A Healthy Addiction to Books

If you’re like me, you look forward to the time of day when you read for pleasure. I enjoy meeting people who are avid readers.

These are the ones who steal glances at cover jackets whenever seeing someone else reading. They ignore the trinkets and furniture at yard sales as they rummage through piles of dusty old books. Bookstores are a mandatory stop while shopping. They subscribe to a half-dozen online promotional sites offering discounted ebooks.

In the book publishing business, these people are called whales. They consume far more books than the typical person. When it comes to word of mouth, whale readers are priceless. They will tell everyone what they are reading and post detailed reviews.

I was recently talking with a good friend who described his experience moving from one home to another. He had a long career in the military, so he had moved frequently. Anyone who moves often learns to discard most possessions that are unnecessary. He fit most of his belongings into a few boxes, except for his books. These, he explained, took up a ridiculous number of cartons. Yet, he couldn’t part with them and refused to abandon most of them.

I suggested moving to ebooks, but he insisted print books were the only way to read. For myself, the advantages of ebooks won me over some years ago. Yet, I still understand the attraction of holding onto a paperback or hardcover novel.

You don’t have to be a whale reader to appreciate the value of a good book. Whether you read a few chapters or ten books a month, this obsession with reading binds millions of us together. It’s a healthy addiction.

I’ve heard the arguments that Netflix and other streaming services will eventually diminish reading as a form of entertainment. Like most devoted readers, I don’t expect it will happen soon, if ever. Book sales continue to set new highs almost every year.

Like other devoted readers, I always believe there’s something magical about beginning a new novel. I hope you feel the same.