If I was ever asked to imagine a world without books, I’d say that I cannot. Absolutely impossible to do this in fact!
A World Without Books?
Books have always been a part of my life. The love affair started before I could read – when my Mum would read stories to me. Apparently, I would learn the whole story by heart and then pretend I was reading. My Mum fooled an uncle of mine in to believing that I could read at age two, because I would turn the page at exactly the right place!!
Children are made readers on the laps of their parents. ~Emilie Buchwald
Books were my companions growing up as an only girl – my two brothers had each other – and having to move home every couple of years, as my Dad was in the Army. Our box of books was a precious cargo that went with us to every house we made home.
A home (world) without books is a body without soul. ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero
As a young girl, I would play act – taking all the books and arranging them in piles and imagining that I was running a book shop or a library. Books made me laugh, they made me cry and they opened up new worlds for me and helped me improve my imagination.
The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go. ~Dr. Seuss
As I grew up, books became my compass – they helped me become more aware of myself, helped me to find new ways of thinking and helped me to take life-changing decisions too.
When I was asked ‘If your house was on fire and you could take only a few prized possessions, what would you take?’, I always answered – my books!
“I have always imagined that Paradise will be some kind of library.” — Jorge Luis Borges
I continue to read books, and continue to be surrounded by them. Every single room in our house has books in it! I’m so glad my husband loves reading too. In retrospect, I should have made that a condition when I was was looking for a partner – ‘Must read books, must allow me to read books and must fund my addiction to books’. Thankfully, he does all three – so I’m truly blessed.
So, I just can’t imagine a world without books. And I’m glad I don’t really have to try.
#FridayReflections
Friday Reflections is a link up hosted by Shalini at KohlEyed Me and me, Corinne at Everyday Gyaan. We invite you to join us every Friday to share a good cup of tea and your reflections based on the prompts we provide.
Here’s how #FridayReflections works:
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- Write a post using one of the prompts for the week provided below.
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Prompts for 18th May 2018
- Show us something you made!
- “I have always imagined that Paradise will be some kind of library.” — Jorge Luis Borges
- Picture prompt (credit Shalini Nair)
This was so lovely. What happened with you at 2 with respect to reading exactly happened with me when I was 3. I have also written about it in one post. A world without books is unimaginable for me too and especially for D’s sake.
On a side note, before I saw your post now, husband and I were arguing about what is the correct way for D to read. I will share it with you privately.
That’s a lovely story. I am so happy your partner reads. My husband doesn’t and everytime it is reasoning, debating, haggling to buy books. And the many times, I buy and hide them. He never notices them, anyways. But, he loves listening to all the stories I tell him from the books.
I so connected with this post Corinne . My dad was in the Navy and my books were my world too. I remember once our garage got flooded and the black boxes got drenched and my books actually ‘died’ . I was inconsolable because my entire babyhood was in that box – Cat in the Hat and all that….
Nowadays I find owning books quite a fiddle ( can’t remember who I lent them too and feel upset when I can’t find them) so I prefer to borrow .
But a life without books is unimaginable
I live books too and my earliest memories are filled with my older sister reading to me. Now most of my books are on a Kindle so I only have to grab the one reader if the house was on fire.
A prompt about Books and I don’t write on it? It is as impossible as imagining a world without books!:)
Loved how you shared your beautiful journey with books, Corinne. A ‘reader’ at 2, eh? Very impressive!:)
So glad your husband reads, mine doesn’t and doesn’t allow me to read in peace either!:))
Whoa! Reading at 2? That’s amazing, hehehe. I can’t imagine a world without books either, Corinne. Though my TBR is piling up, I would still buy more.
That’s such a vivid memory. Reading at two is just amazing. My parents are not much of a reader themselves, hope my partner would be one.
I agree. Books were my best friends in my childhood. They made me learn many new things .
Oh a world without books – what a sad, sad place it would be indeed. Especially my world, it would be so awfully incomplete without my oldest companions.
I think the nicest thing my son ever said was that I had a better selection of books in my room than most bookstores. (I think, though, he was commenting on the clutter). I can well imagine someone playing bookstore with books as a child. I didn’t, but I share your love for them. As an only child, they were one of my main companions growing up.
Lovely post and I love your quotes. Especially true that a lover of books is created on our mother’s laps! Thankful Thursday Week 20 and how to make blogging friends
I can imagine a world without paper books but a world without books per se is a hard one to imagine. Love your 2 year old story.
it occurs to me that ‘a world without books’ is actually the current scenario instead of a dystopian future. Most of the hatred and narrow mindedness stems from people who have never got to live multiple lives via books. They haven’t been exposed to a world beyond their own boundaries of religion, colour or caste.
lovely post and I agree books are our best friend. and imagine a world without books is quite impossible for me too.