I suppose if you're here, reading a blog dedicated to the joys of Young Adult fiction, you love books. I love books. My obsession started before I could even read them. As a little child I liked touching the spines, turning the pages, staring at the letters and wondering what they would say to me if I could read them. Needless to say I started reading early. I never stopped.
I've always had a deep suspicion of anyone who claims they "don't have time to read." Why is that always the excuse? Nobody ever says "I don't like books." I've begun to think we have created a culture of "stress addiction" that's really just "excuse addiction." Almost every excuse I hear these days involves a lack of time. We live in an age of ultra-portability and technological amazements, but nobody seems to have time. Microwave your dinner, take the fast lane down the highway, get your appointments sent to your Blackberry, text your kids. But finding an hour a night to enjoy a novel? Impossible!
I'm the first to admit I love television. I love movies. I love spending time with my friends. But if I had a choice between any of those things and books... no contest. Books would win every time. They are my favorite, most treasured indulgence. I probably buy three novels a week at minimum. I do not have a "to be read" pile. TBR? If you count waiting until I'm done with the one in my hand, maybe. And with summer coming, most of the good stuff on tv is going on hiatus, anyway. Most nights I turn on the tv, true, but I also only glance up when I hear something interesting. Or Ahmed bumps my shoulder and grunts. What? Oh. They're doing fiddleheads on Iron Chef. Cool.
Back to my book...
I was thinking about this last night because I had food poisoning, but wouldn't put my book down. Every time I needed to run for the bathroom I stuffed a bookmark in, dropped, and scurried... but I also came right back. This morning Ahmed asked me how the heck I retained any of it. You know, he has a point. But I tend to blow through a novel in one evening, so I'm not worried. I can re-read it. (For those planning to ask, the book is Darkborn by Alison Sinclair.)
Bottom line? If you don't love books, you can't take a prominent place in my life. We can be acquaintances, but we can never be true friends. Sorry. I mean... what on earth would we talk about?
