there is no frigate like a book

THERE is no frigate like a book
To take us lands away,
Nor any coursers like a page
Of prancing poetry.
This traverse may the poorest take	5
Without oppress of toll;
How frugal is the chariot
That bears a human soul!

This poem by Emily Dickinson was one of the poems which ring oh-so-true to my life. As an avid reader since I was little, books offer me the immense pleasure of peeking into people's lives, being in someone else's shoes, and traveling to faraway (and sometimes imaginary) places.


In my early years, I even thought that maybe I was just a character in a book someone was reading, that all of my actions and my thoughts were viewed by someone out there in a universe different from the one I live in. I still think that way until now, to be honest. And whenever that thought occurred, I would be more self-conscious about my breathing, my moving hands, and all of my senses which convinced me that I am real and alive. Most of the time I was not convinced, though. 


Living in a house full of books since I was born, I cannot imagine not having a bookshelf in my house. A home library would be a dream come true! This is what my bookshelf looks like nearly a year ago.

Now it's much more messier and it houses more books than this and less of the cluttery non-books items as shown here. But this is what I dream my future home would have:

full wall shelves and a comfortable reading space... ah the dream!

And yet I sometimes wonder whether this dream of mine would come true in the digital age? E-books and e-book readers are one of the hottest things nowadays. Reuters quoted the Association of American Publishers data which showed e-book sales in the US spiked more than 159.8 percent to $233.1 million in the first quarter of 2011 compared to the previous year; meanwhile, during the same period, print books sales declined 23.4 percent. Amazon said it currently sells more e-books than paper books.

For voracious readers, e-book readers provide the freedom to bring most, if not all, of one's collection in a very light way. You can bring an entire library on your round-the-world trip, on your sunbathing sessions at the beach, on your commuting trip to work, and practically everywhere. Your stylish totebag can bring hundreds of e-books but it cannot contain hundreds of paper books, can it? Feel free to try, though, and good luck with that!

the iPad on the top can contain the e-book version all of the thick books below and many many more