My dad tells me he is going to put some things
up for sale on
ebay. His uncle's old
Leica.
A crappy
monitor. Our
encyclopedia, dated
somewhere in the 70's. When I was young, my father
had a standard response to complaints of
boredom,
nothing to read:
Read the encyclopedia, he'd
say. My favorite was the 'Se-Sz' book. (
Shakespeare
summaries.
Seven Wonders of the World. Fun stuff).
I asked him not to sell it, if he just needed
the shelf space I'd move them to my apartment or box
them.
Books are old friends. They are what kept me
warm on many a cold
childhood morning, they are what kept me busy
through many a school bus ride, they are what
kept me quiet through many more classes than
I was interested in. Books are like that, books
are the easiest route to elsewhere, and if the
book speaks to me in any way, it is likely
going to become part of my collection.
What is the last book you have read?
I always lie in response to that one, for it
is not 'the last one' that matters but the one
that took me the furthest away that should be
shared with others, is this not so?
Read this one. It's great. And
this one. Oh, YES! I forgot all
about this one. Awesome, read this one too!
I am selfish, I do not like to give away my books, (the ones that really meant something) I want to share them without sharing, and I am effusive, enthuisiastic, and honest about this. Read this, I will say. You can't have my copy, but take it out from the library. Or buy it Soho, I know they have it this week'. And I will
tell you about the book, why I liked it or
why it spoke to me, and failing that, I can tell
you how it compared to other books by the same
author, or how the author's formulaic plots
still get to me.
Sometimes it's the book. Sometimes it's the
author. Sometimes it's both. My favorite public library; the best places to get your books, all of it. I will node my library, word by word.