Happy to be starting at Waterstones tomorrow!

I\’ve always wanted to work in a bookshop like Waterstones in Truro. Yes, I know it\’s not really like Black Books and I know it\’s certainly not going to feature me with my feet up, reading all the books. Actually, if it did, I\’d get bored. No, the reason is that I just love books. I love being surrounded by them. Deeply nerdy though it may be, I feel that each book is a friend just waiting for me to open it up and start a conversation or an argument.
Yes, I know that Kindle and eReaders are taking the world by storm and one day I expect I\’ll get one – though not before they\’ve sorted out the white-black-white page change which gives me a migraine. But I bet I won\’t feel that way about virtual books.
Many years ago (no, I certainly won\’t say how many), when I was about nine or ten, I did a deal with my parents over my pocketmoney. Instead of me getting it every week and splurging it automatically on sweets, they agreed to save it up for me and give it to me monthly so I could buy a book with it.
When I got my book money I\’d strut into our lovely local high street children\’s bookshop on a Saturday morning and spend at least three hours happily agonising over which one to choose. I bought all of Rosemary Sutcliff\’s books, all of Alan Garner\’s. Then I discovered second-hand bookshops and spent even longer havering over the random selections available in Hampstead, when I could get my father to take me there, because I could get far more for my money. I loved the smell of secondhand books and still do, I loved the smell of new books and still do. I loved going into any bookshop or library and looking around at all the potential friends. It made me feel so excited, I\’d sometimes do a little dance. I still feel excited but I no longer do the dance in case they call for the chaps in white coats.
Just going into a bookshop still makes me feel happy and inspired. How many pleasures are still as fresh and delightful after so many years?