As someone who works in a library, I understand the importance of books in peoples' lives. I understand the compulsion to run your hands down the spines of books pristinely placed on a bookshelf. I understand the comfort which comes from opening a book and smelling the old paper. I understand the joy of finally getting your hands on a book which you have had on hold for months. I understand the wonder of having eons of knowledge and wisdom at your fingertips.
I understand it all. I love it all.
There is nothing quite like a library, and there is nothing quite like reading a good book--especially your favorite book. Reading your favorite book is like a hot bubble bath. Reading your favorite book is like returning home after a long day at work. Reading your favorite book is like giving your best friend a hug, listening to a song which reminds you of your childhood, or even petting a dog. But reading your favorite book is not any of those things.
It's better.
Reading your favorite book is a way to escape your world--the struggle, the pain, the stress--and delve into another, where your problems do not matter and you do not even exist. It is a way of relating to other people, both fictional and real. The author of the book so easily describes how you are feeling and puts it into words, which somehow simplify the complexities of your emotions. The main character deals with problems both similar to yours and far more fantastic. They have to save the world or fight a dragon or defuse a bomb. They make your mistakes seem like nothing whilst simultaneously teaching you exactly how to deal with those mistakes.
Your favorite book is something which will never leave you. It does not get up and go when times get rough. It might hurt you, but it also heals you. Your favorite book elevates your understanding of the world. It helps you find your place and know your people. It allows you to realize what is true and what is right. It tells you that no matter how hard life gets, no matter how many people are against you, no matter how badly you mess up, everything will be okay.
You want to tell all of your friends and family to read the book, because you think it could help them, too. But at the same time, you want to keep the book to yourself. It is yours. It is your private getaway. It is your soul bound to the pages. The words on page 83 made you cry with laughter. The concluding lines of Chapter 14 made you gasp. The last word of the series left you feeling confused and empty, for there are no words after "the end."
So thank you to my favorite book. Thank you to all the favorite books. Thank you for guiding people through life. Thank you for teaching us about ourselves and the world. Thank you for teaching us that even if there are no more words after "the end," there is never truly an end. You are always with us.
