Reading books

The latest craze in Cebu right now is a mad book sale that sells almost brand-new books at about 80 percent off. Having the privilege to get inside the venue ahead of the public a day before, the inner bookworm in me became very giddy. I fell in line just like everyone else did until the security personnel opened the store. The smell of fresh books hung in the air, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on them myself. The tables were crowded. The books just lay there like they were ready to be picked up. Just when I looked away, a pile suddenly vanished, and another, and another. It was like an amazing race to get the best books in the shortest possible time.

I grabbed a few handfuls that I would like to read for myself and another for someone else. Choosing books takes time and practice, making sure that all the time spent reading from cover to cover is worth it.

I was always the girl who would suddenly be quiet in the middle of a noisy group because I was already reading a book. It became more than just a hobby, it was already my lifestyle. I knew most of the good authors, so picked a few ones that I liked myself. In the same section were teenagers who also got the same books.

Judging from the way they evaluated the books on the tables, I could say that they were new bookworms. Add to that their sudden urge to take pictures in every step of the long queue. Others gave them a stern look as if in irritation. For me, I was rather happy that they were happy.

I love new bookworms. It makes me happy knowing that in this world of digital age and whatnot, there are still people who would like to sit down and open a book. The smell of fresh pages couldn’t be any more therapeutic. Reading makes one not just literate but opens one to many cultures, differences, and ideas. Books shape one’s mind and take the reader into a different world and dimension. The imagination does its job in letting the mind wander into unknown realms and a lot more.

We are in no position to judge new bookworms. Instead we should be glad that there are people who still have the interest to read. Reading takes time and patience but they say reading makes one not just a good writer, but a thinker also. It all comes full circle to the fact that we should improve our basic education so that students become interested in reading and making their own analysis.

The sale is only until the next week. Cebu will go back to its normal state by then –no more traffic and people fleeting to that venue. I hope every books gets read, this could be the start of a different era: Where everyone is a critical reader, thinker, and writer.