Book People

The other day at work I had the chance to spend some time talking with some of my customers. There was an older couple at one table that I had a particularly interesting conversation with. They asked about my schooling and what my major is, and when they learned that I major in English, they started talking a mile a minute. The man said to me, "It's been ages since I found someone else who loves books like I do. I've been dying to talk about reading with another book person!"

I then sat at their table with them, and we talked about books for the next half hour. We discussed our favorite books, what we're currently reading, what we think the future of the book industry is, and what we'd write about if we decided to write a book. It was the kind of discussion that you never want to end because you've finally found people who understand. As they were leaving, the woman said, "Book people are becoming a rare breed these days. It's been so nice being able to discuss this passion with someone who shares it."

In the past, books were often the subject of conversation. Reading was a common pastime, and everyone spent their leisure time engrossed in their favorite books. Popular authors and intriguing stories were common small talk topics, and everyone had something to contribute to a conversation about books. But these days, readers are becoming more and more rare, and conversations like this are few and far between.

It saddens me to realize just how much book culture has changed. Where once books were the topic of discussion, TV shows have become popular. Discovering a common love of reading is cause for celebration. When I find someone who will discuss books with me, I'll drop whatever I'm doing to talk with them about it. It's something to take advantage of while you can. While the bond that instantly forms between readers is special, it doesn't seem right that reading has become so uncommon as to make those connections rarities.

The conversation I had with that couple was the bright spot of my day, and it still makes me smile to remember the joy we got out of talking about reading. Such a simple thing, and yet so many people don't know how to appreciate it. My hope is that, somehow, we can figure out how to bring the joy of reading back to people. My hope is that we can all be "book people" and share that common bond. Books aren't dead, but some people need to be reminded of that.