I can’t imagine a life without books. When people tell me they don’t read, I try reallllly hard to keep any kind of expression off my face, while inwardly thinking, WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU??? Books are my happy place. Reading them, writing them, hugging them… whatever it is they
make me smile.
So recently, a big change happened in my life: I started looking for a job. I haven’t worked in 14 years, since kid #1 was born. Suddenly going back to work was scary and nerve-wracking and stressful. While looking for a job, I sent out resumes to offices for administrative work which is what I did before I had kids. I also decided to branch out a little, because I really wanted to find an environment that I would enjoy.
Long story short, I am now working at Indigo (which is basically Canada’s Barnes & Noble). I started yesterday, and I’m so excited to be able to surround myself with books, not just in my personal life, but at work too. Shelving books, selling books, recommending books… it doesn’t matter. I get to be around books all the time!
This month’s theme is The Pleasure of a Good Book. There is nothing like it. Nothing like losing yourself in characters that become like friends and a world that becomes like a second home. The pleasure of a good book is priceless. I feel so lucky to say that I can also enjoy the pleasure of writing books, and now working at a bookstore. To be able to make my world all about books is more than a pleasure, it means everything to me.
PS: What do YOU say when someone tells you they don’t read? How about when they say they don’t read Austen? I tend to let people be on both accounts but I can’t help my inner head shake (see below).
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I don’t say anything – frankly I’m speechless! How can you not enjoy a good book? Or even an ok book? In this age of tv series and YouTube we are bombarded with other’s vision of a story. Rarely does the producer’s vision coincide with my vision of the story, my interpretation of the written word. A perfect example is P&P 1995 vs 2005 (I’m firmly in the camp of 1995) – such different renditions of the same classic.
Nothing comes close to the world in my head and I use the visual media as a compliment to the written, not a replacement.
These people who don’t read a story are missing out on a whole world. And that a little bit sad.
I completely agree. I know people who have just never been readers and don’t understand how I read so much. But I’ve always been a reader so I can’t imagine life without it.
Well, I just go on as though I didn’t hear them. You cannot explain or describe the joy of reading to someone who has no idea what you are talking about. I do have a friend that loves to read… however, she stays within a certain genre and has no tolerance for ron-com or Jane Austen. I am now wondering why we are friends. That was a huge red flag for me. I nearly cried. I could not discuss my enthusiasm for the latest launch and my thoughts and review on a certain work. It is an area where we simply do not go. How sad.
Thank goodness I found the online groups that love Austenesque books and short stories. I have at last found a place where people love Jane Austen. I discovered that JAFF [Jane Austen Fan Fiction] authors and fans are amazing. Now that I am retired… I can read to my hearts content. I have found my happy place. I am so thrilled that you get to work in a book store, What a glorious place to be. I hope they give you an employee discount. Yahoo!!
That is one of the great things about the internet. You can find people online who share the same interests as you when you can’t share it with anyone in real life. It’s always nice to find your people!
And I do get an employee discount. I just have to be careful I don’t spend my entire paycheck on books!
I too rely on the various blogs to share my love of JAFF as none of my friends or family share my passion.
Since I was small I have loved reading and thanks to libraries I have been able to indulge my passion. Over the years I have read most genres from many, many, many children’s books on to sci fi, thriller, romance, mystery, historical, modern etc etc. Now apart from the occasional Georgette Heyer or Dorothy L Sayers re read I love reading stories about Darcy and Elizabeth.
My parents always read and encouraged me and I in turn encouraged my children who are now reading to their children.
I feel really sorry for anyone who doesn’t read as they are missing so, so much. Now I’m retired reading is even more of a great pleasure.
My parents also encouraged me, plus most of my older siblings are readers so seeing them read was a great example. Now I’m hoping my kids will become great readers too!
Reading is a necessity of life for me! I would be lost without a good book! I read as a child to escape and it soon became a constant staple in my life. I get cranky if I don’t get time to read. I read various genres but always come back to Jane Austen and all the wonderful stories created by you wonderful authors…that is my happy place. I feel sad for those who don’t enjoy reading. I feel as if they are missing a key element of life in general. Thank goodness for the JAFF community who love and appreciate all things Jane!
Congratulations on your new job at Chapters! I just love that store!
People who don’t read – I can just pity them (in rare cases I might even try to seduce them cautiously but it’s uphill work…).
I am a Viennese, and in Austria Jane Austen’s books do not belong to the average reader’s library. While I am able to enjoy them in English (like a lot of other Austrians) the majority depends on translations. It seems to me, however, that it is nigh impossible to find (or create) a really satisfying translation. Our Jane is too British, too English, too Austenish. I don’t know any German translation – especially of P&P – that can match the original. My Hungarian wife read P&P in Hungarian and was also rather disappointed (she found better success with Elizabeth Gaskell). There are some authors of Austen’s time whose books are easier to transfer in my mother language. When I was a child I was quite impressed by Walter Scott’s “Ivanhoe” in German but since long I found out that nothing of that sort comes up to the English version. Maybe, some day a real genius performs a miracle giving us a translation which keeps Austen’s spirit as well as her wit, her irony and her singular ability to put a world into a few concise sentences. Yet I do hope that more people will make themselves familiar with the English language above computer slang and such like. It’s the better way to real understanding, isn’t it?
