Finland is regarded as the country with the most avid readers, as they are known for snugging up to books and coffee a paradise afforded them by their extreme cold weather, meaning even in their leisure time they tend to find one thing or the other to learn, While in contrast Nigeria, squints light years behind in having a reading culture, Note that they have more free time than we do but we tend to waste ours with misplaced priority and a kryptonic fear of books. when I can't think of a more healthy habits like reading and enjoying good books
In Lagos, Nigeria around 8:30 am just after crossing the pedestrian bridge to the famous railway that precedes the famous computer village, There is a book seller by the name of Prince who sells at a ridiculously cheap rate, The picture above was taken by me at the edge of the step that leads me downwards. why? Simple demand and supply, As most of the passersby would rather get a new android phone to add to the ones they have rather than pick up a book or two to read.
These books are classic and good novels are classified into Hype Buys and the Scattered Ephemeral - the Hype buys which sells a little higher because of popular opinions and the level of fame which the books have, for example the Kiyosaki, T.D Jakes, Dan Brown et. al while others are divided into 100 naira and 200 naira based on their level of relevance, but why buy Dan Brown when L Ron Hubbard Dianetics could go for 100 naira when many people don't really know the man who invented Scientology, So tell me why buy a movie I have seen or the mind of a crazy man. Just an insight to show that my o my are there gems there, as I am now in possession of some books i have wondered how I will ever get, like Paulo Celho' Alchemist, Pilgrimage Tale of Two cities, To Kill A mocking bird, Chicken Soup For the Soul, Madison Smart Bell Doctor's sleep, Grisham Cleese and Skinner's Families and How to Survive Them, Charles Dickens, C.S. Lewis, Edgar Allan Poe, Oscar Wilde and many others for as low as 100 naira and they are all in perfect conditions.
So I made it a rule to spend at least every 2 month getting a total of 10 new books not that i can read them all, but to even give to friends and try and cultivate in my own way a reading culture among friends and families and my mini library with 30 new books and counting. And the joy is that they are so cheap, and frankly I don't read popular books becaause I never believe they are the best books
While some of us with our own reading are done on phones and tablets, I still feel like the grasp of a book completes the experience, for me I have quite a catalog of ebooks on my laptop and cloud account but apart from Jack London's White Fang I haven't been able to finish a book that i started on my phone, maybe it is the ease of it(finger swipe), the android game close by or the blue light, but there is no better recipe for a good sleep. but a book with its musky smell and contextual drama and letters on a brown paper that has been through a lot, nothing tell the story better
Prince's set up is ephemeral as if he feels he can't afford the money that he pays to rent the space he might move someplace else until we meet again but he is one of many in Lagos
Another example is at Iyana-Iba Junction just at the right side that leads to Badagry is another example as the books have been stockpiled in a rain beaten mesh because of the negligence, and they are good books, Now that people are not aware of what lies helpless on the streets as they walk by, Me and you can take advantage of this reading slumber and use to our maximum and in looking for days to read some of ths book why not use Tuesdays and Thursdays So that we can cultivate it as an habit and marvel at the mind of some of the best writers that walked this earth while we can
By Victor Samuel
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