Tuesday, 4 June 2013
I absolutely love to read and I have a very active imagination. I attribute this love to my parents exposing me to books quite early in my life. We always read together and I always saw them reading. Those early experiences instilled in me a deep joy from the written word.
I have read and enjoyed many books in my life. I sought out books to read while my peers were okay with the endless hours of TV {don’t get me wrong, I enjoy television, but I love books infinitely more}. I even liked most of the books that were required reading back in high school.
I have a few favorite books which have shaped me, inspired me, and reside in a special place in my heart.
// Pride and Prejudice; Jane Austen
Now I’m sure that this one is many people’s favorite book. This is one book that made me truly appreciate the classics. The characters have depth, the language is elegant and descriptive, and plot flows as if you were next to Elizabeth in the drawing room witnessing the events unfold. I wish that we still used language as Jane Austen did. I read this book every couple of years and even have an audiobook version for long car rides. This transcendent novel teaches us about ourselves in the context of family, marriage, and friendship. There is a reason this novel has stood the test of time.
// This Lullaby; Sarah Dessen
I am an avid reader of any and all Sarah Dessen novels, but this one is my favorite. It was the first one I read of hers and I distinctly remember the feelings I experienced while reading it for the first time. This book really developed my interest in reading for pleasure. It was the book that took me out of adolescence and into young adulthood. I always related to the main character, Remy. She was an old soul trying to deal with the realities of young adulthood and budding romance. Sarah Dessen has a flare for this genre and I really enjoy following her on twitter. Her books are great coming of age stories and I highly recommend her books to young girls and women.
// The Harry Potter Series; J.K. Rowling
To say that I’m a Harry Potter fan would be the understatement of the century. I know this series like the back of my hand {even my nickname is Hermione}. Although it’s incredibly hard to say that any one of the seven books is my favorite, The Goblet of Fire is up there. There is a great transitioning in this book {maybe because it’s in the direct middle of the series}. The characters experience more adult truths: jealousy, romance, death, competition, failure, triumph, loyalty, and mistrust. I was 10 when the first book was published in the states and I cannot wait to read these books with my children. This series has enriched the psyches of an entire generation. We are this generation and we are better for it.
Now I could go on and on about my love of reading, but I won’t. As Marcel Proust alludes, we find ourselves through the written word in ways that we may never have without exploring the great gift of reading.