The Comfort Of Books

I chose this title very carefully – because it’s not just the comfort of reading, although that’s a big part of it. It’s the books themselves. Physical, tangible, dog-eared, musty, beautiful books, that take up space and collect dust and crinkle along the spines (unless you have a fancy hard cover, in which case you’re probably doing damage to the paper book jacket instead of the actual book).

I immediately feel comforted when I look at my bookshelf. My dream is to have a whole room set aside as a library in my own house one day. A haven, a sanctuary, for me to retreat to with a chaise lounge and bay window and other such wonderful things. But I’m getting distracted.

My point is, there’s something about the physical presence of books that I, and I’m sure others, find soothing or inspiring, or just feels like home. As much as I appreciate the convenience a Kindle offers, it certainly doesn’t stir up any such emotions. I’ve thought about what specifically it is that I find so comforting about books, and this is what I came up with:

The Possibility 

When I see spines of books sitting along a shelf, I see possibilities. Possibilities of falling into others’ stories, of learning of other worlds, or simply escaping this one. I believe reading widely and frequently truly makes you more open-minded about the world – how can it not? You’ve spent so much time in other people’s heads, real or imagined. 

Whether you read fiction or non-fiction, books will open up doors into minds that are different to your own. You’ll experience other thought processes, ideas, concepts of society, explanations of the mundane or the most advanced ideas of science. All from inside your head – yet the world will seem bigger.

The Nostalgia

I’ve mentioned this before, but there is something about those books you fell in love with growing up, the ones that had you hooked – for me, the Sweet Valleys, the Harry Potters, the Deltora Quests, the Jane Austens, His Dark Materials, White Fang, The Silver Brumby – that stays with you as an adult. I can read them over and over again, and the magic is still there. Often, as I re-read them at different stages in life, I gain a new understanding or insight. I have a huge sentimental attachment to these books; just looking at them sitting on my bookshelf makes me feel warm and cosy inside. I’m looking at them right now. *contented sigh*

The Memories

When you read a book that stays with you, you remember where you were – where you were physically, or what stage of life you were at.

On my confirmation day, when I was eleven or twelve, I received the fifth Harry Potter novel as a gift from my cousin. It was night-time, when everyone had come back to our house after a dinner out. The book had just been released, and I remember squealing with delight when I peeled back the wrapping paper and saw what it was, running to the lounge and back in excitement, starting to read it on the couch as soon as the guests left. It’s the strongest memory I have of that day.

Books can weave themselves into the fabric of your memories. I still remember where certain books sat at the St Damian’s primary school library. John Marsden’s Tomorrow series was along a bottom shelf. One of my favourite books at the time, a novel called Dark Horses by Heather Cato, wasn’t on a shelf, but on a rotating stand, near the classics. I remember going in there at lunchtimes, when the library was quiet and still, and being happy surrounded by books.

The Aesthetic 

Books can be truly beautiful. As a graphic designer, I’m appreciative of a gorgeous cover, and just as importantly, well-typeset pages. An attractive cover can make the difference between me being happy to have the book on my Kindle or to borrow it from the library, versus having it on my bookshelf. It’s a collector’s mindset – as well as wanting your favourite books or the ones that mean the most to you on your shelf, you also want them to look good! 

Chapter One of The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman

The design of the inside of the book can also add to the reading experience. One of the best examples I have of this is an edition of Philip Pullman’s The Amber Spyglass. At the start of each chapter is an epigraph (a quote from another writer). Most of them are lines from poets that have influenced his work, such as William Blake or John Milton. For me, it added another level of understanding as I was reading, as I was being shown where the author’s influences had come from.

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Well, I hope after this I’ve convinced you to add some more books to your collection. In my opinion, you can never have enough ;)