Bokx Readers
How an old note and a small book broke my reading slump
And the story of how my love for used books led me to open a reading community
TL;DR: I love books with writings on them, so I created a “rent-a-book-and-write-on-it” program. This is how a small book has woken me up from a reading slump.
I’m reading ‘84, Charing Cross Road’ by Helene Hanff. I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump for the past few months, and a friend recommended this short book to activate my spark. It’s a short epistolary, a letter written to and from a client and a bookseller.
I’m 20% in and last night I read this quote:
“I love inscriptions on flyleaves and notes in margins, I like the comradely sense of turning pages someone else turned, and reading passages someone long gone has called my attention to.)”
By coincidence that same morning my mom had sent an old draft I wrote in 2017. Musings about my love for books. Especially books that have writings in the margins — those I adore the most.
The scattered note translates to:
“I love old books. Those with a broken spine. That when putting them on a table they do not remain idle; as if shouting: come and read me.
I love old books. Those books that passed through many hands; that have touched many minds; and, hopefully many hearts.
I love underlined books, with annotations, with comments and questions by those readers. I like for the duration of a book to see the perspective of the other and to be in communion when sharing a page.
Some call it sacrilege, but for me it’s a pleasure to have an old book, they don’t need to be old, but with experience. Because experience is gained by sharing with others.”
My friend knows me indeed, for you unknown readers don’t know I used to rent out books. It was around 2015, and for a year I rented out books. Most importantly, I encouraged readers to grab a pen, a highlighter, or a post-it and, leave their essence in those books.
I called the project: Bokx Readers. Not the most creative; Book Box, Bokx. The first month would get a box. It included: a surprise book (based on a questionnaire), a mini bottle of wine, and stationery. You can see why I could only last one year.
It was very funny how many people were appalled that I actively wrote on my books, and let others write on mine.
That project later became a Book Club, running for five years straight. Most of the people in the book club didn’t even know the origin story of this Instagram account. I made great friends and had the most interesting conversations. We went around the world, and read different genres, and topics.
I had to stop it this year, I had too much in my head, and my reading slump was real. Last year I couldn’t even finish the book club. So, I preferred a year of rest, not at the Moshfegh style though. The account is still active, if you want to jump in, either in Spanish or with the quick button of ‘translate.’
2024 will soon arrive and I’m still undecided on the book club status. But, at least my reading slump is finally over with a small book about loving books.
