A time for harvest, a time to gather in and a time to remember all we are thankful for. And today, I’m thinking about the bookish things I am grateful for.
Books (and reading) are an important part of my life and always have been. I would be a very different person without it.
Here are eight bookish things I am thankful for.
Libraries
My parents began bringing me to the library when I was very little. I remember my 3-year old self thrill at all the possibilities on the shelves. I would bring home a pile of books and couldn’t believe I was allowed to keep them for a couple of weeks. I took that responsibility very seriously. I still do.
Lignin
Lignin is an organic polymer that is part of the cellulose found in plants, including wood. And it is what makes books smell so good.
When made into paper and stored for years, it breaks down and smells good. Which is how divine providence has arranged for secondhand bookstores to smell like good quality vanilla absolute, subliminally stoking a hunger for knowledge in all of us. —From Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez’s Perfumes: the guide
Indie bookstores
I am fortunate to have two great ones when I live, and they are really close to one another. The Book Lady Bookstore is a fantastic used bookstore with an adorable shop dog named Cassidy. Nearby is E Shaver’s which recently changed ownership. The new manager has made some great changes, including adding the Tea Room and two shop kitties, Mr. Eliot and Bartleby.
Bookstagrams
There are some seriously cool bookish photographers out there. I try but I’m nowhere near as good as obviousstate, foxedquarterly, or foldedpagesdistillery. Still I try my best. Search #bookstagram and you will turn up some fun items.
Bookmarks
Especially the ones that aren’t bookmarks at all. The Strand has a feed where they feature the bookmarks they have found. And there is an entire instagram account devoted to forgotten bookmarks. I too grab the nearest slip of paper or receipt, even though I have a stack of wonderful purpose made bookmarks.
Reading
Sounds obvious, but I am really grateful that reading can affect me. I enjoy the escape, the excitement, the thinking, the calming — all of it. The act of reading is integral to my personality and I am thankful I get to do it on a daily basis.
Reviewing
About 7 or 8 years ago, I stumbled into the world of book blogging and reviewing. Now, I am lucky enough to have great relationships with publicists, read books in advance of their publication and write, talk and post about them. I get books in the mail. It’s amazing.
My library
I am incredibly lucky to have my own library. Our house has a kitchen large enough to put a dining area so the “formal” dining room is my library. It is a living, breathing thing and always a work in progress, but it is also a sanctuary. There is something lovely about settling into a chair surrounded by piles and shelves and stacks of books to protect you.