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Books are a wonderful thing. They are fun to read, they are wonderful to hold, and they are interesting to look at. But unfortunately not that many people read books anymore. In 2007 (I know that is a long time a in the past but…) MSNBC did a poll to see how many adults did actually read and 1 in 4 adults did not read any books in 2007. Click here to see the full article. Barnes and Noble has put themselves up for sale, why? Maybe they aren’t selling enough books.
But I personally have a little thing about books. It is not just what is in the books but what the book is. I actually do not like the feel of new books. They are sleek, and shiny, and the pages sometimes drive me nuts. I like old books. Or older books. Books that have been through a lot. If a book came out and was brand new and everything, I would still read it but sometimes the pages just aren’t so interesting. They seem too sleek.
So, why do I like old books.
1. They look better.
Old books have a different look. The colors have faded and sometimes if they are really “old books” as in written a long time ago, the format is different.
2. They pages feel better.
The pages are not as smooth. They are rougher after going through lots of hands. They may not be so hygienic, but they are a lot of fun to read.
3. Sometimes they smell better.
If they are not from a library, but are a book passed down through generations of your family, the book sometimes smells nice. Not nice as in flowery but nice as in musty and that lets you know that this book is old and might not have been read it a while and is welcoming you to open its pages.
Those are the reasons why I like old books. What do you think? Do you like old books or new books? What is it that you like about old or new books?
Books are a wonderful thing and everyone has their own opinion of what they like. So what is yours?
I loved touring the Bodleian Library in Oxford – now those are old books.
Old books are wonderful and sometimes you can be pleasantly surprised. Once, I found two Terry Pratchett books on a shelf at home. That’s what makes them worth reading, knowing that someone else enjoyed it as well.