I went back to my first love
Guysss… I reconnected with my first love. We’ve had an amazing love affair for about a year and two months. Want to know how it happened? Let’s get into it.
My hobby is books; the smell of books, buying new books, admiring the covers of books, taking cute photos of them, sniffing books, having conversations about books, and spending time at the bookstore. And yeah, reading books too.
Hey there, fellow book lovers! If you’re anything like me, you’d know that feeling of pure bliss when you crack open a new book, the smell of freshly printed pages filling the air like magic.
Yep, I’m what you might call a booktrovert- someone who finds more joy in the company of books than in a crowded room. My ideal self-care ritual involves spending the night in bed, book in hand, scented candles lit, and a fruit bowl beside me; lost in the pages of tales where emotions deluge.
Growing up, I had this small mini library in my room with shelves packed to the brim with books waiting to be discovered. My favorite book at the time was Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche. I also had a lot of books from the Goosebumps collections as I was so obsessed with the stories cos I found them so thrilling and interesting.
But life happened and for a while, I drifted away from my literary haven. It wasn’t until recently that I found my way back to my first love.
Guess you’ve been waiting for the part where I reconnected with my first love. Here’s the gist of how I went back to my first love; reading books.
I started 2023 sad, hopeless and depressed. I felt like I was failing at everything and was at the verge of giving up. Each day felt like a battle I couldn’t win and I would cry myself to sleep every night, and my appetite dwindling, so I was gradually losing weight. I experienced another nervous breakdown on January 20 and began to think of things I could do to make myself feel better. One of my favorite place to be is the beach, and when I’m feeling anxious or overwhelmed, I like to spend some alone time there, watching the sunset and waves. Or at the art gallery admiring amazing artworks and taking pictures of them. But that day, I didn’t want to be at the beach, nor did I want to spend the day at the art gallery. Instead, I wanted to spend it at home, locked up in my room.
I thought to myself “well I’ll just spend the day on bed, scrolling through Instagram”. As I was scrolling through my Instagram feeds, I stumbled upon a book review from one of my favorite Influencers. It was then it dawned on me that I used to enjoy reading books while growing up (Sometimes I would read a book while walking on the road. That’s how bad my love for reading was) I began to wonder what happened to the little version of me that enjoyed reading. Determined to find my first love again, I opened my browser and imputed “libraries around me”. Maybe for a while I forgot I was in Naija. Because, was I hoping to really find a functional library? In this Naija??? Jokes on me cos I couldn’t find any.
Omo I went back to watching my IG feeds. While scrolling aimlessly, I decided to check out the profile of someone I followed; someone I really admired because of how smart she is.
While viewing her highlights, I noticed she read books too (guess all smart people do) and that she tagged the bookstore where she purchased her books from. After looking through their page, I was thrilled to see that they were not too far from my house. I wrote down the address and resumed viewing my Instagram feeds.
Few hours later, I took a shower and set out to visit my friend who lives nearby. We were gisting and catching up on each other’s life when I got a call that left me broken and reminded me of my failures. After crying and thinking of possible solutions to my predicament, I told my friend Dhidhi “you know what? Let’s go book shopping”. We took a bus to Ajah and I imputed the bookstore address on my map, trying to find the address. We got to the bookstore and met with the Attendant (Jennie) who was incredibly kind and welcoming. She recommended several amazing books to us and based on our budget we got two books. Dhidi got Ugly Love by Collen Hoover (She’s a big fan of Collen Hoover and enjoys reading romance) while I got The Mechanics of Yenagoa by Michael Afenfia ( I enjoy reading black fiction). I left the bookstore feeling thrilled and content, and I couldn’t wait to dive into my new book. I finished the book in less than a day and I still vividly recall the happiness, the laughter, the smiles, the surprise, the mix of emotions I experienced while reading the it. I also remember the feeling of satisfaction I had after reading the book. At that point I knew I wanted more of that feeling, not the usual feeling of sadness and hopelessness that I was accustomed to.
If you’re guessing that I went back to the bookstore, then you’re right. I purchased more books and the rest is history….
I’m back to my love affairs with books, diving back into the world of imagination and adventure. Nowadays, my collection is growing faster than ever. Each book holds a special place in my heart and I hold them like precious treasures. From my favorite read, to my least favorite, each one has a story to tell. Both on it’s pages, it’s covers and in the mark it bears from months of love and use.
But here’s the thing; not everyone treats books with the same care and respect. I’ve seen it all: dog eared pages, cracked spines, food stains, deforming the covers and pages of once pristine novels. It breaks my heart to see these beloved companions treated so thoughtlessly, as if they were disposable rather than cherished.
So I’m here to make a plea- a plea for us book lovers to unite in our mission to protect and preserve our literary treasures. Let’s make sure our books have a cozy spot on the shelves, away from direct sunlight and sticky fingers. Let’s handle them with care, turning their pages gently and avoiding unnecessary wear and tear.
When you borrow a book, read it, respect it, cherish it, handle it with care and return it to the owner in good shape. Because when we show respect for our books, we’re not just honoring the stories and ideas they contain. We’re preserving a piece of ourselves and passing it to future generations. And most importantly, we’re nurturing our own love for reading.
So the next time you pick up a book, take a moment to appreciate the magic within it’s pages. Be it your least favorite read, treat it with the same love and respect you would any cherished possession. Embrace the act of reading and caring for your books, honoring the authors who have poured their hearts into written words. And together let’s keep the spirit of reading alive for years to come.
PS- These days, I spend a ridiculous amount of time at Lumbooks, the bookstore. But, just being surrounded by several shelves filled with books, the beautiful book covers and having conversations about books I’ve read and want to read, makes me feel satisfied and at peace. At Lumbooks I’ve found not only escape but a sense of belonging and community.
The attendant from earlier, Jennie, and I are now good friends, we talk about books and several other topics. She has her way of recommending interesting books to me. The bookstore also has a bookclub and chess club that I always look forward to attending every month.
If you’re a book lover, want to start reading books, purchase books or become part of a literary community, send a DM to Lumbooks on IG. http://Instagram.com/lumbooksnigeria
