Some bookish characters are quirky, some nerdy, some eccentric, and some appear utterly normal. The only thing all these bookish types have in common is a love of books and reading. There are bookish characters who want to read as many books as humanly possible, while others collect books as art pieces. Some bookish characters love paperbacks they can beat up while reading over and other again, and some characters only want leather-bound first editions to grace their shelves. Some bookish characters would never consider ebooks, while others love toting their entire library on a phone. Each bookish character has a "thing" or two that makes them stand out. I've seen characters who grab a random book from a shelf, plop down on the floor, and start reading the middle of a book. I have also seen characters who delicately turn each page of a book, as if it might fall apart in their hands. I've seen children carrying books that take two hands to hold onto. I see adults slipping incredibly slim tomes into their jacket pockets. These characters are young and old, rich and poor, and come from all walks of lives and have incredibly varied backgrounds. I love bookish characters because, for me, they represent the wonderful diversity that is life.
I count myself as one of these characters. I regularly visit bookstores and libraries. I obsess over titles; talking to anyone who might listen about my favorite authors or latest discovery. I stroke the spines of pretty books. I alphabetize bookstore shelves that are out of order. I have to buy or check-out books in groups of two or more because I don't want the titles to get lonely on the trip home. I have been known to stick my nose in a new (or used) book and deeply inhale to wrap myself in the delicious aroma that is the printed page.
I love bookish characters because were are all cast in the play that is reading. We all add something to the scene, enriching the script, and bring our own style the story.
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