Book Lovers Day

9 August is Book Lovers Day - a day that book lovers celebrate the joys of reading.

But there are many among us who do not like to read for one reason or another.

They are not alone as Harper Lee, the author of the classic “To Kill A Mockingbird” herself testifies:

A few statistics may help put things in perspective:

• Publisher’s Weekly reports that print book sales rose more than 8.9% since the start of the pandemic in 2020.

• By 2030 the global book market value is expected to be around $163.89 billion

• eBook and audiobook sales have increased by more than 30% since 2020.

Looks like books aren’t going away anytime soon.

So why do people read?

A few of the usual suspects:

• For Entertainment: When you read, you can have fun and enjoy exciting stories.

• Escapism: It lets you escape to other worlds and forget about your daily worries.

• To Gain Knowledge: You can learn new things and discover interesting facts from books.

• For Personal Growth: Reading helps you become a better person and learn more about yourself.

• Relaxation: It's a great way to unwind and feel calm.

Trivia:

A bibliophile is a lover of books. A lectiophile is a lover of reading. 😄 

Which one are you?

I have to blame my father first for picking up this reading habit. I would find him spending hours scouring the daily newspaper from end to end seated in his easy chair by the window. That intrigued me. What was so interesting in the newspaper?

In his old bookcase was an old Hindi-to-English translation guide. With Hindi movies being a big thing back then, this little reference book made it fun to understand a foreign language.

His collection of books included like the one below.

Graham Greene was a British novelist and playwright, known for his works exploring moral and political issues.

"The Quiet American," published in 1955 is widely considered his best work. The book is set in Vietnam during the French-Indochina War and portrays the conflict between idealism and reality through its main characters.

This in turn sparked my interest in understanding history.

But what triggered off my own reading habit was one old issue of National Geographic magazine. On its cover was a brontosaur staring out and looking directly into my eyes. I was hooked. Line, and sinker.

In primary 6 (grade) school, my friend Kim Chuan would bring Enid Blyton’s books to school. The book would faithfully do the rounds among the class. It went on that entire year. Having a rich friend helps in reading too!

Later, in secondary (high) school, we had to read Animal Farm as part of English literature. In the beginning, I couldn’t get my head around it. I was 13. It was a mighty leap from Blyton to George Orwell.

But then, my teacher Mr. Kok peeled open the allegories, layer by layer, and lo behold…. an epiphany – Orwell was god!

I understood then the mighty power of the humble pen.

I still have an old dogeared copy of the book that kickstarted the fortnightly bicycle rides to the public library, where for a measly MYR5 (USD$1) annual membership fee, one could borrow books at leisure.

What my father kicked off, has now become a full-fledged, self-fulfilling habit.

To paraphrase Elton John: “I’m still reading!”

Now for the “bibliomiso” or “misobiblio” - those not particularly inclined to books, I remember an old Nancy comic on “reading” that has remained stuck in my head

I couldn’t find the original strip but with a little prompting, AI came up with the closest text version of it below.

Imagine the scenes:

Scene 1: Nancy's Living Room

[Nancy, a curious and adventurous girl, is sitting in her living room surrounded by a TV, a radio, and a pile of books.]

Nancy: (excitedly) I wonder what the difference is between TV, radio, and books! Let's find out!

Scene 2: TV Zone

[Nancy magically enters the TV, where she finds herself in a vibrant and colorful world.]

Nancy: (looking around) Wow, this is amazing! TV brings stories to life with moving pictures and sound. It's like being a part of the story itself!

[As Nancy explores, she sees characters on the TV screen and hears their dialogue.]

Nancy: (amazed) TV is great for visual learners like me. It's engaging and lets us see things happening in real-time.

Scene 3: Radio Land

[Nancy moves to the radio, where she is transported into a world filled with music and sounds.]

Nancy: (dancing to the music) Radio is different from TV. It doesn't have visuals, but it fills our imagination with wonderful sounds and music!

[Nancy hears different voices and sound effects, creating a vivid audio experience.]

Nancy: (excited) Radio is perfect for listening and multitasking. We can enjoy it while doing other things like cooking or playing!

Scene 4: Book World

[Nancy opens a book and suddenly finds herself surrounded by words and illustrations.]

Nancy: (flipping through the pages) Books are like portals to different worlds. They let our imagination run wild and create our own visuals.

[Nancy sees herself as a character in the book, interacting with the story.]

Nancy: (thoughtfully) Books allow us to dive deep into stories, expand our vocabulary, and develop our reading skills.

Scene 5: Nancy's Living Room - Conclusion

[Nancy returns to her living room, holding a book, turning off the TV, and switching off the radio.]

Nancy: (smiling) Now I understand the differences between TV, radio, and books! TV brings stories to life with visuals and sound, radio fills our imagination with sounds and music, and books let us create our own visuals and dive deep into stories.

Nancy's Mom: (entering the room) Nancy, are you ready to watch a movie?

Nancy: (grinning) Yes, Mom! But after that, I would love to listen to the radio and read a book!

[They all laugh together as Nancy's exploration has sparked a newfound appreciation for different forms of media.]

This Week’s Free Resource

Project Gutenberg is a library of over 70,000 free eBooks where you can read to your heart’s content!

Quote of the Week

Thank you for taking the time to read.

For those already hooked on reading, here’s to you!

For those not yet - why not? 😀 

Till next time.

Jude

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