Paperback Stories

“A book is a gift you can open again and again.” — Garrison Keillor

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This right here is the quote that made me shift from reading e-books to collecting and reading actual physical books.

For most of my life I wasn't a bookworm, and I still don't tick the boxes that makes a proper bookworm, but hey? At least now I'm reading whenever I get the free time.

The impression of books was never too good. From carrying a bag full of unnecessarily heavy books to school, to the different lessons of Math, Biology, Commerce or whatever; I always thought these are the only form of books and reading the world has to offer.

So, I kept my distance for the first 2 decades of my life.

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ᴵᵐᵃᵍᵉˢ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵒᵛᵉʳᵃˡˡ ᶜᵒⁿᵗᵉⁿᵗ ᵃʳᵉ ᵐʸ ᵒʷⁿ ᵘⁿˡᵉˢˢ ᶦᵗ'ˢ ᵐᵉⁿᵗᶦᵒⁿᵉᵈ

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Then, I was bedridden for almost a year, thanks to a deadly disease. Yet, because of that disease I got a lot of time to think and explore countless hobbies and different sources of entertainment to kill my time.

And fortunately, somehow I stumbled upon the phenomenon of reading books as a hobby. But back then I was more interested in learning from short forms of content, mostly available on YouTube and Google. Sometimes I would make the effort to download and read free e-books, mostly speed reading through most of it. I've tried audiobooks as well.

Most of those books also fell under the category of fiction, which really wasn't my thing. I've always found the work of fiction to be more interesting when watching a movie or experiencing it through the digital world of gaming.

Yet, after a year passed I was finally all healthy and fit. One day an old friend and gym buddy of mine comes up to me and says -

• "You're now really fit physically, and you're doing great, but what about becoming fitter mentally too?"

• Me - "And how do I do that?"

• "Start reading, duh?"

Then I explained to him that I've tried reading already, and how it just wasn't "my thing".

He asked what type of books I used to read and in what form. I told him about the e-books and categories, and he chuckled.

He then went ahead and suggested me to read The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck and 12 Rules for Life, even going as far as to help me scour through the WEB to find free e-book versions of those books. And honestly speaking, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck was a great starter book. It has kept me hooked the most, and I finished it in just a month or two, which is the fastest I've ever finished a book.

I don't know what it was, but The Subtle Art was really blunt, and that's just how I like it. I needed a kick in the ass, a slap on the face, to get back on the grind mindset again. After all, I've been bedridden for almost a year, collecting dust and rusting away.

Now, after about 6 to 7 years later, I've decided to up my game. I've collected and read countless books so far, and also have a nice little book corner consisting of 15 books or so. I haven't read all of them yet, but I'm in no hurry.

Nowadays whenever I see a good book with a catchy name, design, or if someone suggests one of their favorite books, then I just go ahead and get it. These copies are quite cheap anyways, so I don't really think twice. The prices start from around a dollar and range up to a highest of $6 to $10 USD, it really depends on the quality of the book and paper.

Over the years I've also learned some really interesting facts about the benefits of reading.

For example: The book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill has 176 pages and a wordcount of 89,000. If I read a book with 176 pages then it will probably take me 2 months to finishing it.

Now, the interesting fact is, that it took two decades for the author to research and finish this book.

How crazy is that?

And here I am, getting to read all of it in a matter of days or months. If someone was really determined, they could even finish the book in a day if they wanted, but obviously that would kill the fun of reading.

People should read what they want to, not what others tell them to read, or what's currently trending.

Yet, we should always explore and try the different types and categories of books. There's a book and category out there for every person to read, something that they'll definitely like, and maybe even fall in love with. Whether you like reading once a day or once a week, reading for 15 minutes or an hour, just do what feels right.

And if it feels right, then it surely has a place in your life and routine.

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