My Love Affair With Books
Posted by Guest Writer in 
Why do some of us love books, while others would rather read the ingredients in a block of cheese than anything longer than four pages?
I am a book-obsessed writer, and single-handedly support the Austin Public Library with my mass amounts of late fines. But my husband, God bless him, will only read books that have the words “Harry” and “Potter” in the title. This is no mark on his intelligence, as he is an actor and has completely memorized practically every play written by Shakespeare, and actually understands what they are all about. (Sparknotes got me through that section of high school English, I’m not ashamed to say). He can do something as miniscule as twitch an eyebrow onstage and cause the audience to feel an overwhelming wave of emotion. He knows more about Greek mythology than Zeus himself. But hand him a book without a picture of an awkwardly adolescent wizard bearing a hideous forehead scar, and he won’t open it.
I, on the other hand, currently have a stack of 13 books on my nightstand, and am actively reading two of them—One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp and The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss–while the other 11 are just hanging around for moral support. But one thing unites them all: they are all nonfiction. I love the effect nonfiction often has on my life. When I want to change something or figure something out, I don’t call a friend or turn to the all-wise oracle called Google–I go to the library.
The Faulk Central Library on 8th and Guadalupe is my drug of choice. You can see the Hill Country from the third-floor window near the interior design section–amazing! This past year alone I have read about vegetarian cooking, finding a job you are passionate about, and how to improve your writing. I have read about finding beauty in mundane daily tasks, how to rock a job interview, and how to survive in this economy without pulling out all of your eyelashes. And one of my personal favorites, I read a book about how to keep your house clean, and I loved it! And I don’t care who knows it!
Books change me for the better. Books are what I rely on when I want to be inspired, when I want to find an answer, when I want to be just a little bit stronger. Books keep me entertained, put me to sleep at night, and help me kinda/sorta figure out this weird thing called “being an adult.”
Why do you read? It may seem like a weird question, but have you ever really thought about it? Do you like to escape into a fictional world, leaving the dust of real life behind for the glitter of fantasy? Or are you a nonfiction addict like me who is constantly amazed at how reading a few words on paper can teach you so much about life?
Leave a comment and tell me what you are reading now, or what you have read recently that made your soul shift around.
I’m excited to hear from others who go to the library and leave with enough books to build a fort.
Katie’s work has been featured in Austin Lifestyle Magazine, Redbook Magazine, Thrillist.com, and Homerun.com. She is also excited to be contributing to the new Austin publication BE Mag, launching its first issue this November. Prior to moving to Austin, Katie worked as an associate producer for an NBC affiliate in South Florida.
Katie – I’m so glad to hear that I’m not the only one supporting the Austin City Library. My borrowing history tells all about what what I’ve been thinking for the last 3 years, from newcomers guides to Austin to parenting manuals from every shade of the debate, to juicy non-fiction about being a freelance writer. It never ceases to amaze me that I can borrow all of these books for free and they will even deliver them to my local branch so I don’t have to venture far from home. Though Faulk Central does sound visitable … CJ