The Magic of Reading

Books are very important to me. This is obvious from my blog. I actually find reviews difficult sometimes because there are usually so many emotions behind the books that I read. I often go to the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews for comfort reading. Or sometimes Harry Potter. It all depends. Harry Potter was a big part of my life for a very long time. It's had a big impact on me and I love it.

Anxiety is something I battle a lot and books often help me escape the anxiety and escape into a completely different world. When I do have anxiety, I will usually reread something I have already read since I already know what's going to happen and there isn't that need to rush to find out the ending. I can slow down and absorb all the little details I missed the first time. Rereading is always important because you do miss things. I've read Harry Potter so many times and I think I've finally picked up on all the little clues Jo Rowling put in throughout the series.

I really only enjoy fantasy books though there are some books that are non-fantasy that I like. I like some distopian books like Divergent or an occasional book like The Fault in Our Stars. I've read murder mystery books as well and I have enjoyed some of those. But I will always pick a fantasy book over any realistic book out there. Magic and alternate universes and creatures that don't exist fascinate me. When authors build worlds that have details and history and are well thought out, I can fall into the story. Some authors are talented at this. Ilona Andrews, Tamora Pierce, Michelle Sagara, just to name a few.

I started reading in Pre-K. It started with the sentences and then world's easiest books. I remember one of my favorite books from my school library was Little Love Angel. That book just sticks out in my mind. As my reading level started to surpass my grade level, I moved onto more challenging books. Many of them were alternate worlds or fantasy. Of course I did read some regular books. Where the Red Fern Grows is a great book. I grew up reading and once I started I could never stop. As I delved deeper and deeper into
fantasy, my love for it grew. The idea of a different world or different creatures existing within our world fascinated me. My backpack always had a book in it and there were many times that I was caught reading class. I rarely lent my books to others because I did not want them to be ruined and I took great care of them when reading. When another person read the same book as me, I was excited because I had someone to talk to about it. Even now I love getting another person into a great series. My cousin and I have a great connection over our love of books. I love that.

Now there is an explosion of YA fantasy and Adult fantasy books. Many authors are now broadening the definition of vampires and werewolves and magic. Most of the stories are completely different from others. More and more people are experiencing these worlds. It's not something that is something unknown. While I have strong feelings about movies, these movies tend to grab more people's attention.

Books are important. Reading is important. I wish more people would read. Some people just don't enjoy reading and I can understand that but it also breaks my heart a little bit. Even if they wouldn't read the same genre as me, I still feel they are missing out on a wonderful experience. I have such passion for books and for reading. My bookshelf continues to grow and I know it is an addiction. I keep running out of room but that doesn't bother me. The more books I own the better.

I love reading and I hope one day I can have children who love it just as much as me. I want them to go through the roller coaster of emotions that I experience when reading. I want them to explore different worlds and different characters. I want them to know the feeling of a book hangover. I want that for them and I want that for everyone else in the world.