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Books

What is it about the feeling of peace you get when sitting back and holding a book? Ever felt that? Is it to do with the fact that you are on a journey, similar to the characters in the book that takes you away from your day to day 'stuff', or the fact that you relate to aspects of the storyline or what the book is saying? Or is it the fact that in your hands is the work of another person, ideas put onto paper, the authors time and energy in your palms, shared for your enjoyment. In this new world of e-books, Facebook, blogs and all, one of the things that still feels cool is the bound tatty copy of Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance sitting beneath my glasses on my lap, it's wrinkled cover a reminder of the hands that have opened its pages to share in the journey that it contains. Facebook and stuff simply can't provide a similar feeling.

There is something special about a brand new book, with an unbroken spine, no creases, and pages that slide apart for the first time. Brand new does have appeal. Having said that, isn't it great to be sitting relaxed, eyes closed, mind casually wandering through the woven pattern of words in a book you have been reading, pondering what has gone before and what the next chapters have in store and then thinking about who else might have shared that same journey before with the tatty book you have in your hands..

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