When I was a little kid, I thought the library was the greatest place in the world. My mom used to pick me and my siblings up from preschool and we would walk to the library. I would then be free to explore the shelves full of mystery and wonder. By the time my mom came back to check our books out, my stack of books would be as tall as me.
At the young age of 6, I got my own library card because the total number of books that could be checked out on one card was always exceeded. I never finished all of the books that I checked out in one visit to the library but I would always try to read as many books as I could. I admit, as a young child my mind was full of fantasies and I had an active imagination.
Late at night, my mom would have to tear the latest book from my hands or else I would fall asleep with my glasses on my face and the page of the book lost till the next morning. Those were the times, that I miss most about being a child. The simple times, when my biggest distraction from the world was to enter a new world of sci-fi, adventure, and fiction. As cheesy and repetitive as it sounds, a book is like a portal to new world that is filled with the unknown. It stimulates the brain, while also educating the mind.
However, nowadays I rarely ever pick up a book unless I have to for class. I can not remember the last time I read a book for my own enjoyment. Heck, I do not think I have stepped into my hometown library in years.
Often times I wonder if the reason why I do not read anymore is because I am too busy or if there are better things to do than read. All the excuses that I have as to why I do not read, is exactly an excuse. Yes, college can be overwhelming sometimes and I am still trying to juggle everything but that is why I do not read. I believe that the reason why I do not read is because there are other things that distract me.
Everyone is familiar with network streaming services like On Demand, Hulu, and Netflix but I am not a stranger to any of those. As shameful as it sounds, I could give a great amount of shows or movie recommendations to anyone for any genre but ask me for a book recommendation and I am lost for words. How is it that I can sit down for hours just watching a few shows on my laptop but I can not sit down for ten minutes reading a book? The one thing that I loved as a child, I now avoid it like the plague.
It is funny that if an interesting book is ever brought to my attention, I always say that I will wait till the book is made into a movie or tv show. Except life does not wait for anyone and often times important scenes are lost between books and screens. I know that I should be reading more, I know that I would enjoy reading. The question is, what book do I read?