Thoughts of a Bibliophile

Kabhi kabhi mere dil main khyaal aata hai… 

This is what happens when you have a good collection of books and a pretty library. I recently bought a book shelf from Pepperfry delivered by Amazon. Placed right behind my table this pretty thing is inviting me to fill it with books and bookish things. The ray of warm sun falling on it. Isn’t it just gorgeous.

 Well I think I am a bibliophile which they talk about. I think it’s a Phile I don’t mind or anyone does. 

I was looking at this particular shelf and found that I got 4 gifts of books in past 1 month. My brother, my friend, two from an online book chain where you send books to another person and people send to you. A bibliophile loves a (1) library and (2) gifting/ receiving books. 

You can also call us bookworms. There are silent but no so silent communities of books lovers offline and online. 

I have been parts of (3) Book clubs, Goodreads social media profile, WhatsApp communities of book lovers. These are the traits and you wish you talk to people about the books you read or plan to read, about authors, about plots, about characters, about emotions, about inspiration, about climax, about conflicts, about other lands, about other cultures. Sometimes non fiction with its window to the world. 

I was recently having a chat with a friend who is a hard core non fiction reader. We sat in the steam and I said ‘I like fiction because it makes you feel, while non fiction makes you think.’ 

That was also a take ad different people may have different takes, likes, dislikes, etc. 

(5) Bibliophiles have strong choices and judgements. The thing with book world is that there are millions of books and so much to read. People can have diverse opinions. Even how you take the same story. How it lands on you. Hence we make good book reviewers. (6) Passing our plethora of book recommendations on people. 

(7) we love shopping books. Spending hours and hours of surfing book shops, book shelves, online sites, and everywhere. We browse thru the libraries of people we visit and borrow abundantly from friends and available libraries. We also have book exchanges with friends who read. 

(8) Friendships over books. I have friends with who I have strong bonds over books. We met at a book club, a book site or just at an office. We spent hours talking about books and realized we enjoy our bookish friendship. We talk about our latest read and ask a recommendation. Always looking for the next best read. 

(9) a bibliophile has a favorite beverage. Just like the legendary debate between fiction and non fiction, Wheat and Rice there are coffee and tea fans. The crowded coffee shops and the simmering tea smells coming from people’s homes have their own fascination for a book lover. There is something about holding that warm cup and sipping the hot tea, the warmth seeping into your hands and heart. The words melting and assimilating in your mind, thoughts and feelings. 

(10) Tenth but not the last, Bibliophiles may have blogs. See many conversations can be essay based. What is blogging but essay writing competition we did back in school. In reality I wasn’t so good at it back then, but work on my blog makes me feel confident. That now I can. 

There are much thoughts in the head of a bibliophile and I love being one. 🥰🤓

Hope you are reading a good one! Tell me about it!