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“A room without books is like a body without a soul.” Cicero

I am a Bibliophile! Yes, I am a lover of books! Actually, to be perfectly honest, I am a bookaholic, and if I have to be addicted to something, why not books? My love of books would be experienced by every sense if it could be done. The touch of a book is so satisfying. The look is so exciting. How about the scent of a new book? Ah, how sweet it is! Finally, if I could eat books, I would devour them which I actually do with my mind. I am sure other bibliophiles in crime feel the same way.

Nothing used to please me more than walking into a bookstore. In fact, my colleagues and I used to visit the nearby Walden Bookstore on a regular basis. Unfortunately, it closed long ago, and we mourned the loss of this longstanding pleasure. Bookstores for the most part are becoming dinosaurs. As sad as that is, the rise of Amazon and other online bookstores have provided us with an infinite array of reading choices instantaneously at our fingertips. In addition, for those of us of a certain age, it is most fortuitous to have a medium which provides weary eyes with the magic of expanding print. Yes, where there is loss one can find solace in the gain.

How long have I been a voracious reader? Well, I remember enjoying stories as far back as my memory recalls, but the truth of the matter is my mother was responsible for the trigger. Yes, as usual, hold the mother accountable. It happened one Christmas when I was 13 years old, and I unwrapped a Trixie Belden book which was entitled “The Mystery on Cobbett’s Island.” My mother chose it because it was a derivative of my last name Corbett. Little did my mother know, she awoke a sleeping giant. I read that book quickly which began my thirst for more. Over the next year, I read the rest of the series which was about 15 books at the time, and I moved on to Donna Parker. My craving for books could not be satiated. Next was Nancy Drew. “The Clue of the Tapping Heels was started on a Saturday and finished by Sunday morning. Subsequently, I became engrossed in “The Quest of the Missing Map” which I found even more intriguing and could not put it down. Needless to say, I acquired more Nancy Drew books in the next couple of weeks.

After high school, I read a little less frequently due to demands of college and graduate school, but I never totally stopped. As I began my professional career, my reading habits resumed not to the level of my adolescence but nevertheless at a steady pace.

Fiction has been and always will be my first love, and as stated in an article in the Wall Street Journal, you can learn from any kind of book. Long before, I visited San Francisco I was transported to the fabulous city by reading Danielle Steele. Yes, once in awhile, I still indulge in light, airy romances as well as books by the late Jackie Collins. My Trixie Belden days of long ago taught me many things including the various steps of horseback riding as well as a technique to help a drowning person without drowning yourself.

For the past few years, I have begun reading more nonfiction, and between books,  ipad/Kindle and now, thankfully, Audio, I am in bibliophile heaven! I cannot imagine my life without reading which is the reason the quote by Cicero resonates with me. More important, many of us who love to read also have a perpetual desire to learn. In fact, I commend those parents who read to their children and encourage them to develop this delicious habit. My mother who is no longer on this earth gave me an invaluable gift, and I think she would be pleased that I attribute blame to her for my love of books.

For those who are bored or feel stuck in their lives, perhaps, you might consider purchasing or borrowing a good book. It does not have to be a literary masterpiece. Open it and start reading! You never know what you might discover! In fact, it might spur an idea and assist you in “getting unstuck.”

References and Suggested Readings:

Schwalbe, W. (2016, November 25). The Need to Read. The Wall Street Journal.

 

 

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