Reading in Eye Care Awareness month

Books and the ability to read is one of the greatest gifts.  The academic Charles William Eliot  said  “Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”

Nowadays, many books are translated into Braille so that the blind can enjoy reading too, but according to the Eye Care Awareness Month campaign, 75% of blindness is avoidable either through prevention or treatment - it is so important to get your eyes tested.

Libraries are also havens for those of us who love to read – I know I could certainly get lost in one of these most beautiful bookstores in the world, found on this website.

Livraria Lello, Porto, Portugal. This is a neo-gothic bookstore that opened in 1906 and has a very impressive staircase!

Ler Devagar, Lisbon, Portugal: The flying bike and the floor-to-ceiling books make this store impressive and whimsical at the same time.

Shakespeare & Company, Paris, France: This is a dream library for those who like nooks and crannies jam-packed with interesting reads.

This majestic building in Buenos Aires used to be a movie theatre in the 1920’s, and now the theatre boxes are used for reading rooms!

Whenever I’m on the train, I’m always fascinated by what books people are reading. I think what people choose to read says a lot about them. I thought I was the only one who found this interesting until I stumbled across this website. undergroundnewyorkpubliclibrary.com is a website dedicated to taking pictures of people reading on the subway in New York, and then including the title and author of the book in a caption below.

Check out the slideshow below for pictures from the site.