Ode to Books

I settle into the brown, leather chair, setting my tea down carefully by my feet. I know it will probably get spilled there—as soon as the words I read engage my mind enough to forget its existence. I leave it there anyway, not desiring the hassle of having to reach over the side of the chair to enjoy the hot liquid. I am one who tucks myself deep into a chair like this. The give of the leather and the elevated arms at the sides do well in creating a cove-like retreat perfect for entering another world.

I choose carefully who I let take me into the worlds that reside within a bookstore. If you’re not careful you may be left victimized by patronizing ideas and unrealistic storylines—soon finding yourself dodging and weaving through scores of shallow plot lines and one dimensional characters. The aisles of the bookstore are the trenches, but on the shelves themselves? No man’s land. Watch out for shrapnel.
It is amazing that some of these books entrap any sane person’s interest much less sell enough to settle down comfortably on a sturdy Borders bookshelf. To this effect a bookstore may at times be a bit exhaustive. The trial and error of starting a new book has often seen me rise from my adored chair in order to surrender the latest try back to the sea of colored spines from whence it came. But if at first you don’t succeed…

And then comes the moment when you choose the RIGHT book.

Finally I breathe a sigh of satisfaction and anxious delight. I have only just entered this new world and already I know that I can trust the author to let me enjoy it. To let me drink in the unique, vivid descriptions, the unabashed humor, the relatable reality of it all. It is a story which, I am finding, refuses to insult the intelligence of its audience as well as the intelligence of its characters. At last I can rest within the pages of competence, trusting the author will erase themselves from the pages, allowing only the story to remain.
And then I drift away, riding on waves of rich content and characters of no mold.

My tea spills.