Sure there are other bookstores, Barnes and Noble comes to mind, but Borders will always hold a special place in my heart. I totally understand why they went out of business - a combination of rising sales over the internet combined with a failure of Borders to see how large a market eBooks would become. Putting it in perspective, though, my loss of a location to purchase books pales in comparison to the issues facing the 10k+ employees who lost their jobs and are now entering into the worst job market in my lifetime. I hope all of them are able to land on their feet and enjoy a good slice of pizza.
Curling up with a good book in bed, on a couch, or a large comfy chair is one of my "comfort actions", that is to say - things I do to relax and be more at peace. Previously, it would solely be printed books, but more recently I have been reading numerous eBooks. I have a large library of printed books, but only a few eBooks. I love the portability of eBooks and my current eBook reader doubles as my cellphone. On the other hand, I love turning pages in a printed book - the thrill of getting to the end of a page and the anticipation of what is going to happen next as you grab the top corner of the sheet and flipping it over to reveal the author's next words hiding behind. I love it!
My mom says I started to read at an extremely early age. I would read the newspaper, not understanding half the words. My mom says I read everything I could get my hands upon. She would take me to the library every few weeks and I would go in with one stack of books to return and exit with another stack of comparable size. In school, I was in an advanced English program where I would read a book and have to make an oral presentation to my class, weekly. It was a ton of fun traveling the world in those book reports doing everything from exploring the tomb of Tutankhamen to traveling to distant planets with Tom Swift.
As far back as I can remember I have been an avid page turner. I have explored Middle Earth, Pern, Faerun, Krynn, the world of The Belgariad, the world of The Wheel of Time, and many more fantasy worlds. Many science fiction novels have passed through my hands as well. I have stayed up many a late night walking down dusty trails and traveling from planet to planet with the characters in these books.
My current book selections are still as fantastic and wonderful as they were in my childhood, but I have become more discerning in my book choices. I have started examining books that my favorite authors enjoy reading to get a better idea of what they look at as good entertainment, and I have found a few hidden gems that I would never have known. I would like to share these fantastic stories with you here. Most people probably already know about the last one on the list, but I am keeping it for sake of completion.
Patrick Rothfuss - The Name of the Wind Series
Brent Weeks - The Night Angel Trilogy
Jim Butcher - The Dresden Files
Simon R. Green - Deathstalker, Nightside, and Secret Histories series
George R.R. Martin - A Song of Fire and Ice (A Game of Thrones)
For a while, a few years back, I lost interest in reading. It was a difficult part of my life and it was hard to do many of the things in my life that previously made me happy. My wife encouraged me to continue reading, knowing how much I love it. I eventually made it through that part of my life and now I am back to devouring books as fast as I ever have. I also have a new goal in my life. I want to write. I know, I know... everyone thinks they can be a writer. What I really want to do is craft a world and spin a tale that will, hopefully, one day help someone else through troubled times in their life.
Recently, I have been going to Panera Bread, buying a large bowl of french onion soup, and spending a few hours enjoying my book. I can enjoy one of my comfort foods while taking a journey in a book in between spoonfuls. However, when I go out for pizza, I can eat a pizza slice being held in one hand while simultaneously reading my book with the other. Is there any other food that can be easily held and eaten while reading? Possibly, but none that are anywhere near as delicious. Eating pizza and reading - two of my favorite things.
Why pizza is the best food in the universe, Reason #53: You only need one hand to eat it.
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