I’m always suggesting books to people who tell me they don’t read… This summer, one of my friends got enthusiastic about 50 shades of Grey and read all the books… Since she often tells me she reads ONE book a YEAR I say this is a victory! Next step: something good to read! ; (PS When I don’t have much school work I read three to four books a week…)
And how is your work going? As a teenager I used to dream about working at FNAC, especially when it first opened here in Portugal… So many books! A dream job indeed! 😀 Have a nice week!
Hi Melanie!!
Congratulations on the new job!! My first job was working for B. Dalton Booksellers, basically a mall bookstore here in the US that was purchased by Barnes and Noble. My very first paycheck funded the purchase of the first poetry books I owned by all myself (not part of the family library): cheap mass market paperback collections of poems by Frost, Langston Hughes, and Ogden Nash.
I worked as a bookseller through my senior year of high school and all of college at B. Dalton, then my first B. Dalton manager hired me after college to work at the bookstore in the basement of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich publishers in downtown San Diego, the only major publishing house based on the west coast. I went back to the HBJ Bookstore after getting my Master’s because open adjunct positions at the local universities were rare that year, and a year later, I quit to teach at a local Christian university. So I sold books on and off for over a decade, and I loved it.
I don’t understand people who don’t read, especially with the proliferation of libraries!! Our town has only 1200 people, but we have an awesome library with access to all of the public and university libraries across the entire state of California. It’s rare that I can’t get my hands on a book I want without having to pay a penny (unless I bring back the book or DVD late, that is. 😉
Congratulations again on your new job!! Pulling returns wasn’t my favorite job, but I really loved working as a bookseller; there’s nothing quite as rewarding as helping a customer track down a book they really want!! Of course, there are the customers who ask where the nonfiction section is (when most of the store is nonfiction, LOL!). Or the ones who ask questions like: “I’m looking for this book. It’s red with the title in white print, and I think the author’s first name is Bob. Do you have it?” 😀
Of course, I was working as a bookseller pre-Internet, so while a lot has stayed the same, I’m sure that there have been many, many changes in the bookselling industry since I sold books. 😉
Warmly,
Susanne 🙂
One of my fondest possessions was my Chicago Public Library card – I couldn’t wait for the day I could “graduate” to the next level – Juvenile to Young Adult to Senior to Adult. Whenever I moved, a library card was one of my first “to-do” items. My daughters and I love to roam old bookstores or the library sales at home or on vacation. I think one of the greatest “gifts” I could pass on to my daughters was the love of books. School and work causes the time to read to wax and wane but we all manage to squeeze in at least a little. When they were younger I tried to “direct” my daughters towards certain books or genres – but gave up. I decided it was better to let them find their own special worlds. My oldest now has an interest in Jane. I am not sure if my youngest ever will. But by the same token – I have no interest in the dystopian genre. If I meet someone who is a reader, I will share my interests and listen to theirs. I do not try to push it. I do not think you can do more than make a suggestion to the non-reader. If he/she did not learn to love books at a young age, he/she will need to discover on his/her own. I have tried gifting books as a way of encouragement and observe what happens. I agree with the others who have found a wonderful way to share thoughts about books online – especially Jane and JAFF. I am grateful for the friends I have found here.
Thank you all.
My poor kids. The bane of their freshman and sophomore literature classes is YA lit. “At least it’s easy to read, but boring as heck. At least we are allowed to choose books for our personal reading list.” That’s how my daughter started on Dickens. When my son was 8 he would be reading the massive Harry Potter hardcovers while we were at the hairdresser. Grandma’s would walk up to him, “That’s a big book for such a little boy.” He would be so deep in his imagination, he didn’t notice someone was speaking to him. I would say, “Thank you. He’s a great reader.” 🙂 My family tries to not be without a book.
I have to say, I’ve never seen my dad read a fiction book. Yes, he read picture books to us when were were little, but not novels. He has admitted to reading James Fenimoore Cooper over 50 years ago. However, he is never without a newspaper, magazine, or nonfiction book. His dad was the same way.
I know a lot of people who read, but who don’t read Austen, including my own Dickens loving daughter. If they want to know, I will remind someone that Austen is just as much satire as romance. Pick your battles. No everyone is a novel reader.
Wonderful Post. I have always loved words. In addition to a good book, my favorite texts often comes from the lyrics of song. Thanks for your post.
How ironic it this – I just pulled the paperback copy of SWAY off my shelf to begin rereading it…the copy I won in The Darcy Monologues raffle!
I have always been a reader – even reading under my sheets with a flashlight when I was suppose to be sleeping – and then I caught my oldest doing the same thing. I don’t use the library now that I have a Kindle. I have won so many books plus found so many free ones or $.99 ones as well as the WIP or just all those fan fiction ones that there is a huge pile of TBR ones waiting.
When someone says they don’t read I am shaking my head internally like Richard above. I won’t insult them. I usually only watch TV or even DVDs when I am on my treadmill. Walking at the grocery story I may have an audible book plugged in my ears! Reading is my escape – romance (first of all) but I also like a good detective story or even some sci-fi stories. I used to read biographies and historical novels but now I am stuck in Jane Austen Land for the most part. And I love reading to my grandchildren. All my children read and I consider that a compliment to my influence and reading with them as they grew.
I liked reading the above comments as I recognize so many of my friends who have commented here also – another pleasure due to my reading – new friends from around the world.