Francis Bacon has been cited as saying that: “Some books should be tasted, some devoured, but only a few should be chewed and digested thoroughly.”
These books have been chewed at so many times. They are stained, torn, battered, bruised, and my treasures.
Reading isn't something sacred in my family. It's simply as natural as breathing. Books are tossed from person to person and rescued from charity shops for a few pence. They're gifted, they're begged and they're borrowed. My grandmother hoarded books and taught my mother to do the same. Mum handed over the baton, and the result is a personal library. I can't find it in me to trust people who don't have bookshelves in their house.
