Reading

Hello! Happy 2015.

Today I wanted to write some thought on the habit of reading. I was reminded of this because I had a talk today at work with one of my co-workers about how much I read, and why it was. 

I told her that, the way I saw it, my love for books come from a very young age. I remember that since I was six or seven my parents took me every year to this book fair that is held in my country and they let me choose one or two books that I wanted to read, with the only condition that I had to finish them eventually. It was like magic to me, I felt so grown up at the time being able to select what I wanted to get. I tried multiple kind of books: poetry, romance, adventure, etc, until I find what kind of books I enjoyed the most. Ever since then, I really believe that finding the kind of books that get your attention and keep you engaged is the key to enjoy reading. Had I stick with one kind of book, I don't think I'd be the avid reader I am today.

It also helped the fact that pretty much everyone in my family loves to read, so I basically grow up around books (not a deciding factor in my opinion because my brother was brought up in the same house and family and he doesn't read much) but I'm positive that it made my wish to read stronger.

Around the time I was eight or nine, my godmother gave me the first Harry Potter book as a gift. At this point I had read big girl books (as I refered to books without pictures or illustrations) but Harry Potter was like the top of it all. Here's the thing a lot of people don't get, Harry Potter (as have done so many other books after it) helped me through so much I can't even explain it. I remember my mom reading them right along with me, and after she passed when I was ten, I felt like I needed to finish the story for her too, and it really helped me cope. She was reading book four when she died, and ten years later that copy still helds a very meaningful place in my heart. 

Thing is, these are things you can't really explain, you have to experience to understand. The fact that a book can move me, make me laugh, cry, get angry and want to trash everything is amazing. To this day, when I find a book that touches me is like a whole new world opens up in front of me to experience. The fact that you can experience life through somebody else and you can escape, at least for a bit, your own life, problems and stress is something magical.


I truly believe there is a book for everyone, and it makes me so sad when someone says that they hate reading, or that it's boring to them, because I'm positive it is because they never found the right book. And all the same it makes me so happy tht new generations are reading so much more than my generation and are comenting and spreding the word about books,

If you know how and what to, reading can be one of your biggest companions through life.