your book centered future posts!
I have to admit that I stopped really reading in college, when I had so much homework. I have a short attention span, which is why I like blogging and magazines.
I like mostly old books, the ones that have been printed a long time
ago, and that seem to have been read lots and lots of times. Also the
ones that seem to be classic books, that somehow transcendent their
own time and culture, they could influece it based on that simple
text. IT could alter people thoughts and ideas about the world. I like
the books that seems to be like that, andy you?
Well, I don’t know you in real life at all, but I have really enjoyed reading your blog. I can’t even remember how I found you, but I love your writing style. :)
And I am all for being self-proclaimed bibliophiles! You are, indeed, a fabulous blogger – thanks for letting us into your life. (and forgive all of us silent lurkers)
Well, you know how I feel since I just emailed you about it! I love that you used the sound books make when they topple off the nightstand. Oh, how I can relate!
As for your wonderfulness, I adore you. Plain and simple. From the tips of your feet to the hairs on your head, I adore you. I love your charming, witty side. I love your dark and twisty side. I even love your self-effacing side (although I don’t always agree with you! I think you’re too wonderful!) You strengthen me. You make me laugh. You make me sigh deep in my soul and remember the important things. You make me want to be better and more like you. In short, I love ya, Kim.
Well, I’m fabulous. And since we’re twins, you must be fabulous too! ;)
I never feel like I’m a bibliophile because a lot of things I “should” like to read? I don’t like to read. At all. I would happily read Southern literature, chick-lit, and true crime the rest of my life. AND LOVE IT.
And you are fab. Sorry you are having a rough time. XOXO!
Um, let’s see. I adore you, but you know that.
You are a bibliophile, but I’m worse.
However, I never, ever take them in to the tub. I’m too afraid I’ll drop them, and what a tragic waste that would be.
So mend your ways!
~smirk~
oh hun! *HUGS* to you for having a rough few days . . . I wish I knew what I could do to help you . . . you are loved always! *HUGS*
My nightstand has no less than four stacks, one of which is probably 13 books high. And they are perched delicately like dominoes. If I happen to knock one over, it would be Whish-whish-ker-thudd-thud-thud-thud-thud-THUD-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-THUD-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud…thud!
And I think it’s completely fair to call yourself a bibliophile. It sounds like you’re turning them all into well-loved Velveteen Rabbits!
Love to you, dear one…
Ah, Kim… I think you’re great. If I were closer, you could borrow any of my books. As long as they’re still in 1 piece, you’re doing better than I have sometimes! I’ve found myself reading the same things over and over lately… good friends I don’t want to leave.
You’re fabulous, a great Mom, who cares about her girls. You’re a wife who wants to be only better for her husband. You’re a person who sees ways to improve and tries to take the path leading there. You’re someone who inspires me to try harder and climb higher.
(And I already have the book! It’s fantastic!)
I have to stack my books on my cedar chest because my nightstand is too small once I get the lamp on there. The other night I put all the extra fluff pillows from my bed on the cedar chest and then all the books that I have read in the last month, or was reading, or was going to read next. Then I went to sleep. Now the cedar chest is right under my window and there is enough room between it and the bed for me to stand- and no more. The stack on the cedar chest was rather high, with pillows, books and everything else that had landed there, it came about chest high on me.
In the night a big wind came. The curtain had gotten under the pillows. Imagine my surprise when the wind blew the curtain with enough force that it flew out from under the pillows causing them to tip over onto my bed, onto me! Books and all.
And you are awesome. I love you and admire so much about you. Your wit, your charm, your loveliness and even your willingness to bare your soul for all to see. I was telling my daughter just yesterday that I wished I could just climb through the computer and give you a hug.
Let’s see…how to stroke your ego. I think I did that in the e-mail I sent you a couple of days ago. But then you e-mailed me right back and stroked mine, so I guess we’re even.
I love that you have found your own quotes on your blog in order to quote yourself. I can’t wait to hear what some of your favorites are.
So I love the after shots, and having actually seen the space, it makes so much more sense in my mind now. Lovely new furniture :D
I’m also hard on books – erm – fiction, anyhow. My non-fiction/research books are far to costly to be rough with :D
Am I the only man commenting? can that count for something?
I know what you mean about rereading favorites in search of more depths. I honestly hope thats what my novel does, I hope its the kind of thing where people will treat it a little kinder than you-NO Baths!-but will pick it up 2-3-4 times always finding something they missed the first time around.
How is your progress coming-I know you’ve got your hands full I’m just wondering.
I love books! I love real books, too. Avram and I were just talking yesterday about how we will never use kindle, or any other replacement book thingy, because it is the books themselves that are part of the reading experience. This makes me want to get off the computer, and read. Sadly, as a mom, I find my reading to go in spurts, or else I would just read all the time, and my children and house would go crazy (hmm, they already are crazy. I mean crazier).
That’s exciting you have control over how you put your furniture, now! Yay for not eighties fabric!b Oh, and you are great and fabulous – I have yet to personally respond to ANY comment someone leaves on my blog. I wish I did (so, I know it’s not rocket science, but I just mentally think it’s too hard). And you write responses all the time, which really facilitates the friendship part of blogging, I think.
Okay, so I looked at your photos, but my Kid 1 was logged in to Facebook, so I couldn’t comment. Your furniture was an accident? It’s a beautiful accident. And speaking of furniture, and nightstands, my “nightstand” is really a wooden TV tray – the kind my wheelchair-bound great-aunt used to eat her dinner on while watching game shows. So my “nightstand” doesn’t hold a whole lot of books without tumbling them. But it does hold several. Kid 2 came in last night with “there’s nothing to read around here” angst, and I pointed her to the stack on the TV tray. She chose “The Book Thief” (totally 5 stars) and went to bed happy.
Okay, now on to the schmoozing: Whatever. You know I think you’re brilliant and fabulous and wonderful. Come back around here and we’ll eat lunch (this is a great idea. Do it.) Happy Day!
Sounds fantastic! That book looks neat :) I love the rearrangement. I’m curious about the new books you’ll be sharing with us, I’m sure you’ll have a fabulous insight or story to share with us for each one. :)
oh please let me win this book of wonderfulness by kim
One of my very favorite things about you is that you’re willing to try to see yourself objectively. It’s a talent I don’t’ possess.
Of course, what made me really love you is that you have enough spunk to quote yourself.
And with authority, too.
Gosh, I am so far behind. Something about summer and worrying about Asher and writing. All that AND YET I adore you so much that I simply stopped everything I was doing just now to randomly visit you. I just can’t be away too long because you’re my friend, I want to know what you’re doing. I want to see what you’ve written. I adore your heart and your honesty, your insight, wisdom and grace for others. You’ve been with me nearly all of my blogging journey, and I’m so so very glad.
So yes, I adore you. But you knew that :)
Darn, I missed a chance to win your book.