They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but they are liars. I’ve been spending lots of time surrounded by books while in London. Major book retailers, offhand bookshops, libraries, vintage book markets, coffee shops where books stack up like skyscrapers on the shelves. They are placed from wall to wall, on tables scattering the room, packed in stories high. In fact, I’m writing this while sitting in a bookstore right now! And every time I browse the endless shelves I find myself gravitating more and more towards the most colorful, abstractly designed covers. Drawing my eyes around tirelessly like a sugar addict in Willy Wonka’s candy factory. And it always turns out that the most beautifully designed books are also the most popularly read. Coincidence? I think not!
I’ve found it so hard to resist books in London. It seems to me that they appear as more of a fashion statement than anything else. Like I’ve stepped into an alternate universe where all of a sudden, reading is the biggest trend. Being enveloped in this culture for the past month has inspired me to become what I like to call a “book snob”. You know, that person who has always read the latest book with the most fashionable cover by that famous author you saw on the Today Show last Wednesday morning. That’s me, the book snob. Or at least that’s what I aspire to be. If you’re going to be a snob about anything at least make it something that brings you some knowledge.
I’ve purchased approximately 10 books in the past 5 days. I’m not even a fast reader or anything, I just love the aesthetic. The soft edges of the pages as you quickly flip through, the smell of the fresh ink, how smart you feel holding it in your hands, the woody taste of the glossy paper cover (what?!, just kidding ;)) Books are the drug and I am hooked. but hey there are worse things in the world to be addicted to. In this day in age, I think that the whole flashy book cover thing is actually beneficial. More people need to be buying books (and reading them too). Because without the pretty colors, abstract designs and aesthetically pleasing titles written in a minimalistic font, books might just become an extinct business. So take my word for it and join the club; become a book snob and always judge a book by its cover.