Post 2: What is a book?

A book is a place where thoughts are expressed and imaginations thrive. I would say that my opinion about what a "book" is resides mostly with the ideas of Joe Meno. Joe Meno claims that, "...the idea of the book is more important than the actual form it takes..." (Meno). I mostly agree with this because I don't see books as physical objects. I see books more as stories that we create in our mind. A book can be read online, on a kindle, or through a physical paper copy. It is the story, the meaning, the "take-away" from that information that is vital.

While my personal preference and desire will always stay with the physical books, I don't think that the definition of what a book is should be solely confined to a physical object. That is the opposite of what books are for. Books are for enriching the brain with knowledge, creating stories in our head for us to ponder, for applying to our own lives, and comparison to the world around us. A book is not the physical object that is picked up at Barnes and Noble, it is the written or typed information that is expressed through different mediums.

I also agree with the idea that is expressed by Joe Meno when he says that, "...a book is actually a place, a place where we, as readers, still have the chance to engage in active imagining, translating word into image..." (Meno). Joe Meno describes a book as a place, rather than an object and I agree with him. Rather than the physicality of an object, the vitality of a book comes from the content, and how that content flows through your brain and causes images and descriptions to run through your brain. Books are stories, adventures, and facts. Book are not objects. Books are dreams, imaginations, and worlds. Books are not objects. Books are compared, contrasted, and analyzed. But books are not objects.

Post #1: Why I Read Books.

I read because it is an entertaining way to live in a story. Movies and TV shows can physically show you what they want you to see, but I books add more of a creative touch to a story because you have to create the images and pictures in your head throughout the story. I read both for pleasure (occasionally) and when I am forced to for classes. In my experience, reading is one hundred times easier when it is a book that I choose to read because I am not being forced to suffer through it. I read because it enriches my mind with a story that has many different themes and advice that I can apply to my own life. Being able to talk to someone about books is very interesting because you could both read the same book and have a completely different perspective on a certain event in the book. That's what I like about books; they're open for interpretation while still giving the reader a creative story that engages them with both the characters and the situations involved. Whether I read a book for a class or read it just for fun, reading is a great way to give your mind a fun and interesting story that you can think about and love for years to come.