Last week was half term and my daughter and I spent a very enjoyable day in a local bookshop doing activities whilst browsing and buying a load of new books from her current two favourite authors Chris Riddell and Fleur Hitchcock. 

Today is World Book Day and it got me thinking about why I love books and would never want an electronic reader.  So in no particular order:

1. I love the smell of books – the first thing I always do is flick through the pages and I can’t resist smelling them!

2. Books have history, once read they can be passed on, sold & resold etc.  They carry the marks of their history like battle scars, from dog-eared corners, ripped pages to notes, sketches and drink/food stains. I love swapping books on holiday, leaving my old ones behind ready for another adventure and give another a new temporary home.

3. Books are an art form.  From their cover, to the style of the layout, the font and any images or photos. They can be used to decorate coffee tables, arrange in art form to adorn your walls or positioned decoratively.


4. Having books around and enjoying reading encourages your kids to read. Sitting with your head in a device . . . well you could be doing anything, but holding a book – well need I say more!

5. I like the feel of a book in my hands, turning the next page, knowing where I am in the book and how much there is left to go. Using my daughter’s homemade bookmarks as a reminder of where I left off.

6. The buying experience – going into a bookshop, being attracted by the cover, reading the first seven pages and if I am hooked I buy the book.  Yes I could probably get it cheaper on the Internet, but bookshops offer you the experience so I think they deserve the sale.

7. You can read them anywhere.  In the bath, at the beach, in the sun – in fact they don’t mind being dropped, thrown, covered in water – they usually survive quite well if dried out properly.

8. I work on a computer all day – I want to relax and not stare at an electronic screen and get eyestrain.

9. Old books can remind you of someone or something.  The Narnia series by CS Lewis evokes happy memories of my own childhood, I still have my original copies and I look forward to reading them to my daughter (or she may just read them herself).

10. Books don’t run out of batteries and you don’t need to plug them in.

11. You can’t get an eBook signed by the author!



12. Books make handy substitutes – on a trip to Cambodia I found that toilets were ill-equipped – read pages met a new purpose!

13. When a book has had its day it can be made into something lovely to give it a new lease of life.



So on World Book day let’s celebrate the authors who spend hours writing. Let’s celebrate the publishers who read and edit endless scripts. Let’s celebrate the printing industry for hanging in there during tough times and let’s support the bookshop by reminding ourselves that book buying is an experience, which is worth paying for.

PS Books also make great gifts – and if you would like to write stories check out our beautiful guided memory books at www.fromyoutome.com