National Book Lovers Day
Bibliophiles unite! If you don’t know what that is, a bibliophile is a person who has a great appreciation for or collects books.
Observed each year on August 9, National Book Lovers Day celebrates bibliophiles and the love of reading. National Day encourages you to find your favorite reading place, a good book, and read the day away.
Some quick, fun history on books and libraries:
- The very first books used parchment or vellum (calf skin) for the book pages.
- The book covers were made of wood and often covered with leather.
- The books were fitted with clasps or straps.
- Public libraries appeared in the Middle Ages.
- Books in public libraries were often chained to a bookshelf or a desk to prevent theft.
Two nonfiction books are on my list as I prepare to visit Southwest France this fall:
Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed
by Philip Hallie
During the worst of World War II . . . gripped by Nazi inhumanity and political insanity that dominated Europe, all seemed lost and then a miraculous event occurred in a small Protestant town in southern France called, Le Chambon. In full view of the Vichey government and a nearby Nazi SS division, the villagers and their clergy managed to save thousands of Jewish children and adults from certain death.
Claude & Camille
by Stephanie Cowell
Discover the birth of the impressionist movement and its artists, all told through the love story of Claude Monet and his eventual wife, Camille.
How will you celebrate National Book Lovers Day?