It is an addiction that comes to children at an early age. And it creates an insatiable craving for more... These are some of the things you learn to cope with when you are a book-addict. (It's better than crack!)
How to read while walking
This is an essential skill for all of those who don't want telephone poles interrupting an important piece of dialogue.
How to read while eating
Because let's be honest - eating is boring without some entertainment to go along with it!
How to hide a book under your desk and read during class (while taking the occasional notes, of course).
This skill is especially useful in math class... and who cares if you ace every test anyways?
The librarian's first names
Because librarians are awesome people - and they're probably the only people in school who understand you. And being on a first-name benefit also means first-rate recommendations!
How to read at night when your parents think you should be sleeping.
This is a skill that never really goes away. Even when you move on to college where there are no peeking parents, books will still keep you up way past your bedtime.
How the library’s books are organized (who needs a search engine?).
When I walk into a library, I know what book I want and I know right where it is. But I'll probably get distracted along the way.
How to drive to the local library and bookstore – even if you get lost going anywhere else.
The public library and Barnes & Noble. When I first got my driver's license, I memorized the routes to these two essential locations - and still wasn't entirely sure where the grocery store or my school were.
How to tell a good book from a bad book.
If you know the ending based off of the first chapter... then you've got a problem. The journey there just isn't as fun.
That you can kinda-sorta-sometimes judge a book based on it’s cover… but not always.
Be honest - we all do it. Book #1 or Book #2? Probably whichever one has a cooler cover.
That for some reason your English teachers always like you, even when they hate everyone else.
This is probably directly correlated with #11... (and yes, your 9th grade English teacher does gossip with your 10th grade English teacher. It's called common courtesy.)
How to write.
There is no better way to learn how to write well than to read the best writings. You can finally learn by osmosis through an activity you've been enjoying since you were 5 years old.
That books are the best teachers in the world.
Do you want to learn _________? I can promise you that there's a book about it.
That when you finally have to use them, your academically perfect social skills crumble in the face of reality, and you realize you have no game.
There comes a point in life where you realize that reading conversation isn't the same as making conversation. And one is nothing like the other.
That when you meet someone else who grew up on books, having no game doesn’t really matter.
When you speak the same language, it doesn't matter that nobody else can understand you two.
Those speed-reading skills can really come in handy.
But seriously though. Come college with multiple 30 page readings every night, you're going to be very glad you learned how to breeze through a 1,000 page novel.
That library book sales have the best deals on books. Period.
You can get a giant box of books - two dozen at least - for $5. And the most expensive you'll find them are $1 or maybe $2 when the pickings are the best.
I once spent my birthday at a library book sale where I had to wait in line for an hour before they even let me in. Best. Birthday. Ever.
Curling up in front of a fire with a blanket, a glass of wine, and a good book on a cold winter night… that is The Dream.
I fantasize about this scene. I will know that I have made it in this world - made it to the pinnacle of existence - when I have a very nice glass of Riesling in one hand and a favorite epic fantasy novel in the other (selected from a vast personal library) while the snow falls down outside and I am next to the fireplace curled up in a very comfy, very expensive armchair. That is my goal in life.