I love to read.

I love to read for fun.

I love reading, but college has a way of sucking the fun out of it.

I was the child that sacrificed nap time to read. If I woke up before everyone else in my family on the weekends (sometimes as early as 6:30) I would pull out a book, and start reading. Summer reading programs were my time to shine... I would read way over the amount of books necessary for the program in the summer and had no intentions of slowing down. Reading was my life.

Then, high school hit. Work became way more involved, and my time for leisure reading became inundated with reading for AP English, and outlines. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but it wasn't the same.

If high school was bad, college is worse. Anyone who's in college or has been in college knows that the word 'reading' is synonymous with death. Reading in college is exhausting.

This semester however, reading has been fun. Don't get me wrong- I'm still exhausted. But I've had opportunities to actually read for fun. This semester I was blessed to have two professors who incorporated literature into their class requirements. I think professors (at least in the Sociology department) understand the importance of reading and actually enjoying it in order to create social change. I have had the opportunity to read "The Jungle", and "The Glass Castle".

Reading these books has been a breath of fresh air for me. In effect, they have reintroduced me to my love of reading, and amazingly have made me pick up some other books to read for fun.

Books I've read (and highly recommend) so far this semester include:

"The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair

"The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls

"Milk and Honey" and "The Sun and Her Flowers"by Rupi Kaur

"What Made Maddy Run" by Kate Fagan

"Coming Up Short" by Jennifer M. Silva (this one was for class too, but SO SO good)

I'm not going to lie: these books aren't light on subject matter. They aren't 'fluff' books, but they are page turners. I've enjoyed them all and have read different perspectives about issues in our society and the effects they have on different individuals, and sometimes even ourselves.

In an age where everyone is so busy and rest time is used elsewhere, I have found that reading has become my substitute for social media time. Yes, I want to watch the Bachelor and chill out Monday nights. But when I'm waiting for an appointment or a friend to finish up something before we head out for dinner, reading has become my go-to.

By taking small moments in my day to read a couple pages of a good book, I feel so much happier and in control of my life. Reading is so freeing...and it's sad that we don't have as much time in our busy world to do so. But making time for reading is definitely worth it.

I'm so thankful for my professors giving me the opportunity to learn to love reading again. Sometimes, the little push really is all you need. :)