I’m obsessed. Whether this is a healthy thing, I’m not sure. All I know is that every time I hear about a new book, my toes tingle. Then when I see it sitting elegantly upon the shelf, I want to run my fingers across the silkiness of its spot gloss lamination. I’m really in trouble when I slowly slip off the jacket to reveal the stark beauty of the case. The endsheets are like icing on an elaborate three-tiered cake. By that point I know—I’ve fallen in love with another book.
I try not to be promiscuous with my reading, but there are so many exquisite books to choose from. I dabble a bit in self-help then take a nibble on some cookbooks, though my ultimate passion lies with fiction. I’ve had many a love affair with Mr. Darcys and Mr. Rochesters, though I could never deny the distinct attraction of a Heathcliffe.
Working for a publisher, it’s like book porn day in and day out. I get to help choose the lovely wrapping that will encase all those words. Words I have labored over, adjusting and polishing until each syllable cries out, “Read me!”
You probably wouldn’t understand, not unless you’re a fellow book person. Only those of us who savor each word on the page like chocolate, tasting and sampling one morsel at a time, can truly understand the ecstasy of diving into the untold pleasures of reading a book for the first time.
But maybe you do. Maybe you’re like me, always after a new fix of the heroin called reading. So the next time you’re at the bookstore, peek at the tongue-tingling delights surrounding you. Bask in the glory of all those words. And maybe—just maybe—those books will love you back.
November 5th, 2009 at 6:25 am
Gaah! I love that you used the phrase “book porn”!