A book is the only place in which you can examine a fragile thought without breaking it, or explore an explosive idea without fear it will go off in your face. It is one of the few havens remaining where a man's mind can get both provocation and privacy. ~Edward P. Morgan

"Yes or no? Nah," I told myself as I removed my books off the shelf one by one asking "Shall I leave this behind?" I had two piles - those that I will bring with me and those that I plan to leave behind to my younger cousins. After a dozen books, I knew that I was in for a problem. The pile "to bring" was way higher than the other pile...

Growing up with my strict grandparents, I was not usually allowed to go out and play with the neighbors. With nothing left to do, books became my refuge and my means of escape. Reading did not only nurture my knowledge but also quenched my thirst to explore beautiful cities, brought me to the glorious ancient times and allowed me to share thoughts with the best thinkers the world has ever known. Reading also allowed me to explore forbidden and dangerous realms - the mind of a genius-turned-madman, the dark alleys where thieves and prostitutes lurk...even the fiery pits of inferno. More than anything else, books brought out the "human" in me - it toyed with my temper, made we weep inconsolably, and gave me the courage to face another day...

I know every book of mine by its smell, and I have but to put my nose between the pages to be reminded of all sorts of things. ~George Robert Gissing

I started opening them one by one and it felt like the first time - the plastic wrap that was difficult to tear apart and the strange yet captivating smell of printed paper. Then, I would start reading and the first few lines will usually tell if it is going to be a good read...

Of course, most them had yellow pages already and that weird funky smell reminiscent of an old school library. The pages were quite brittle and almost fragile. They were like abandoned parents battered by age and hard work and longing for the love and care of their progeny. What an ungrateful child I am to leave them behind!

At that moment, I knew that I was bringing every single one of them along with me. For me, they all deserve a spot in my new shelf, wherever it may be.

Let your bookcases and your shelves be your gardens and your pleasure-grounds. Pluck the fruit that grows therein, gather the roses, the spices, and the myrrh. ~Judah Ibn Tibbon