Death of the Book Shop

So who still reads books?

No, not online magazines or downloaded books on a Kindle…I mean proper, real, hold the glorious item in your hand, books?

I do.

Admittedly, I do have a Kindle and I bloody love it. I was that girl who always used to pack more books than bikinis to go on holiday, and you could pretty much guarantee that my suitcase would always be over the weight limit, usually due to the ten paperbacks nestled amongst the folds of my beach towel. So, of course when Kindles were invented, it was like my suitcase breathed a sigh of relief. I however, lost a bit of bicep tone from not having to lug so much extra weight.

These days when I go on holiday, I load up my Kindle with best sellers, quite often researched from the Richard & Judy list, and all those many missives sit happily and weightlessly in my hand luggage no less! Who’d of thought it!?

What I do still do though, every single time that I go away, is I visit the book shop at the airport. I have to. Its the only opportunity I have to spend valuable time browsing amongst those glorious covers, physically lifting up the ones that appeal to me and reading the backs. It’s just wonderful, and feels kind of like I’m spoiling myself luxuriating in all those words. If we are ever running late and I don’t get half an hour in the book shop before my flight, it’s like a junkie having to go cold turkey. There has been tears.

Anyway, today we left to go on holiday. Yippee! Not only was I incredibly excited about a week away and getting some sun on my bones, but there was also my book fix to look forward to. So, parking my husband in the first bar we came to with a newspaper and a pint of beer, I headed off in search of Waterstones.

There wasn’t one. Looking around, wide eyed with fear I finally spotted a WHSmiths. Thank God. In I skipped, almost salivating, only to be met with just two shelves of books. Two shelves!? TWO SHELVES!!!! I was even including the childrens’ lego books in this equation.

There were magazines, there were sweets, and even some meal deals, but that whole big store only had TWO SHELVES of books. I was in and out within ten minutes feeling pretty damn glum.

So, it looks like not many of us read real books anymore, even though #hotdudesreading would have us think otherwise.

Here’s ten reasons why we should still read real books

1.   They feel brilliant to hold in your hand, especially when they are brand new. Oh the joy of folding back the cover for the first time and putting that first crease in the book.

2.   They smell nice, especially the slightly older ones. This is one thing that is really only relatable to books, and possibly    wine, rarely people.

3.   Trees need a purpose. Its all well and good being used for firewood, carpentry, etc. but being made into a book is the highest purpose for a tree….other than providing oxygen.

4.   They are better for our eyes than backlit screens. Fact.

5.   It helps us to judge new people in our lives much easier by looking at what tat they have on their bookshelves. Its much harder to find and then start scrolling through your new husband’s Kindle.

6.   One day I hope to be published, and I want to hold my own book in my hand, damn it.

7.   Without books there are no libraries.

8.   They are great

9.   I love them

10. Huff