In honour of World Book Day . . .

Ryan Holiday, modern day Stoic has a quote that I'm paraphrasing-ish:

You don't have to have an opinion about everything.

Which I really appreciate, because honestly?  I can't keep up. It's a relief to have permission not to have an opinion.  Religion? Politics? Celebrity break-up? Meh. I'm not out to convert anyone and I live in a live-and-let-live world. I'm more interested in getting along and focusing on our similarities, not our differences. We're all a part of humanity. You know; we are the world and whatnot. But then I came across Ashley Tisdale:

And like the Millennial she is, I can't even. 

I realized:  Not only do I have an opinion, but I am offended. On the one hand, I get it: her money, her home, her aesthetic. That she's just so cheerful in her admittance of ignorance, and sent her husband to get books adds a whole 'nother layer of . . . VAPID. 

I was so incensed, I even created a graphic:

Old book image from here.

If you read through the comments, verbal sparring represents the two sides: people who actually read, and the rest of those other people. 

"What's the problem?  Books are decoration."  

Oh. My. Word. Do you not know how books work? And herein lies the problem: Ms. Tisdale wants the look of books, she just doesn't care about the actual books. Essentially, they are props. Their only purpose is to fill a space. They have no other meaning--and that is what is so offensive to a Bibliophile.   

Books are not decoration. Books are knowledge and learning. Books are entertainment and a portal into other worlds. Books remind us of where we've been and the possibilities of where we can go. Books say, "You're not alone." Books make you laugh and cry and celebrate and hope. Books satiate your curiosity and propel your wonder. Books expand your world and make you think. 

But only if you read them. 

You know that meme, Tell Me Without Telling Me?

To clear the palate and distaste of Ashley Tisdale's bookshelves, here are a few examples from other Bibliophiles.  THIS. THIS is what a bookcase is for:

"I had lots and lots of books, so that was an easy thing to add." 

Can we be friends?

This illustrates there is hope for the younger generations:

Lookit this guy's office!  The books. The BOOKS!

This Bibliomania:

Coming from a family of readers, one of the first questions I have with my sibs is, "What are you reading?"  It's always a topic of interest. 

Similar to the Tell Me Without Telling Me meme, show me your bookcase, and I can tell who you are: what your interests are, what you spend your time and money on.  What you spend time and money on is a larger indication of what you value. One of the things I appreciate about Ramit Sethi, is his Book-Buying Rule he tweeted: 

If you're "thinking about" buying a book, just buy it. Don't waste 5 secs debating. Even 1 idea makes it worth it.

YES!  Here is his list of book recommendations.

Let us end this blogpost with where we began; Ryan Holiday talking about books:

And here's a graphic for his book quote:

What are YOU currently reading?

Victorian Parasol Suckers: It was a THING

Image from New York Public Library

 I was reading this Victorian etiquette book . . . 

and I came across this passage:

"Youngsters these days!  Sucking on their parasols! What is the world coming to? Pray tell, what is next? Ladies wearing men's trousers and voting? Absolutely ridiculous. It is too much to be borne."

I'll leave you with some Public Domain images from Harper's Bazaar of ladies not sucking on their parasols:

In case you wanted to know what were the en vague (make that VOGUE) parasols:

 Circa 1870.