Do you recall the experience of reading a book like you recall a real life experience?

To me, the memory of reading a great book seems to be encoded in my memory almost the same as any real life experience is.

Just like I might hear Paris mentioned and suddenly feel all the sensory memories – sounds, tastes, atmosphere – of a great trip, I can see a book mentioned and all the sensory memories of reading it will all come back – where I read it, the music I had on, the vibes, the feelings, how it spoke to my life at that time. Just as I might get starry-eyed and say “oh that was a fantastic trip” I could say “oh I had a great time reading that book.”

The thing is I might remember very little detail of the book itself – it’s more the experience of reading it that I remember. And it feels as real and treasured to me as any other great memory.

I’m very fascinated by the often blurred lines between books and real life – and the way our brains don’t always massively separate them as experiences.

What about you?