I love Book Lover's Day almost as much as Christmas, and that says a great deal. it was my love of books that led me to become a writer. There's something in the way a book feels when you hold it. And who hasn't felt the anticipation of turning a page to see what happens next? But the true hallmark of a great book, at least for me, is whether or not I am sad to reach the end of it. I always want a good book to go on for at least a few more chapters. Books inherently offer solitude and a temporary escape from your own story. To me, they are pure magic.
Today is Book Lover's Day and to celebrate it, I've scoured the interweb and found some weirdly interesting facts about books that I'd like to share with you, my fellow lover of the written word.
Ready? Let's begin!
1. As of 2010, there are 129, 864, 880 books in print worldwide, according to Google. Nine years later, that figure is a lot higher. (It doesn't include my own six books, for instance.)
2. The most expensive book ever purchased was sold for $30.8 million. It was Codex Leicester by Leonardo Da Vinci, and it was purchased by Bill Gates, according to Business Insider. He probably made the money back within the hour so it wasn't a big deal for him.
3. There's a word for loving the smell of old books. You know you love the smell of old books. Come on now and admit it. They have the aroma of dust and a whole lot of history. Okay, so the dust part might not be great, especially if you have allergies, but the history of everyone who has ever owned or held that book is still there. And it has a certain smell. The smell of age. Well now you can name that smell. “Bibliosmia” is that word and you’ve probably been searching for it your entire life. You can thank me later.
4. The longest sentence ever written had 832 words. And which book contains this
l-o-n-g sentence? it's Victor Hugo's Les Miserables.
5. Authors names didn't used to be printed on the cover of the book. The covers of the first printed books were considered artworks. They were covered in drawings, leather and even gold — so there wasn’t a place for the author’s name.
6. The first book ever written using a typewriter was The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain.
7. U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt read one book every single day. Now that's what I call dedication to reading!
8. What are the three most read books in the world? The Bible is number 1 and that comes as no surprise. But numbers 2 and 3 may; Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung, and Harry Potter.
9. Icelandic people read more than anyone. Is it because of their weather or do they simply develop a love of books at an early age. Either way, they win the prize.
10. Alice in Wonderland is based on a real 10-year-old girl. Her name was Alice Liddell, and her family was close friends with author Lewis Carroll. While on a boating trip, she asked him to tell her a story — and that’s how Alice was born.
11. Illiteracy is still a huge problem throughout the world. One in five adults around the world can’t read or write, with the highest rates in South and West Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
Books are amazing and each one is journey. Whether books entertain us, inform us, or teach us, there's no better way to spend a little quiet time than curled up with a good book. I hope that you can find a little time today to start reading a new book or, perhaps, pick up and re-read a classic or old favorite. And please don't forget to share your love of reading today with a child. It's a joy they'll carry with them for a lifetime.
That does it for me this week. I hope you'll plan on joining me again on Monday for another week of interesting and informative blogs. In addition to Book Lover's Day today, there are a few other things to note that might be worthy of celebrating over the weekend...just in case you're looking for something different to do. Saturday is National Lazy Day, National Bowling Day, and National Garage Sale Day. On Sunday, it's Presidential Joke Day (Nope. I'm not going there and you can't make me....) as well as National Spirit of (19)45 Day.
Have a great weekend!
PEACE.
Today is Book Lover's Day and to celebrate it, I've scoured the interweb and found some weirdly interesting facts about books that I'd like to share with you, my fellow lover of the written word.
Ready? Let's begin!
1. As of 2010, there are 129, 864, 880 books in print worldwide, according to Google. Nine years later, that figure is a lot higher. (It doesn't include my own six books, for instance.)
2. The most expensive book ever purchased was sold for $30.8 million. It was Codex Leicester by Leonardo Da Vinci, and it was purchased by Bill Gates, according to Business Insider. He probably made the money back within the hour so it wasn't a big deal for him.
3. There's a word for loving the smell of old books. You know you love the smell of old books. Come on now and admit it. They have the aroma of dust and a whole lot of history. Okay, so the dust part might not be great, especially if you have allergies, but the history of everyone who has ever owned or held that book is still there. And it has a certain smell. The smell of age. Well now you can name that smell. “Bibliosmia” is that word and you’ve probably been searching for it your entire life. You can thank me later.
4. The longest sentence ever written had 832 words. And which book contains this
l-o-n-g sentence? it's Victor Hugo's Les Miserables.
5. Authors names didn't used to be printed on the cover of the book. The covers of the first printed books were considered artworks. They were covered in drawings, leather and even gold — so there wasn’t a place for the author’s name.
6. The first book ever written using a typewriter was The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain.
7. U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt read one book every single day. Now that's what I call dedication to reading!
8. What are the three most read books in the world? The Bible is number 1 and that comes as no surprise. But numbers 2 and 3 may; Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung, and Harry Potter.
9. Icelandic people read more than anyone. Is it because of their weather or do they simply develop a love of books at an early age. Either way, they win the prize.
10. Alice in Wonderland is based on a real 10-year-old girl. Her name was Alice Liddell, and her family was close friends with author Lewis Carroll. While on a boating trip, she asked him to tell her a story — and that’s how Alice was born.
11. Illiteracy is still a huge problem throughout the world. One in five adults around the world can’t read or write, with the highest rates in South and West Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
Books are amazing and each one is journey. Whether books entertain us, inform us, or teach us, there's no better way to spend a little quiet time than curled up with a good book. I hope that you can find a little time today to start reading a new book or, perhaps, pick up and re-read a classic or old favorite. And please don't forget to share your love of reading today with a child. It's a joy they'll carry with them for a lifetime.
That does it for me this week. I hope you'll plan on joining me again on Monday for another week of interesting and informative blogs. In addition to Book Lover's Day today, there are a few other things to note that might be worthy of celebrating over the weekend...just in case you're looking for something different to do. Saturday is National Lazy Day, National Bowling Day, and National Garage Sale Day. On Sunday, it's Presidential Joke Day (Nope. I'm not going there and you can't make me....) as well as National Spirit of (19)45 Day.
Have a great weekend!
PEACE.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/11-random-facts-books-weirdly-192533509.html
RSS Feed