......miss this place so much....
My first notebook- a present from my ex.

(Marked the day I started  to read e-books but my love for book stores and the library has not faded. I visit them even if its to window shop.)

I HAD TO BLOG THIS.

DATE A GIRL WHO READS.DATE A GIRL WHO SPENDS HER MONEY ON BOOKS INSTEAD OF CLOTHES.SHE HAS PROBLEMS WITH CLOSET SPACE BECAUSE SHE HAS TOO MANY BOOKS.DATE A GIRL WHO HAS A LIST OF BOOKS SHE WANTS TO READ,WHO HAS HAD A LIBRARY CARD SINCE SHE WAS TWELVE.

FIND A GIRL WHO READS.YOU WILL KNOW SHE DOES BECAUSE SHE WILL ALWAYS HAVE AN UNREAD BOOK IN HER BAG.SHE IS THE ONE LOVINGLY LOOKING OVER THE SHELVES IN THE BOOKSTORE,THE ONE  WHO QUIETLY CRIES OUT WHEN SHE FINDS THE BOOK SHE WANTS. YOU SEE THE WEIRED CHICK SNIFFING THE PAGES OF AN OLD BOOK IN A SECOND HAND BOOK SHOP? THAT'S  A READER. THEY CAN NEVER RESIST SMELLING THE PAGES. ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE YELLOW.

SHE IS THE GIRL READING WHILE WAITING AT A COFFEE SHOP DOWN THE ROAD. IF YOU TAKE A PEEK AT HER MUG, THE NON-DAIRY CREAMER IS FLOATING ON TOP BECAUSE SHE IS KIND OF ENGROSSED ALREADY. LOST IN THE WORLD OF THE AUTHORS MAKING. SIT DOWN. SHE MIGHT GIVE YOU A GLANCE, AS MOST GIRLS WHO READ DO NOT LIKE TO BE INTERRUPTED. ASK HER IF SHE LIKES THE BOOK.

BUY HER ANOTHER CUP OF COFFEE.

LET HER KNOW WHAT YOU REALLY THINK OF MURAKAMI. SEE IF SHE GOT THROUGH THE FIRST CHAPTER OF FELLOWSHIP. UNDERSTAND IF SHE SAYS SHE UNDERSTOOD JAMES JOYCE'S ULYSSES SHE'S JUST SAYING THAT TO SOUND INTELLIGENT.ASK HER IF SHE LOVES ALICE OR SHE WOULD LOVE TO BE ALICE.

ITS EASY TO DATE A GIRL WHO READS. GIVE HER BOOKS FOR HER BIRTHDAY, FOR CHRISTMAS AND ANNIVERSARIES. GIVE HER THE GIFT OF WORDS , IN POETRY, IN SONG, GIVE HER NERUDA,POUND,SEXTON CUMMINGS. LET HER KNOW YOU UNDERSTAND WORDS ARE LOVE. UNDERSTAND THAT SHE KNOWS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BOOKS AND REALITY THAT BY GOD, SHE IS GOING TO TRY TO MAKE HER LIFE A LITTLE LIKE HER FAVOURITE BOOK. IT WILL NOT BE YOUR FAULT IF SHE DOES.

SHE HAS TO GIVE IT A SHOT SOMEHOW.

LIE TO HER,IF SHE UNDERSTANDS SYNTAX,SHE WILL UNDERSTAND YOUR NEED TO LIE. BEHIND WORDS ARE OTHER THINGS: MOTIVATION, VALUE, NUANCE, DIALOGUE. IT WILL NOT BE THE END OF THE WORLD.

FAIL HER.BECAUSE A GIRL WHO READS KNOWS THAT FAILURE ALWAYS LEADS TO CLIMAX. BECAUSE SHE UNDERSTANDS THAT ALL THINGS WILL COME TO  END.THAT YOU CAN ALWAYS WRITE A SEQUEL.THAT YOU CAN BEGIN AGAIN AND AGAIN AND STILL BE THE HERO.THAT LIFE IS MEANT TO HAVE A VILLAIN OR TWO.

WHY BE FRIGHTENED BY EVERYTHING YOU ARE NOT? GIRLS WHO READ UNDERSTANDS THAT LIKE CHARACTERS IN THE BOOKS,WE DEVELOP.EXCEPT IN THE TWILIGHTSIRIES.

IF YOU FIND A GIRL WHO READS , KEEP HER CLOSE.WHEN YOU FIND HER UP AT 2AM CLUTCHING A BOOK TO HER CHEST WEEPING, MAKE HER A CUP OF TEA AND HOLD HER, YOU MAY LOOSE HER FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS BUT SHE WILL ALWAYS COME BACK TO YOU. SHE 'LL TALK AS IF THE CHAR ACTORS IN THE BOOK ARE REAL,BECAUSE FOR A WHILE THEY ALWAYS ARE.

YOU WILL PROPOSE ON A HOT AIR BALLOON.OR DURING A ROCK CONCERT,OR VERY CASUALLY NEXT TIME SHE'S SICK. OVER SKY PE.

YOU WILL SMILE SO HARD YOU WILL WONDER WHY YOUR HEART HASN'T BURST  AND BLED OUT ALL OVER YOUR CHEST YET. YOU  WILL  WRITE THE STORY OF YOUR LIVES , HAVE KIDS WITH STRANGE NAMES AND EVEN STRANGE TASTES.SHE WILL INTRODUCE YOUR CHILDREN TO THE CAT IN THE HAT AND ASLAN, MAYBE ON THE SAME DAY. YOU WILL WALK THE WINTER'S OF YOUR OLD AGE TOGETHER AND SHE WILL RECITE  KEATS  UNDER HER BREATH WHILE YOU SHAKE THE SNOW OFF YOUR BOOTS.

DATE A GIRL WHO READS BECAUSE YOU DESERVE IT. YOU DESERVE A GIRL WHO CAN GIVE YOU THE MOST COLOURFUL LIFE IMAGINABLE. IF YOU CAN GIVE HER MONOTONY AND STALE HOURS AND HALF-BAKED PROPOSALS,THEN YOU'RE BETTER OFF ALONE.IF YOU WANT THE WORLD  AND THE WORLDS BEYOND IT , DATE A GIRL WHO READS

OR BETTER YET, DATE A GIRL WHO WRITES

Rosemary Urquico