BACKSTORIES by Tokuhiko Kise

BOOKMAN: According to the dictionary, it is a reader, a writer, a bookstore, a publisher… I took these as meaning, “one who likes books.”

I love books. I’ll read anything from novels and essays to DIY manuals, magazines, and coffee table books. I’ll read about almost anything too – even the theory of relativity!

And no matter how big the internet gets, I will still prefer the feel of a book, a record, or a CD in my hands.

Day after day, books come in the mail from Amazon. Of course if I come across a good one in a bookstore, I’ll buy it there too.

I like to read them in bed before I sleep.

But it’s impossible to hold the book up comfortably. My body starts to hurt and I have to keep shifting and changing positions over and over.

In the end, I wind up lying down and falling asleep, unsure if I even read past a page. My daughter makes fun of me, saying, “Daddy, are you pretending to read again?”

The next day is no different. I never get much further in my book. I’ve always admired fast readers who say, “I finished a whole book in one night” – all while the mountain of unfinished books grows taller and taller on my bedside table.

And so I made a new bed. I named it BOOKMAN BED, a bed for readers.

I gave the headboard a cushion with just the right firmness and positioned it at just the right angle to lead on and read a book.

You won’t have to shift restlessly around in bed to read anymore. You can take your time and concentrate on your book – or so I think.

I too will be able to breeze through the pages of my books. With that in mind, I don’t feel guilty about buying more from Amazon.

Tokuhiko Kise