August 9th is National Book Lovers Day, and bibliophiles all over the globe are about to get lit.
If you don’t know what a bibliophile is, simply put, it’s a person who collects and loves the hell outta some books. There, see, by learning a new book lover term you already did one thing to get the party started. Here are nine other things you can do to keep the celebration going:
Visit your local bookstore
As much as I love B&N I also make it a point to support my local independent stores. These stores service and support the community in ways that big chains don’t. My favorite independent store is Greenlight Bookstore in Fort Greene BK. They’re small but pack a powerful punch with their carefully curated selections and cozy atmosphere. I never walk out empty handed.
Discover a new genre
We all have our favorite categories to read but what if we decide to skip historical fiction (my fav for the past couple of years) and venture into the sci-fi section. Or instead of choosing fiction look at some non-fiction titles. You’ll never know what your hidden love is if you don’t go exploring.
Start a new book
We all have a stack of books that we’ll start “tomorrow”. Yeah, two years later the book is still there with 20 books stacked on top of it. Today is a great day to choose one, crack it open and read it through to the end. I have more than a dozen but here are 5 that will try to finish before the end of the year.
Click on the title to learn more
Origins
Finding Gideon
Children of Blood and Bone
The Perfect Nanny
Barracoon
Get a library card
If you don’t have one then you owe it to yourself to carry yo ass to your nearest library and get one. And if you do have one, then head over and check a book or two out.
Continue a book you stopped reading
Our shelves are filled with books we’ve started and for whatever reason, never finished. This a perfect time to continue where you left off.
Sniff some old books
Only a true bibliophile will understand me here. There is something so alluring about opening a book, burying your face in its pages and inhaling deeply. It’s intoxicating, especially when the book is really old. The yellower the pages the more you wanna sniff it. Am I the only one who wants and old book air freshener?
Signup for a Goodreads account
Yeah, yeah I know you don’t need another social account or log in to remember. But if you’re a book lover then this will be the only book based platform you’ll ever need. You log in and from there you can discover, rate and have conversations with fellow book lovers, and because you can connect it to your Facebook account you’ll be able to see your friends suggestions and ratings.
Donate books to the less fortunate
Contact your local libraries, schools, shelters or elderly homes etc. to find out about their book donation policy. You can also set a stack on your stoop and passersby like me will most def go through what you’ve left out. Whatever you choose, don’t throw them in the trash. Books do not belong in the trash.
Give the gift of a book
Who doesn’t love presents? Give someone you love the gift of a book they’ve been dying to read or a gift certificate so they can pick out their own book.