This week’s theme from That Artsy Reader Girl’s Top Ten Tuesday is “bookish superpowers”. I had to have a think about this one…
- The ability to persuade people to read books I love. I mean, beyond just the power of nagging and explaining how awesome they are (and giving them a copy). Something that nudges people straight past the inertia into giving it a try. I don’t require people to love the books I love, I just want to share them more and have more people to talk to them about!
- The ability to stop or slow down time when I’m reading. If I could just get a little more time in my day, I’d read so much. I’d accept a more limited power that gives me just an hour a day. Anything!
- The ability to create infinite space for books. My collection always grows to exceed the space available for it. Back in my bedroom at my parents’ home, my dad even built a shelf over the door to help contain my collection. My coffee table was actually bookshelves. Shelves everywhere. Even though I don’t keep all the books I read, and donate loads of them, over time my collection grows all the same.
- The ability to remember the crucial details about everything I read. I’d be so much better at reading series if I could just put them on pause for a bit and not forget the major plot points of the first book!
- The ability to fully forget things I read. Sometimes, I wish I could experience something again for the first time, with only the knowledge that I really loved it.
- The ability to fix book snobs who sneer at the things other people read. I mean, this sounds like brainwashing, so maybe not seriously, but I wish I had some way to convince people to stop judging what other people read. Sneering at romance novels and looking down on graphic novels doesn’t make you look clever! Not everything is for everyone, but that’s fine. Enjoyment is what matters.
- The ability to get hold of a book in the very instant I decide I want it, to the benefit of an indie bookshop. I know, I know, I want the world. But my reading is so whim-based, sometimes books don’t arrive before the mood is lost, unless I use Amazon. And that sucks!
- The ability to magically bring a book back into print. I was sadly rather put off second-hand books for reasons I don’t want to discuss (since it’s gross), so sometimes when a book is out of print, it’d be nice to be able to summon it back into print magically, so I can grab a new copy.
- The ability to read books that never got written. I’m thinking about Dream’s library from The Sandman — something like that! Sequels that never got written, ideas that never got fleshed out, the things authors would produce if they had world enough and time.
- The ability to fix typos in all copies of a book once I spot them. I’d be doing a favour to humankind!
Okay, so some of those are a bit silly, but it’s fun to dream sometimes…
Great list! Lots of fun ones on here 🙂 I agree about those book snobs who sneer at other peoples’ reading choices. It’s not cool and does not make them look cool either!
In the last few years I’ve gone more and more toward “read and let read”, haha. Even books I think are objectively awful have been enjoyed by someone, and that’s okay.
Everyone reads what they enjoy, snobs can just bugger off. Great list, Nicky. Have a fantastic day ☕
Exaaactly. Thanks for dropping by!
The only thing I can really think of is “the ability to make amazon/ebay/etc to produce THE EXACT EDITION I’m looking for”. I’m currently assaying my library’s rare books collection, but ebay is inundated by re-prints, especially the CreateSpace-esque stuff of materials in the public domain.
Haha, that’d be amazing!
#1 would be really cool. I can get it to happen sometimes but not nearly enough.
I recently got my wife to read a series I really loved, and they reaaaally loved it. I felt all-powerful, ahaha.
These are great, I would love to fix the typos as well, LOL! Have a great week!
It’d be a service to humanity. XD
It’d be nice to get people to stop being so judgey about what other people read
Right?! I don’t see how it helps anyone anyway.
Book snobs suck! We should embrace reading no matter the genre and format. I once had a librarian tell me it doesn’t matter what someone reads as long as they’re reading. And it is so true, reading has so many benefits.
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/favorite-historical-fiction-reads-from-2023/
Very much so! My English teacher when I was a teenager said much the same: even for a literature student, reading all kinds of things is important. He had us analysing a Mills & Boon book, for example!
Forgetting everything is one of the reasons I (mostly) avoid series. I have to reread all the books whenever a new one comes out.
Yeah… same. I’ve always had that problem, it’s a pain!
I love all of these. We have a few in common. Oh man, being able to fix typos is a good one!
Right?! Just, whoosh, typos fixed, for everyone.
I wish I had the power to lead all non-readers to the book that would change their life.
That’s definitely a good one.
You are a true bookish superhero! So many on your list are things that actually help other people! Compared to my very, very, selfish list. Lol! I especially love being able to bring books back into print. I’ve got a few books I’d love to do that with.
I was thinking of the bringing books back into print one as selfish somehow, but it’s true it’d be good for for everyone!