Book Lovers Alert! Set Your Sights on August 9

On National Book Lovers Day, pull out a favorite book or get together with your favorite bookworms. Halfpoint/Shutterstock

August 9 is National Book Lovers Day. The origins of a special day set aside for bibliophiles remain a mystery, but there it is: the one day of the year given over to those of us whose books are indispensable friends, soul mates, and alter egos.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved books. I’ve worked in bookstores and libraries, owned three bookshops myself, and have written book reviews for Western North Carolina’s “Smoky Mountain News” for over 25 years. My local library is as familiar to me as my kitchen. Like other bibliophiles, I’ve always got a book going, sometimes two or three at the same time. In the past few weeks, for example, I’ve read two romance novels for review—Aryn Wicka’s “Tethered” and Carina Taylor’s “Easy as Pie”—and have begun George Eliot’s “Middlemarch” for my personal edification and enjoyment. Meanwhile, on any given day, I’m yanking a half-dozen or more books from my shelves for work-related or personal reasons.

And yet, I’d never heard of National Book Lovers Day (NBLD).

Until now.

Better Late Than Never

Consider me the guy who arrives at a New Year’s party 10 minutes past midnight. The Times Square Ball has dropped, kisses and best wishes have been exchanged, the singing of “Old Lang Syne” is now a memory, and the funny hats and noisemakers are scattered on the tables.

So, it’s time to make up for lost ground. If you’re a book lover and you’ve also missed out on past NBLD festivities, or if you just want to come along for the ride, hop aboard.

It’s time to party.

And here are some ideas on how to do just that.

NBLD Morning Edition

Like some other people I know, I start my day by spending half an hour or so online, mostly to make sure some stray meteor isn’t inbound or to gape in astonishment at some new lunacy unleashed on our nation.

August 9 is a great day to break ranks with that routine. Instead of opening our laptops and phones, we can open a book with that first cup of coffee. In my case, if my reading goes according to plan, I’ll begin the festivities by marching through the last 20 pages or so of “Middlemarch,” thereby completing my journey through one of mankind’s great literary accomplishments.

Connect With Others

Bring Your Kid to Work Day is held annually on the fourth Thursday in April. This year, when NBLD rolls around, why not take a favorite book to work with you? Put it on your desk. Maybe read a bit from it at lunch. Who knows? Some fellow book-lover may ask you what you’re reading, and you’ve broken ground for a new friendship.

Most days of the week, I head out to work for a few hours in one of my town’s coffee shops. On NBLD, I’ll practice what I’m preaching here and bring along a book or two, display them conspicuously on the table, and see what transpires.

Meanwhile, consider sharing your passion for reading and books on social media. Make note of the day’s celebration and fire up others to explore the joy of reading. Some politicians and commentators are asking Americans to find common ground these days. A shared love of reading may be just the place to start.

On August 9, I also plan to email a children’s poem, Julia Donaldson’s “I Opened a Book,” to my grandkids, and have stuck a note on the refrigerator reminding me to do so. Here’s the entire verse, a sweet and beautiful tribute to the power and wonders found in a book:

I opened a book and in I strode. Now nobody can find me. I’ve left my chair, my house, my road, My town and my world behind me.

I’m wearing the cloak, I’ve slipped on the ring, I’ve swallowed the magic potion. I’ve fought with a dragon, dined with a king And dived in a bottomless ocean.

I opened a book and made some friends. I shared their tears and laughter And followed their road with its bumps and bends To the happily ever after.

I finished my book and out I came. The cloak can no longer hide me. My chair and my house are just the same, But I have a book inside me.

Indulge Yourself

Maybe you’ll want to curl up on the sofa in the evening with a book and a glass of wine. Maybe, weather permitting, you’ll gather the kids, a handful of books, an old quilt, and some treats and beverages, and head for the shade of that oak in the back yard to spend an hour or so basking in stories.

As for me, I plan to spend at least half an hour on NBLD browsing the shelves in either my public library or my local bookshop. I visit these establishments frequently, but am usually looking for a specific book for work or pleasure. On this special day, I want to revive that delight of simply strolling through a parkland of words and writers, waiting to be surprised, as has happened so often in the past, by some title or author new to me.

Book a Book Bash

“April is the cruelest month,” wrote T.S. Eliot. Maybe so, but I’d put my money on August. It’s hot and muggy, with the long, sweltering weeks unbroken by any federal holiday or major celebration like St. Patrick’s or Easter.

It’s the perfect time to break up the dog days of summer and throw a NBLD party.

This year, NBLD kicks off the weekend by falling on a Friday. Consider bringing together your favorite bookworms, children and adults alike, and saluting the day with drinks and hors d’oeuvres or a backyard barbecue. Whatever the entertainment, make it a book-oriented event, a fun evening aimed at celebrating the written word. Play a few games of literary charades. Ask each of the guests to bring a book wrapped in paper and host a White Elephant Book Exchange.

If that doesn’t work for you, arrange to call a fellow bibliophile, salute each other long distance with a glass of wine or tea, and talk books.

And of course, you can always opt to finish up NBLD simply by silencing the phone, tucking in on that sofa, and putting a book inside yourself.

Good reading, all, and have some fun on National Book Lovers Day!