Four Ways to Celebrate National Book Lovers Day

 

Here at Quirk, we celebrate books every day, but we are especially excited to celebrate on August 9th, National Book Lovers Day! Here are some of our favorite ways to celebrate books, paired with some of our most cherished books about booklovers!

 

Go to the library! Full disclosure: I am a librarian and have already written about what libraries mean to me for Quirk, so of course my first recommendation is to go to your local public library! There’s a joke I overheard another librarian tell a patron once that if you don’t like the book, you get your money back (as long as you return it on time)! The best part of the library is that they provide all these wonderful materials for free, so it’s a great place to go for books and bookish events too.

 

Book recommendation: “Uncommon Reader” by Alan Bennett, about a certain British monarch who becomes obsessed with a mobile library.

 

 

Go to an independent bookstore! The death of the independent bookstore has been foretold for a while now, but like libraries, they aren’t going anywhere, no matter how hard Amazon may try. Whenever I go to an independent bookstore, I’m always excited to browse their local authors section since it is usually has things I wouldn’t easily find elsewhere. Buying from an independent bookstore is a great way to support a local business in your community too, so buy a book at one today! 

 

Book recommendation: “Parnassus On Wheels” by Christopher Morley, about a travelling bookseller and the woman that purchases this enterprise from him

 

Join a bookclub! Book clubs are a great way to find a community of like-minded booklovers and you can celebrate National Book Lovers Day together. Our first two recommendations often host book discussion groups, so you can always check there first if you are looking to join one. It may be even more fun to start a book club with your own friends! You can find out a lot about a person by how they interpret a particular book, so it may lead you to find out things about your friends you would not have otherwise. 

 

Book recommendation: “The Haunted Bookshop” by Christopher Morley, a sequel to “Parnassus On Wheels,” about a bookstore in Brooklyn and the mysterious events that take place there.

 

 

Read alone! All of the previous recommendations were based around a community one way or another, but we are mostly solitary in our literary pursuits. Reading in bed or a particularly comfy chair is a favorite pastime for many, but you don’t have to limit your solo reading to your home. Read in the park, read at a restaurant, read at a bar! I once saw a whole lot of people standing around reading while waiting for a concert to start, so just read wherever you want!

 

Book recommendation: Matilda by Roald Dahl, about a young girl and booklover who, with the help of her teacher, discovers the wondrous powers she possesses

 

Do you have another way you celebrate today? Let us know in the comments!