A Book Lover's Confession
A Book Lover’s Confession
“A room without books is like a body without a soul.” Cicero
I love books.
In times of e-readers and audiobooks there is a reason why a solid book in our hands is still preferred by so many of us. Books are like a good friend that is always at our side. I especially like books that tickle the mind and nourish the soul. Empowering stories, magical tales, helpful conversations, interesting rituals and soulful words. When those books are written in a poetic way, with a reverence towards every single word, when I, as a reader, can feel the sacredness of every tiny letter, the reading experience is beyond pleasure. It is elevating to read a good book. Time stands still. Reading can be a meditation in itself. Books carry a vibration. They are much like taking the hand of a parent, and being guided home.
My bookshelf is loaded with treasures.
I am constantly in awe of how books find me in so many wonderful ways. At times, the cover shines at me in a bookstore, catching my eye, calling me to take it home. It doesn’t even have to be pretty, it can just be the way the words are arranged or the way the colours are displayed. At times, books find me through people, telling me about a good read. Everyday I go to my bookshelf, listening to the little voice that guides me to the book that is answering the feeling that I carried in my heart, to the stillness that is needed in my mind, and to the questions that my soul wants to live. Books are friends, lovers, parents, companions and sometimes maps to a realm that is not yet explored.
There is magic inside of a book.
I believe that it is the magic of the author’s soul that is dancing in between the syllables, the spaces and the sounds of the words. Do you hear the traces of starry glitter when you hold a book to your ear? Do you catch yourself caressing your favourite book? This is because the relationship with a book can be very intimate. The secrets that the words hold, may just be the key to your heart. That key may unlock a journey that you’ve never even dared to dream. That key may allow your soul to take in the wisdom of the universe, which had spoken through the author’s pen. The wisdom of someone who felt compelled to tell their story, to speak their truth, to create wizardry, and wise art, contained between pages that smell of change and transformation. The sound of a marker engraving the words into your being. The taste of possibility on your tongue. The privilege of taking the time to sit in silence with a book in hand in an always busy world. Reminding you that the present moment is the only way home.
Taking notes in books is life-saving for me.
Inspired by that cozy feeling that surrounds me when I am reading or writing, especially when it is raining, I wrote the following poem. It is layers deep, as I love to play with images and double meanings. Every word break is carefully placed with intention. Therefore I recorded a reading of this poem, which you can find here.
Hooked
The raindrops
are drumming
your favourite song
fingertips
moving at the speed
of the heArt
the fill-in
highlighting
the most important
groove
as the words
flow and move
your soul
dancing in between
the lines
as you follow
the hidden
signs
buried underneath
rhymes and phrases
as the wind
turns
the pages
as interpretation
chases meaning
swirling
a spiderweb
of coffee scent
and paper
cuts
bone-deep
passion
singing with
expression
the hands of imitation
fondling
with imagination
a creation
of syllables and sounds
the eye reads
but the heart pounds
the soul listens
and love,
love
leads.
by Sadhbh Adamea
Coffee is a wonderful companion on my journeys through the book world.
I especially enjoy books that help me grow. As I engage in this never-ending song called life, I love to circle around the same topics of love, spirituality, surrender, and vibrational energy over and over again. I believe we can only experience new things when we are willing to step outside of our comfort zone. That doesn’t necessarily mean that we need to pack our bags and embark on a big adventure, no, I believe the biggest adventure is to travel inwards. To sit with ourselves and reflect on our journey through life. To create new ways of thinking, to stretch our imagination and to plant new seeds of growth. That is how big ideas are born. Here is a list of my most recommended books on spirituality, growth, poetry and love.
Cuoreosity. The heArt of Being. by Jamie Millard
Loveability. Knowing How to Love and Be Loved. by Robert Holden
Anam Cara. Spiritual wisdom from the Celtic world. by John O’Donohue
Signs of the Universe. by Ulla Suokko
Ask and it is Given. by Esther and Jerry Hicks
The She Book. by Tanya Markul
If you have more recommendations for me, comment below!
Thank you so much for reading and commenting!
Lots of love,
Sadhbh