If, like me you are a writer, you probably also love to read and collect books. Little gateways into other worlds, the escapism of reading a good book is hard to beat but what do you do when you’ve read it? I usually remember where I purchased a book and what was going on in my life whilst I was reading it, so it immediately assumes sentimental importance. But how often do we go back and re-read books?
Sometimes it’s good to have a classic and know you can dip into or refer to again when you need to. Then there’s re-discovery of the book through reading it to your children or grandchildren. Travel books are a different genre as they can be used each time you go to a specific destination. Again, how often do you get to go to the exact same place you visited before? Exactly.
So when a friend of mine lent me a book and suggested that I pass it on when I had finished I was intrigued but it also rang very true. Take the enjoyment, lessons and then let it go! No need to let it gather dust on your shelf. There is an ocean of other books still begging to be read. Hard back ‘coffee table’ books are something else and some, like Madonna’s ‘Sex’ become collectors’ items. But there are millions of enjoyable your paperbacks, self-help books, cookery books, parenting books on shelves, in cupboards that need to be read by someone else.
Read it, pass it on. And don’t worry, the best bits will stay with you!
© Suzy Rigg
Image: Rita Konig Shelves
