National Book Lovers Day falls on the 9th August and what a wonderful day it will be. A day when we can celebrate literature as a community of book lovers from all corners, no matter of race, religion or personal beliefs. Books unite us all, and books have been a constant in society – the first book was printed in 1455, but literature has appeared in various forms for centuries before that. Today, it could be argued, books are just as treasured as they were back when the first were being printed in the 15th century, as more and more people favour digital technology over paper and ink.
But not everybody.
I love books, and have for as long as I can remember. I was an only child until the age of 8 and became fiercely independent as a result, so reading was another way for me to entertain myself in my own company.
As with many readers of my generation, I was obsessed with Jacqueline Wilson and was constantly begging to be bought the next one from our local supermarket. I currently have 32 of her books still on my bookshelf today, but no doubt I read many more than that (almost definitely, as there is a distinct lack of Tracy Beaker…). Aside from these books, I also favoured historic fiction, and it was through books found on trips to Scottish castles that I developed a fascination with Mary, Queen of Scots.
These days, I tend to read books brought out by people I admire, such as Louise Pentland and Carrie Hope Fletcher, who are primarily YouTubers, but to me are also positive female role models that write fiction I find interesting. By sheer coincidence, it falls on National Book Lovers Day that I am going to meet Louise Pentland for the first time at a book signing for her new novel, so I will be celebrating the day surrounded with people that are united by one book and one author, which I think is a really lovely way to spend it.
So, given I have preached so much about community when it comes to books, I asked members of an online book club I am part of to share why they love books this Book Lovers Day:
Comment below this blog post and share why you love books. After all, it’s not like they grow on trees…
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