Bound to last. Why I’ll always love books

It was once predicted that the advent of reading tablets would kill off the printed word. The same scaremongers thought that cinema would close theatres, that television would destroy the cinema and that streaming movies would mean an end to seeing films in the cinema in the company of others. Instead, theatre thrived, television produced high-quality drama and cinema screens got bigger, as computer technology took us to new heights and galaxies far, far away. 

We’ve come a long way since William Caxton printed the first book in English in the 15th century, but we still love a good read. “It’s the holding of something in your hands,” says Jennie Cooper, editor at We Make Media. “It’s about the smell of paper and the sensation of turning the pages. It’s about everything you get from a book or a magazine that you don’t get with a computer. It’s what we’ve all done since we were one year old and then, as parents, we repeat the cycle when we give our own children books.

“A cold, hard screen is unforgiving, and you’re already looking at it 12 hours a day. On whatever online platform you’re browsing, there will be interruptions: pop-ups, adverts… and you end up on another website doing something you didn’t intend to.

“With a book, it’s just you, the book, the words on the page, and possibly the pictures. You can read as much or as little as you want, immerse yourself in it and give yourself this moment,” says Jennie. “There is something very comforting and permanent with a book – a good plot and characterisation and it stays with you all day. Something you don’t get while scrolling and scrolling through lots of micro pieces of information.”

Books offer a change of pace.“It’s easy to pick up a book and take a little break - just 10 minutes with a cuppa is enough to quieten your mind. It’s all about the escape and the pleasure you get from reading. It’s something to be treasured. When you go into a library or bookshop, you will see people taking their time to browse,”  says Jennie.

Non-fiction books, such as cookbooks, offer something else too. “Cookbooks are really history in the making,” says Jennie. “It shows us what was popular during a particular time – what was in fashion, what ingredients were readily available… It’s interesting to see how people are cooking at home more and so collections of recipes have become more popular.”

How many of us can’t bear to part with our favourite novels? "This builds our own life story – just as much as collecting paintings or furniture or photographs do. When I look through my bookshelves, I may rediscover a book I read at Uni, and the memories come flooding back,” Jennie adds.

Books are also great to share and pass on, while book clubs provide a great way to explore new authors. Look around, and you’ll see boxes containing books to take away at the end of people’s drives. For example, Jennie says there’s an old telephone box in a village near her home for people to leave and pick up used books. “While we embrace technology and the advances in publishing, books are here to stay,” adds Jennie. 

A Taste of the West Country 2025 edition, will be published in June. Books from previous years can be purchased from our shop.