Books… the smell of the pages… the feel of the paper turning in your fingers… the soft corners of the cover tucked snugly between your hand, so many lands just waiting for you to explore, adventures to be had, friends to meet and mysteries to be solved… all behind the covers of a book.
If you’re an avid reader like I am, you’ll understand when I say that there is a world of adventure between the covers of a book, just waiting for the right person to come along and lose themselves among the words. As you start reading, the story takes hold of your imagination, drawing you deeper and deeper into the pages until you lose all track of time. And if it’s a really good book, there come a point where you feel like you’re actually living it and the world around you just seems to fade away.
Each book contains an entire world full of people, animals and places you never seen before or even dreamed of. You can explore across the Western United States with Lewis and Clark, solve mysteries with Sherlock Holmes, steal from the rich and give to the poor with Robin Hood and soar through the clouds on the back of a dragon – all without leaving your room.
Honestly, I was into books since I was born. Well, ok, maybe that’s not completely true… my parents have read to me ever since I was a baby. The day I discovered that I could actually understand and read the words on the page for myself was the day my addiction officially started. The library never even stood a chance. I would take out a large pile of books (maybe 10 or more) and would finish them all that same day.
While I enjoyed reading on my own, having my parents read to us was (and still is) a guilty pleasure of mine. My Dad read “The Chronicles of Narnia” by C.S. Lewis to all of us older kids at night and my Mom read “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien, “Eragon” by Christopher Paolini and many other books to us as part of our school day (since we were all homeschooled).
Some of the books I would consider my “best friends” would have to be “Between the Lines” by Jodi Picoult, “Hood” by Stephen R. Lawhead, “Redeeming Love” by Francine Rivers and “Emma” by Jane Austen, just to name a few. Believe me… there are plenty more where they came from! I’m pretty sure I have more friends in the world of books than I do in real life.
My reading speed has definitely slowed down as I’ve gotten older (haha, yeah, I know, 23 isn’t THAT old, but it can feel like it at times) and my schedule has filled up with working full-time, Bible studies, friends and family-time, but I try to get in a little reading whenever I can. If you know me well enough, you know that I always have a book with me wherever I go. There are plenty of moments where you’re forced to just stop and wait for a long period of time (waiting rooms, waiting for rides… you get the picture) and it’s nice to know that there is a book just waiting for you pick it up and get away from reality for a few minutes or longer (depending on the wait).
There’s so much more I could say about books because I love them so much and I’m pretty sure I’ll be writing about them again in the near future. One of my suggestions if you’re ever stuck on what to read is this: look for authors that you know you enjoy or be brave and try something new. You can always put a book down and pick up a new one until you find the perfect fit.
Like I stated before, each book is an entire world just waiting for you behind its covers… just waiting to be discovered and explored. Go ahead… I dare you… read 🙂
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