This week has involved two of my favourite things:
- The Season 7 premiere of Ru Paul's Drag Race.
- World Book Day
If you are not familiar with the former, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!
I'll forgive you, but also give you a few hours to catch up.
It's a drag queen competition. It's on Netflix. You have one month free trial. There is literally no excuse.
If you are not familiar with the latter, you are apparently Portsmouth Library.
Yesterday, whilst my sister managed to go to her full time job and send a 1 and 3 year old to nursery dressed as book characters, I popped along to Portsmouth's biggest collection of books, who had managed to ignore the fact that there was a whole day dedicated to them.
Baffling (1).
Not a poster, nor balloon, nor novelty bookmark in sight.
Absolutely Baffling (2).
Now, I know there is 'World Book Night' and that's on the 23rd of April cause it's Shakespeare's Birthday (also his deathday - fun fact fact fans!). But if someone said to me that i could have two birthdays, i'd grab them with both hands and run like the wind. But, that's probably because I love cake.
You may argue that every day is 'Book Day' in a library. But by that logic do you only eat chocolate at Easter?! Didn't think so. I eat it all the time and eat A LOT more at Easter. I assumed that Library would approach 'World Book Day' with the same fervour that I can devour a 6 pack of creme eggs in 0.5 seconds at Easter.
I was wrong.
It is probably because I am a son of a Librarian (#mymumsalibrarian) that I am SO baffled (3) by Portsmouth Central Library's ability to let World Book Day go by unnoticed.
Some are raised by wolves, some in a barn, but fortunately for me - I was practically raised in Libraries.
My school holidays were spent coursing through the Reading Challenges in order to complete my sticker sheet, to get the badge that deemed me a 'Reading Knight', 'Pirate Captain Reader' or whatever theme was attached that year.
Before going anywhere on holiday, I would spend (what felt like) hours deciding which books i would borrow and take away with me.
And at the grand old age of 25, I still lose hours in the library adding books to my never ending "To read" pile. (George RR Martin and his 7 million page epic put a slight delay on that one...)
THEY ARE PRACTICALLY FREE BOOKS PEOPLE.
Not £0.01 with a £2.80 delivery charge (Amazon, I'm looking at you.) As long as you bring them back in time, they're free.
We're British, if there's one thing we love, IT'S FREE STUFF. I will gladly add at least 5 minutes to my journey if it involves a free sample.
And let's face it. Books are amazing!
I could write reams and reams more concerning my love for a good book, but whilst reading 'My Crazy Mayonnaisy Mum' (A Library book!) (I'd also like to note - I was reading it for work, not just cause i fancied some condiment based silly poetry...) I found this which sums up those reams perfectly:
“I opened a book and in I strode.
Now nobody can find me.
I've left my chair, my house, my road,
My town and my world behind me.
I'm wearing the cloak, I've slipped on the ring,
I've swallowed the magic potion.
I've fought with a dragon, dined with a king
And dived in a bottomless ocean.
I opened a book and made some friends.
I shared their tears and laughter
And followed their road with its bumps and bends
To the happily ever after.
I finished my book and out I came.
The cloak can no longer hide me.
My chair and my house are just the same,
But I have a book inside me.”
Julia Donaldson
Corny? Maybe. But if there's one thing I love more than cake and free stuff - It's cheese.
As with all things in life;
When i've got my self worked up about something to the point where I don't know what more to say, I think to myself 'What would Caitlin Moran Say?'
Turns out she'd say this:
When i've got my self worked up about something to the point where I don't know what more to say, I think to myself 'What would Caitlin Moran Say?'
Turns out she'd say this:
Given that worrying little insight in to my mind, I hope you understand just how baffled (that's 4!) I am that with 10% of UK libraries under threat of closure, when given a chance to make a song and dance (which my love for is equal to my love for cheese) of just how awesome books and libraries are, Portsmouth Library did ...nothing.
It seems to me like they're just lying down and accepting defeat.
With that in mind, I'll leave you with a quote from The Doctor.
"You want weapons? We're in a library! Books! The best weapons in the world!"
Baffled! (5)
It seems to me like they're just lying down and accepting defeat.
With that in mind, I'll leave you with a quote from The Doctor.
"You want weapons? We're in a library! Books! The best weapons in the world!"
Baffled! (5)