Jack of Many Trades

B is for Books

Originally posted: 2012-01-27

I know it sounds like a bit of a cop-out when I did "Book of Shadows" last week but I'm going to talk about something entirely different. Namely, my bibliophile tendencies.

I have been a bookworm my entire life. I think I always thought libraries were holier than churches; I was certainly more reverent toward them. Words have power, after all, and libraries have a lot of words.

I have a much broader definition of "religious texts" than a lot of people seem to. In the past, my collections of reference books on religious subjects has covered all the bases you would expect - from modern guides to witchcraft and Asatru books to folklore collections and mythology tests - as well as some things you might not. Some people have been surprised by my collection of books on Buddhism, or on Traditional Chinese Medicine, for example. There are heathens who would be confused by my inclusion of American Gods and Eight Days of Luke. I have a soft spot for obscure devotionals from Asphodel Press and similar indie imprints. I used to collect Christian books on spiritual warfare because I found it good for comparison and contrast. And I consider my blacksmithing and homesteading books related, too, since those activities are tinged with devotional flavor.

These days, most of my collection is in ebook format, whether on the Kindle app or on my actual ereader. It's just so much easier to own and store them that way, and I love having them available at my convenience when I want to refer to something, no matter where I am.

I know there are plenty of people who feel that paper is sacred; I'm not going to argue with you if you do, you're entitled to your opinion. But our common ground is that we feel the power of the words, and that doesn't change either way.