Unless it’s the relationship to die for, ending things with someone (or something) can be brutally painful. Most of you bookworms will agree – you know what I’m talking about. How many books have you got stuffed into your shelves? How many of those have you read more than once?

Reading a book is not just about going through the pages. It’s a journey – a love affair, even. Once you start reading through those very first phrases, sentences, paragraphs, you just know – from the very beginning – that you will be investing more than you thought you would. It will start off lightly, with a few chuckles and giggles here and there. Occasional cringes and sighs, too. And before you know it, you are hooked, and the character development has progressed into a deep and binding relationship between you and these imaginary (or not) people you are reading about.

Like any good book, the thrill of reading cannot wait until tomorrow, or later, or next week. You just have to finish it right away. You get to the climax, and soon enough, to the very end. The story is concluded and the last few pages pass through swiftly. You look outside the window or up the ceiling and into a haze as you ruminate over the good book you’ve just finished. If you’re like me, you might even obsess over it for the next few days (or at times, weeks!) until everyone you know is just tired of hearing you talking about the same stuff over and over. But it’s just too hard to let go. What was a matter of hours being with that book felt more like an eternity – in a distant universe, with new people and their new problems, all of which you were a part of. But now it’s all done and gone.

The inability to let go of that tiny attachment between you and an entirely different world inside that book is as difficult as it gets. I, for one, cannot count how many times my sister or a roommate has sneaked up on me as I cried my eyes out over a love story, or how many times I skipped dinner just to know where the protagonist’s journey was going to end. But, at some point, we have to move on. You break up with a much-loved book – keep it shelved in your room for safekeeping – and move on. It seems daunting, but then, there’s the brighter side of things: starting all over. It’s that fluttery feeling when you go out on a date for the first time, all over again, and you start to get to know new characters and their stories.

There is no argument that the Wright brothers’ innovative ideas have had a huge impact on this country as well as on the civilization at large. Historian cum author David McCullough talks about writing a book that delves deeper into the implications of that flight on the culture and society of the early 20th century. Read more about McCullough’s ideas from Leslie Kaufman’s article.

Coffeetable books are excellent gift ideas – you don’t even have to worry if the person you’re giving them to has a coffeetable or not. Sometimes, we can all just appreciate a light “read” of photos and art. Get your dose of highly recommended coffee companions, with topics ranging from fashion to TV to photography, from Leanne Italie’s post.

I cannot recall how many children’s books I’ve come across with the same, familiar formula as the famous See Spot Run series. Not everyone seems to agree, though, that this kind of reading material is what’s actually the best for our youngsters. Australian critics and experts alike are coming together, saying a more concrete plot can benefit (and interest) our kids more. Read what Linda Morris, reporting for the Illawarra Mercury, has to say about this.

Most of us can agree on one thing – breakups are tough, whether they are to do with relationships or long-airing TV series, movie franchises, or books. It’s very easy to get attached to the characters and settings of these stories that they, in a way, become our secret, silent retreat after a busy day at work. There’s no contesting that even after reading a book – sometimes more than once – it’s still just so hard to let go of it. John Warner seems to have had a lifetime’s fill of this dilemma. Check out what experiences he has had.

The fiction award went to The Round House by Louise Erdrich, while the non-fiction category was bagged by Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo. Among other honor citations were awards for outstanding musical biography and ethnomusicology. See the full list of awardees and titles from Grace Lichtenstein’s post for the Examiner.

Harry Potter and Twilight fans have always found a reason to feel like they’re better than the other – whether it’s about the books’ stories, characters, plots, or endings. This week, though, no fighting will commence. Instead, we all gather round to talk about one thing that binds us together: a really good book and how reading takes us to places only reachable through fueled imaginations. Hop on the Hogwarts Express, ride with the pack, or travel with goblins – we’ll take you there:

• Christopher Borrelli’s post lets us in on some creative and new ideas for books: bookshelves. If you’re thinking all they do is stand still in the corner of your room, you are so wrong.
• Patrick Condon’s post shares how William Alexander won the National Book Award: by channelling the child inside him. You’d think you’ve seen all kinds of creatures in today’s best-selling novels – his book will tell you otherwise.
• In J.K. Rowling’s Wonderbook: Book of Spells, Potterheads will find themselves immersed in the [augmented] magical reality. With a swish and flick, we’re closer to the wizarding world than we’ve ever been.
• If you think Gone Girl sealed the deal for author Gillian Flynn – think again. Not only will there be a film adaptation of her novel, she’s also working on her new two-book deal.
• Which books would you recommend for a two-year old kid? The Telegraph’s Literary Critic, Lorna Bradbury, gives us a short list.
• Finally, we let out our Firebolts and suck some blood as we have a mighty discussion on the things that fiction books have given us (and are still giving us) readers all over the world. Enter the zone in “In an Alternate Universe.”

Fiction is one of the most popular genres of literature, even in the good old days, before the Cullens were feuding with werewolves, even before Voldemort killed off Harry’s parents, perhaps even before goblins had secrets. One thing remains constant, though – the fueled imagination of the writers and their ability to suck their readers into a different world, completely void of having to think of anything else.

I have to admit that I’ve spent too many nights (which easily progressed to too many mornings) reading about Harry and company as they faced dragons and went into dungeons, cast spells and uncovered mysteries – all in all saving both the wizarding and non-magical world. I’m sure the vampires and werewolves had the same thing in mind, too. Beating the bad guys and resolving conflicts is never told in a better way than that which is completely different from our daily realities.

A non-fiction read is good from time to time, but personally I believe that the kid in me (and in all of us, I’m sure!) needs to get out every now and then. Keep those hearts flaming and those minds running at a hero’s pace. Reading can be educational and informative, but we cannot discount the bigger truth that it can also be the best kind of entertainment available to us today. It’s beyond words how letters blended together, with no magic more than the writer’s creativity, are able to sweep us off our feet and take us on a broomstick, carpet, or whatever kind of ride there is.

It’s very important to help our kids experiment with their imagination and let their creativity soar. Books are a great, fun way to let them in different stories and lessons about life. In a letter, a mom asked Lorna Bradbury, Deputy Literary Editor of The Telegraph, about which books she’d recommend for a two-year old. See which titles Lorna gave out in her recent column.