Ever since I was little, I can remember being excited for "reading time". It was the period of time after showers but before the nighttime show that we watched before bed, where we sat and read. Whether it was me reading to my mom and brother, or my mom reading to both of us, I absolutely loved this period. My imagination would run wild, my brain would be completely consumed, and I felt truly calm. As a nervous little bugger, this was a getaway that helped me feel peaceful when some days that seemed impossible (let's be real, at 6 I didn't know I wanted peace but it sure felt good whether I could label it or not).

In a world that seems to be changing forms of chaos, this is a strategy I've held on to tightly. I am a goal oriented extrovert that genuinely enjoys seeking discomfort and staying busy, so shifting to this slower pace of living while simultaneously feeling anything but calm while watching the news is not the easiest thing I have ever done. You know what is easy though? Picking up a book and reading.

I think the one thing we can all agree on is the beauty of an all-consuming escape. Now, there are many ways to find this. If you weed out the ones that would cause you or others possible harm, there are still many ways. Reading is a productive one that helps you and hurts no one. The only person I can think of that would disagree with this avenue of escape are the classic "I don't like to read. Why would I read when I could watch a movie? Reading is work." People. You know what's work? Worrying about a deathly pandemic. Yeah, that's what I thought.

I personally am fortunate enough to have dreamed of having a library all my life (that's right, I know the kind of wood and furniture that will be in my library with the books alphabetized by last name of the author, sue me). Because of this, my stock in books is probably better than most of your stocks of toilet paper. I have my overflowing bookshelf in my room along with my overflowing bookshelf in the garage, plus the tub of books in the garage that no longer fit on the shelf. That was a flex. That was not me saying that if you don't have this need to be surrounded by books that you cannot leap onto the reading train! Two words: Online. Shopping.

While I will admit to being paranoid of online shopping right now because of the delivery process (no this is not rooted in education, this is rooted in hypochondria and too much time to think in between online school and reading), I think sitting with your thoughts seems scarier than the minuscule chance of the germs. When online shopping for these mental health boosting books, my favorite feature on Barnes and Noble is the "suggested" list at the bottom of the page. Say you don't have a constant book list on random post-its around the house (weirdo), then you can start with a book you have read that you have LOVED. If you don't have one, well, ask a friend. Then, search the book, click on the book, and scroll down to the suggested. This is how I have found countless gems.

Not traveling at all is difficult for me, but reading is the next best thing. In these books my mind is traveling to different places, putting me in different circumstances, and completely taking me away from my real life (with none of the consequences YEET)! Getting consumed in these characters is such a release for me, and I hope that it will be for you too. Go forth and read.