July 23, 2013

Reading is a Joy Wherever You Land

Recently I was reading an online blog entry by a writer named Ben Umstead, entitled, "10 places we read (and why we read there)", about popular places for reading a book.  Now, mind you,  the author said nothing about using an e-reader so I took that to mean that he, like me, is a loyal fan of good old fashioned books made of real paper.  

There's practically nothing more delicious than parking oneself in a comfy spot and cracking open a delightful book.  It's hard to say how long one can remain in a paralytic state when a good book is involved.  Once I stayed up most of a night to devour a book that I just could not put down.  Usually that doesn't happen because reading, nighttime and comfort most often lead to sleep.

Umstead lists reading in parks, on trains and in libraries and bookstores as popular spots to park and read while in public.  Private locales include bed (with the possible aforementioned side effect of falling asleep prematurely), a  comfy couch the bathroom or automobile.  

When I was a young girl I'd climb up in one of my family's back yard apple trees and while away the afternoon immersed in a great library book.  Up there in my aerie, I could tuck myself into a sturdy branch, midst the camouflage of leaves and inches from the sweet smell of ripening apples.  It was my escape.

My best friend and I would trek on our bikes to the public library, tote home stacks of books, and spread out on an old Army blanket in the yard and read for hours there as well. A more pleasurable way for a kid to spend a summer's day I can hardly imagine.  But up in that tree was by far my favorite reading retreat.  

These days when I'm invited into a book's world I can do it just about anywhere and anytime.  At the doctor's office, before a sporting event (DURING a sporting event as well), in a boat, on the shore, in the yard or in my easy chair.  It's all good as far as I'm concerned. I even have a few e-books saved on my phone (just in case I find myself somewhere without a book and a hankering to read something), but I'll admit that so far I haven't set my eyes on any of those electronic books.  Even so I know that they're there should I need them.  

All I can say is, long live the printed book and may it never become an extinct creature.

The only concern I have now is, where did I put my cheater glasses......because reading those tiny words isn't like it used to be!