And then it happened. I got a plane ticket to Germany.
It just wasn’t actually mine, and it had already been used, but this is so not the point.
The point is, for a slice of time, I had a connection with something outside of my limited realm.
I found it in a library book.
And this is why I love library books. They connect me with world outside of myself.
I read them with abandon. I read daily, weekly, for the love of it, for the fun of it, and for requested reviews. But mostly just because I like reading.
Maintaining material possessions makes me nervous, I don’t enjoy e-reading that much, and also, books can get pricey. So library books work really well for me. I’ve heard some people are freaked out that aged pages may be chalk full of germs and disease, but for me, it’s worth it to chance it.
And if I’m honest about it, the sheer physicality of books makes me swoon. Each tired, dog-eared page is like a link to those who have read the book before. Whether hated or loved, it was read. It shared space with someone else on this earth for a time, and that I now hold myself it creates a connection.
In this day in age when so many connections are no longer tangible, library books remain a unique constant.
So I’m going to keep treasuring my library card as preciously as I do my Visa card. And I’ll keep devouring my books. I never know where they may take me–be it through the lives of the characters or through forgotten Lufthansa flight tickets.
I hear Germany is lovely this time of year…
If you want to follow along with my reading journeys, come find me on Goodreads–yet another one of my obsessions!
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Erika says
You know that my obsession is being crazy about books! I really can’t do e-reading. I love real books! I also don’t think I have ever gotten sick from a library book ever, and I have gotten thousands and thousands! I love the e-mail from the library that tells me my book on hold is in!! I am so glad for Goodreads too!!
Jenn @ Something Clever 2.0 says
You should leave a note in the book when you return it. Tell them where you took it, what your favorite part was. Encourage them to leave a note for the next reader. Like a one-way book club.
Katie @ Pick Any Two says
My family is always singing praises for public libraries, and not just because my husband used to work for one. I love that I can read a ton of books without shelling out any cash—and toys, too, as some libraries offer “kits” of toys based on your child’s age. It shocks me that more people don’t use public libraries regularly!