Books! yipppeeeee

The world of books! well I just wasn't moved by anything today, no news, no social media tirade, no family so thought of my favourite topic - Books! Well in retrospect I think I was in love from a very young age. Here I mean the love for the written word. Love for a man developed only after I got married to one. I remember reading my english literature book even before the schools started. i would read even the contents page, copyright bullshit, acknowledgements and even the names of the authors who on behalf of NCERT compiled it.
Comics were my escape route to the world of tin tin, asterix, pinki, chacha chowdhary I am sure you know them all. I would exchange my collection with my friends and ensure that the comics were returned in exactly the same condition. Then one summer a friend gave me a 'Hardy Boys' to read. I finished it in one afternoon and thereon my love for novels grew. All kinds of books visited my home. I was not much of a buyer more of a library person. They would sit on my book shelf and accompany me everywhere even the loo.
Over the years I have read a cross section of books. Mystery, fiction, romance, literature, thrillers, non fiction you name it. A book in hand is the best feeling you can get. A new book has a certain virgin allure to it. The moment I run my fingers over the glossy cover I get a sense of the promise it holds. Then the smell of the fresh print invades the senses and I can resist no more. I gingerly open the cover and start with the first page, everything before chapter one is lapped up. And then the real journey begins taking me wherever the author meant to take me. If the book is good I don't want it to end ever and relish every word. And if it fails to hold my attention I can't wait to finish it and jump to the next one. I must confess I finish every book that I start. So not so good ones also find a reader in me. My night stand always carries a couple of books. It makes me feel safe. An open door at night is not so much of a threat as an empty bare nightstand. It sends me into paroxysms of anguish. Its almost like a cocaine addiction.  Now kindle helps in instant gratification and in the middle of the night I can order a book. Though its not even close to the paperback experience but it keeps me from going completely bonkers!
The sexy spines of the books lining my sarkari book shelf are an assurance that come what may I will always have them to stoke the fires!