Escape in the Pages of a Good Book

RSS Subscribe Print Share

Books are amazing. They instruct and teach us about new concepts and ideas. They enable us to travel to lands we’ve never seen—both real and imagined. They allow us to meet fascinating people—past, present and imagined. Through books and their stories, authors share their imaginations with us, bringing new worlds and civilizations to life. Books make us feel as if we’re part of the story and cause us to experience any number of emotions. Their stories can leave us in suspense, wondering where and when can we get our hands on the next installment in a series. Books are magical.

August 9th was a day for bibliophiles around the world to celebrate and enjoy: National Book Lovers Day. Here for your reading pleasure are some interesting facts, some ways to celebrate and a chance to offer some insight into the greatest book of them all: The Bible.

Interesting Facts about Books, Reading and National Book Lovers Day

Books have evolved over the ages. This TED-Ed video, The evolution of the book, provides a brief look at the history of books. Here are a few other interesting facts concerning books and National Book Lovers Day:

No one knows the creator or origin of National Book Lovers Day; however, Google Trends shows that the first search for the holiday occurred in September 2005.
The first books were hand-printed on parchment or animal skin. Their covers were made of wood which was often tightly wrapped with leather to keep the wood from getting wet.
Public libraries did not appear until the Middle Ages.
Since books were laboriously handwritten during the Middle Ages, libraries at that time often chained books to shelves or a desk to prevent them from being stolen.
Howard Stephen Berg, the author of Super Reading Secrets, is said to be the fastest reader in the world. It’s purported he can read 25,000 words per minute and is able to write 100 words per minute.

Ways to Continue the Celebration of National Book Lovers Day

With our hectic lives, sometimes we need an excuse to do something fun—like spending the day reading a good book. Book lovers will take any excuse to celebrate their love of the written word. What ways can you celebrate?

Spend time perusing the shelves of your public library or school library. Libraries provide an excellent place to find your next favorite book. Best of all—their books are free.
Read to a child and share your love of reading to inspire them to be future readers themselves.
Share a book meeting with friends or host your own book club. Get together with friends to share stimulating conversation and the love of reading. Goodreads provides a lot of great recommendations for books to read in your book club.
- Reacquaint yourself with an old friend by rereading a favorite book.
- Get a new bookshelf. Unpack those books you’ve tucked away in boxes and corners.
- Still have room on your bookshelves? Visit a resale or thrift store and see what treasures wait to be found.
- Volunteer to read to those in need.
- Pass along a book to someone else. An article on Bookish outlines 10 great places that will appreciate your book donations.
- Contact your favorite living author and share with them the impact their writing has had on your life. Most authors can be contacted via Facebook, Twitter or their website.
- Host a book lovers party! Invite guests to dress up as their favorite literary character or author. Provide the best costume winner with a gift card to a local bookstore.

The Bible

Let’s take a moment to talk about the Bible—a Christian’s playbook for life. The Bible is the most read book in the world. It should come as no surprise that the Bible is also the world’s best-selling and most widely distributed book of all time.

According to Guinness World Records, it’s estimated that more than five billion copies were printed between 1815 and 1975. According to statistics from the International Bible Society, Wycliffe International and Gideons International, in the United States, 168,000 new Bibles are sold, given away or otherwise distributed every single day!

Other fun and interesting facts concerning the Bible include:

The Bible in its entirety has been translated into 349 languages. Additionally, parts of the Bible (at least one book of the Bible) have been translated into 2,123 languages.
The system of chapters used today was introduced by Cardinal Hugo de S. Caro in A.D. 1238.
The system of verse notations used today was introduced by Robertus Stephanus in 1551.
A Bible written on 5,376 palm leaves is housed in the University of Gottingen in Lower Saxony, Germany.
The Bible can be read aloud in 70 hours.
According to the Ultimate Bible Reference Library, there are 1,260 promises given to us in the Bible.
The longest name in the Bible can be found in Isaiah 8:3—Maher-shalal-hash-baz

For more interesting tidbits concerning the Bible, check out the Amazing Bible Timeline’s Bible Facts and Statistics.

Reading is an important skill, especially for students. As you return to your studies this year on August 26th, you’re likely to have some classes that require an extensive amount of reading. Don’t forget—reading can also be used as a leisure activity, providing a mental break from heavier scholastic reading. Pick up a book, find a secluded corner and immerse yourself in another world.

If you’d like to learn about professions that will enable you to serve wholeheartedly and faithfully in your life’s work or want to learn more about a biblically-based, Christ-centered education at Geneva, we’d love to chat with you. For more information on how Geneva College can help you pursue your education goals, please phone us at 855-979-5563 or email web@geneva.edu.

Opinions expressed in the Geneva Blog are those of its contributors and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official position of the College. The Geneva Blog is a place for faculty and contributing writers to express points of view, academic insights, and contribute to national conversations to spark thought, conversation, and the pursuit of truth, in line with our philosophy as a Christian, liberal arts institution.

Aug 12, 2019

Everyday Living

Everyday LivingRelated Blog Posts

Budgeting Tips for College Students

If you are a student and you are stressed about money, the best thing you can do is be mindful. Here are a few tips for financial mindfulness.

Three Ways to Cut Down Everyday Expenses

Managing finances and keeping a budget is a tricky thing for a lot of people. For college students, being frugal can be uniquely challenging. Learn about a few different ways you can save money while in college that you might not have thought about before.

Faculty Advice for Seniors

Throughout their time at Geneva, the senior class had the opportunity and obligation to listen to their professors. As we say farewell to our graduates, some faculty members provide parting words of wisdom to the class of 2024. Read here, to see what they have to say!

Some Tips for Managing Anxiety

Anxiety is incredibly common, and is especially common among young adults. So if you are struggling with anxiety, here are some tips from Amy Solman on how to manage anxiety.

Using Social Media Redemptively

As social media continues to grow in popularity, how might Christians be able to use social media to serve God and serve others? Read here for a few ideas!