Thoughtful Thursday: Why I Read, My Personal Experience With Reading

source

I often times get asked "Why do you read so much?" "Why do you read YA?" "Why do you have so many books?" First, there is no such thing as having TOO many books. I would rather surround myself and my kids with books to fuel their imaginations that let them spend hours watching mindless TV. Plus books also make great decorating pieces, but that's for another post. Second, I read YA because I want to. I love it, but I also read more than just YA. Lastly, there is NO such thing as reading too much. (As if) lol. For my real answer on why I read, because of what reading has taught me and done for me. 

source

I am fascinated at how one book, and even a series, can bring so many readers together through out the world. It's amazing to me, when I sit back and think about it. I've made so many friends world wide all because of a books. I love the power and unimaginable friendships one books can have. It's fascinating to think about the impact a book can have on 1 reader, and the ripple effect it causes. I have made so many life long friends through books. I don't know where I'd be without some of them. 

It's true what they say about books. Books are our friends, our saviors, our hope, the life vest we hold on to when all else around us seems lost. Sometimes books are the only thing we can turn to when no one else is there. I know this from personal experience. I don't often get personal on my blog, a down fall of mine I know. Lately I've reflected a lot about what it is about reading that I've always been passionate about. Sure, through the years that reason changes, but for me reading in my adult years became my saving grace. Long before there was Twilight, and The Mortal Instruments series, there were other YA books that my friend Stephanie introduced me. She doesn't know this, but she got me reading YA at a time I needed it most. Dealing with depression, postpartum depression isn't something  I openly talked about with many people. In fact, no one but my husband and doctor at this time knew I was dealing with it. No one really talked about it and I felt like everyone would shun me and treat me differently. Even to this day, not many people know I dwelt with and still deal with depression. 

So, books became my outlet, and in turn it grew into something much more. When I first started reading it became a place I could go to get away from myself, if that makes sense, and it became a place for me to openly accept what I was dealing with. I did a lot of reading up on and researching on depression, but nothing seemed to help me cope with well, me. Sure reading about what other women and moms were going through helped me a bit, but I needed something more. Something outside of reading about depression. When Stephanie introduced me to Shannon Hale, Melissa Marr and few other authors, I was hooked! This LOVE of reading YA (yes I was someone who until this time would have never touched a YA book, I was one of "those" people) lead to Twilight, which lead to The Mortal Instruments series and then the creation of Mundie Moms. Through love of reading I've gained friendships I wouldn't have other wise made, achieved and done things I never ever thought possible. All because of books! You want to know what else is funny, and totally off topic, when I was in grade school I was in special reading classes because I couldn't read well. True story. I got made fun for it too. Now I look at the books that liter my house and think, "I sure proved them wrong!". 

Stephanie had no idea what she had unleashed within me when she let me borrow a couple of her books to read. Once I started reading I couldn't stop. I renewed my own love of reading. To be honest, I hadn't read much since out of college, but from that moment on through today I've read more books than I could have ever dreamed possible. Each of the these stories have given me something I never thought I could take out of a book. I'm not just talking YA, though that is a lot of what I read. I rediscovered that books can be gateways and doors to other worlds. They can lead us to a reality we want to create for ourselves. Sometimes they are the vacations we never get to take in the real world, but most importantly books educate us. They make us think. They open our minds. They create readers, and dreamers, leaders and followers. They can make us stronger, and break our hearts. They give us characters we want to hang out with, and introduce us to worlds we want to explore. Books can be inspirational, motivational, educational and sometimes simply irresistible. 

source

There's something about a book that can renew our faith, and give us confidence. Books give us shelter and a place we can call our own. They provide a secret place for us to hide away in. In books we can find support. Gain confidence. Find a new friend. Books can give us comfort. Help us find our voices, and sometimes our ways. They become our dreams, and help us dream. A Book is more than just pages bound together. A book can give us wings to fly with, and pull us back off that cliff we're about to jump from. A book is a lifeline, a friend, and sometimes it's everything in one. Why do I read? Why wouldn't I read?!

source

Why do you read? What motivates you to read?

* Aside from the pictures used and credited in this post, these words are my own personal thoughts and feelings on reading. Please do not use or quote any part of this of post.