Bibliomanic: n. A person who has an extreme fondness of books.
I read that word in a book not too long ago and immediately fell in love. I never really liked to say, "I like to read." I felt like it didn't really convey my true passion for reading, books and the actual written word.... and then I read "Bibliomaniac." Any word with "-maniac" in it has got to come a little closer.
When I read a book I feel like I make new friends. Not only do I feel like I've met new people in the characters of each book, but also - and possibly more so - I feel like I make friends with the authors of these books. I believe that it takes a certain amount of bravery to put yourself out there in the form of writing; whether you are writing an autobiography or a piece of fiction. Books teach me... about me. Therefore, as I read I feel a certain degree of intimacy to each of these authors.
With that said, I feel a large degree of shame in the amount of books I haven't read. I made a goal to read more. But "read more" just felt daunting and vague and aimless. I knew that with that as my goal I would do absolutely nothing. I then moved on to another thing I truly love... Lists.
The most logical next step, at least in my mind, was to find some sort of list and just plow through it. Easy enough, right? Yeah.... I thought so too. It wasn't. Who decides what books are good? What makes those people more qualified to make those decisions. I decided that I was the most qualified person to decide which books I like, which ones I don't like.... and why.
So, having said that, this blog is going to serve as my outlet; a way to talk about something I'm truly passionate about. I hope that you enjoy reading my thoughts and maybe after I introduce you to some of my friends maybe you'll want to get to know them better.
Please feel free to comment or discuss. In fact, I look forward to hearing your opinions.
