Essay

How To Celebrate Book Lovers Day

The Curious Reader

August 07, 2018

August 9 is Book Lovers Day which celebrates you. Yes, you, the reader, the bibliophile, the book lover. This is THE day for everyone who loves to read. It doesn’t matter what you read- whether it’s ‘commercial’ like Chetan Bhagat, or ‘high-brow’ like Salman Rushdie, or a classic like Prem Chand- if you love books, this day was created just for you and is all about you.

Not to be obvious, but the best way to celebrate Book Lovers Day is to read a book. Whether it’s a paper book, an e-book or an audiobook, take some time out and spend it reading- the whole day if you can. However, if you want to take it one step further, there are many ways you can celebrate Book Lovers Day.

Book Lovers Day
Tired of not being able to find the book you bought ages ago and never got down to reading (did you know that that’s part of your antilibrary?). Well, today is the perfect day to organise your personal library. We strongly believe that there is no right way to do it but the benefits of doing it are unparalleled. Books will be easily accessible, you will never end up buying a book you already have (though is that really a bad thing?), and you’ll know exactly which book you’ve lent and to whom (looking at all those people who never return books).

If you’re like us, once you’ve organised your library, you will almost certainly find that you have duplicate copies of certain books or that there are books in your collection which make you wince at the thought of ever having read them. Twilight anyone? Do yourself a favour and give these books away. Trust us, you’ll feel relieved.

Don’t make today only about giving away what you have in your library, be generous and give the gift of (newly bought) literature. After all, books make for the best gifts. So, gift one, three, or even ten books to friends or family members who love reading, and especially to those who don’t. You may just get the credit for converting one of those strange non-readers. You can make your gift even more special by adding in a bookish gift. There is an endless number of bookish gifts available out there. Find the perfect one for your friends or family and give it to them along with a book.

Another great way to celebrate Book Lovers Day is to either start your own book club or join one. If you’re struggling to read, this will not only incentivise you to read more but also ensure that you step out of your comfort zone and explore new genres.

Now as all book-nerds do, we’re sure you have ‘a spot’. A unique place that is just yours and where the reading experience becomes even more special. Spend the day there today! Honour your reading ritual. Have that glass of scotch, play your favourite music to accompany your book, or read upside down for all we care, do what you do to enjoy your book even more. Add some whimsy to it by re-reading an old favourite or make a commitment and keep yourself accountable by setting a realistic reading goal.

How about experimenting with a new medium altogether? Try listening to an audiobook or read an e-book. The benefits of both are aplenty, and you can’t argue with that no matter how firm an ‘I only read paper books’ person you may be. Give it a shot and maybe it’ll convince you to finally splurge on that Kindle you’ve been thinking about buying for a while now.

Are you fed up with Amazon taking over the world? If so, support your local bookshop by visiting it and, if you so wish, buying books from there. Spend an hour or two browsing and discovering new books, and having a conversation or two with other bibliophiles who may have been strangers at the beginning of the conversation, but quite likely will end up becoming fast friends at the end.

If you read a lot, it can get pretty expensive to keep up with your book addiction. On Book Lovers Day, why not buy (or gift) a library subscription. For children’s books, we recommend Trilogy and for graphic novels and comic books, we love Leaping Windows (sorry, this is only for Mumbai people). Alternatively, support the Asiatic Library by adopting a book, or signing up for an individual membership. Do yourself a favour and sign up for Granth Sanjeevani and get access to Asiatic’s digitised collection (this is for everyone!).

And please, do not forget about children- whether your own or whether those nieces and nephews you love (or we hope you love). If they love books or you hope to instil the love of reading in them, elevate their reading experience to a different level by engaging in some fun literary activities with them. Or throw a big book themed party for your children’s friends and make reading even more fun for them.

There are many ways to celebrate Book Lovers Day but the best way to do it is to block some time and spend it reading. Here’s to you! Cheers!

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