On Books
Regular readers will know that I have recently started including book reviews in my posts. Reading is something I have always drawn great pleasure from. It is also something which I find myself making less time for than I like to. Reviewing books offers the opportunity not only to try new authors, but also to read. And it’s not just about the act of reading. It’s reading and digesting what I have read. A skim read might lead to some form of review, but it would be fair neither to author, nor to book. Reading to review means I retain the pleasure of reading; I also have the chance to reflect on what others might appreciate about any given text.
My love of books began early. I was fortunate to have a mother who read to me from a very young age. She didn’t just read out loud. The way she read was a performance. Characters became three dimensional, and locations were brought to life. Each participant in the story had a different voice, and facial expressions as well. Perhaps even hand gestures.
A childhood favourite – I loved the artwork as well as the story 
Two more favourites (spoiler alert – the fourteen rats are fine)
My husband and I both read to our son. He’s too young to understand much of the content of books, but appreciates the sound of us reading. He already has favourites which he thrusts towards us with enthusiasm, his face radiating excitement and anticipation. I have a couple of children’s books to review later in the year, which I am looking forward to reading to him. Expect to see a few more reviews for both adult and children’s books in the coming weeks.
While my main work today is creative in nature, my thought processes remain somewhat linear. The logical side of my brain wondered whether there exists any form of classification system for readers. There are many. One which I like in particular was created by Laura E. Kelly, in homage to the Linnaean system of classification for plants and animals. The infographic is reproduced below.
This is by no means definitive, but covers an interesting range of readers. I’m definitely somewhere in the compulsive book lover section. I have lots of books, and the collection grows steadily. Electronic books are convenient, but I find them hard to read. I much prefer print books, new or second hand. Part of the experience of reading is to touch the pages, to appreciate the way a book smells, and to have a unique one-to-one relationship. If it’s a second hand book, there might also be a handwritten dedication, adding intrigue to the book’s own backstory.
I hope that, whatever type of reader he is, our son grows up loving books as much as we do. Books bring such richness to life.
