The Wonder of Books

A device for reading on the go, portable, unlimited operating time, no battery worries, wireless, cheap. Yes, it is a book   ~ Times Online UK

I cannot but give thanks for the wonder of books in my life. Books have always meant a lot to me. They’ve been prized possessions and when I had to move to Mumbai post-marriage, I told my then husband-to-be that he better make plenty of space for my books. Thankfully, he’s a book lover too and had a big collection himself. So when we were renovating our home we created a fairly large space for our library-cum-study. Ever so often, we come across books we like and we buy some more! I’m grateful that we have the space, the time and that books are so affordable in India.

If I look back to my childhood, I can remember always being surrounded by books – mostly Enid Blyton‘s. Between the three of us siblings, I think we went through most of her books. From Noddy and Brer Rabbit I went on to Secret Seven, The Five Find Outers, and the school girl books – Mallory Towers series.

I can still recall a thick Omnibus of Short Stories which I acquired at age five (a hand me down from my brothers, I’m guessing). I couldn’t read all the stories, but I wanted that book to be mine – so I inscribed on the inner page – “This book belongs to Corinne Campos  dother of Lt Col Campos 🙂 Don’t ask me why I thought it necessary to write the second part – perhaps just to make sure there was no confusion about who it belonged to. And I began to read that book, I still remember the feel and smell of it and of course the stories too – not the least of which was the story of St Francis of Assisi and his love for animals. How I loved that one.

A storyteller, like a travel agent, can help gather us up from wherever we are, and put us down in another setting. ~John Leggett

As a child, books were my source of entertainment (we didn’t have television until I graduated from college!). They were those magical things that transported you off to foreign lands and took you to places you longed to be in. Which of us who read the Five Find Outers was not in awe of Fatty – that boy who could carry off disguises so well and who would write letters in invisible ink! Fascinating and wonderful books – they helped me to imagine and dream…….

We read books to find out who we are. What other people, real or imaginary, do and think and feel is an essential guide to our understanding of what we ourselves are and may become. ~

In my teenage years, I graduated to romance novels and discovered Catherine Cookson and Jane Austen, who once more transported me to lands and times that we so different from the land and time I lived in. I still love to read both authors. Around this time too I read a wonderfully riveting true story called ‘The Cross and the Switchblade‘ that opened my eyes to how our choices and spirituality can help us to make a difference and bring meaning to other lives.

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers. ~  Charles W. Eliot

As the years went on my collection of books began to include plenty of spiritual and self-help books. I can never forget how a study of Stephen Covey‘s ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People‘ helped me to write my mission statement and go on to take a life-changing decision. 

I could really go on with this post, but I’ll stop here and give thanks for my parents who encouraged me to read and made books accessible to me – thereby opening a whole new world to me and encouraging me to dream, imagine and learn – thereby, helping me to be a better person.

May you be inspired – everyday!