When people say they don’t like me, I don’t really get offended. When people say they do not like my friends, I get slightly upset. But when people tell me they do not like to read? I get so personally offended.
And hey, if reading is not for you, then it's not for you. But I am always curious for their reasoning behind not reading, whether it be no time or no patience.
Books have always been like magic to me. Whenever life just isn’t cooperating, you can pick up a book and suddenly you are somewhere else. I can honestly say that most of my quirks and characteristics probably came from the books I read growing up. Every page shaped me. Every character defined me.
And I know I am not the only one. If you are like me, then you know how it feels to love that escape, and how easy it is to slip into a world that is not your own.
1. You carry a book with you everywhere you go.
Whether you’re going out to eat or to an appointment, there is always the chance some sort of waiting is going to be involved. Sure, you could play on your phone if you’re bored, but you won’t because you’ve got a novel in your bag that is begging to be finished. You can read anywhere, no matter the noise level or what is going on around you. It isn’t that your concentration is crazy good, its that you become so invested in these stories that everything else kind of fades away as you move from page to page.
2. You're always recommending books to everyone you know.
Your friends get a bit irritated when you pull out a book when you’re all together and start reading. But you tell them, “No guys, you have to read this!” and then begin listing off other books similar to it even though they probably won’t take your recommendations. You desperately want someone close to you to read the same books that you have so you can talk to someone about it without sounding like a crazy person.
3. Fan-Fiction is awesome.
You don’t have to write it, but it's actually super fun to read. A book ends and you desperately wanted more, so you take to the internet and sure enough can find some made up stories that other fans wrote to give themselves some sort of closure.
4. You have a book that "changed your life."
Whenever anyone asks you about your favorite book, you cannot just give them one. But there will always be that one book that excited you so much, and reinforced your love for reading. You read it over and over, and your copy most likely looks like it's been run over by a truck and gone through the rinse cycle a few times. A well read book is like a well worn pair of jeans.
5. Libraries are your second home.
That excitement you get when you know you’re going to the library to check out more books is most likely equivalent to how you feel when you see the waiter walking towards your table with a plate of food at a restaurant. You feel comfortable surrounded by so many books and could spend hours scanning the shelves. There is so many possibilities in there, so many stories and so many worlds to submerge yourself in. The best part is you don’t have to pay for your books unless you return them late (which you make certain to never do), and, if they don’t have the book you want, they can usually get it for you from another library.
6. Your personal collection is always on display.
Your favorite pastime is rearranging your bookshelves. Whether you like having them is disarray all around your room or keeping them in a neat presentable order, you love having all of your babies on display. You spent a lot of time accumulating all of your books, reading them, and you appreciate them for all that they are and all that they have done for you.
7. The thought of parting with any of them makes you sick.
So maybe they take up a little bit too much room and your mom urges you to give some away or sell them. Clearly, Mom has never read a good book in her life. Getting rid of even one book is a scary thought, even if you weren’t crazy about it in the first place. Parting with them is hard and I really couldn’t tell you why. Maybe it’s the idea of being able to go back into that world whenever you want that is so attractive, or just the fact that you feel territorial over your collection. Regardless, you’re probably not going to be tossing out any of your books any time soon.
8. You dream of writing your own someday.
Even though you know it might not happen, you still convince yourself that you could be an award winning author if you tried. You want to make someone else feel the way that your favorite authors made you feel, and thanks to all of the stories you have read throughout your life, your head is filled with inspiration and words that you know could change someone else’s life.
Keep on reading my friends. Let a book change your life and then maybe let it change someone else’s. Books are a beautiful thing, and it's nice to take advantage of their open escape every once in awhile.
