I love to read - so much so that a man
who sees me regularly whilst waiting for my bus home from work commented
"You're always reading a book". Random comment, but it really reminded
me of how much I love reading. In today's fast paced online world, the
joy of reading a (physical) book seems to have been lost. We all
read on a regular basis but this tends to be tweets, Facebook posts and
comments, daily mail articles or magazines, I'm sure we're all guilty of
one the above, right?
Somewhere along the way we've forgotten
to read books. Whilst on my daily travels it is rare to see a fellow
commuter reading a book. Looking at their phones yes, but no book! When
was the last time you actually sat and read a book?
Reading has continually been part of my
life but more recent in the last year. Since January I've read about 15
books and I have to admit it was a struggle at first. It felt as though I
was learning how to read all over again. Focusing on the story and not
getting lost in other thoughts was difficult. Learning to follow the
story line and think about what might happen next and understanding the
characters all seemed new to me. Finding a book that has meaning, that
leaves you feeling something is always my main aim. This is a challenge
within it's self as it's often difficult to find an exciting and
interesting book that's keeps you wanting to turn the page. Great
writers can detail something so clearly that you can be transported
there in a moment.
Books can be life changing, they teach us things about ourselves and others that no other medium can. Reading is one of the things that keeps me mentally sane and stops me from worrying about life.
It fills my boring bus journeys and
Saturday afternoons in front of the fire when it's freezing. They are a
way to escape our sometimes mundane lives, because let's be honest
life's not always fun. Whilst my heads in a book I can forget about the
stresses and imagine myself in that world. I also think I might single handedly be able to keep my local library in business (despite
government cut backs.)
If you're a book lover or newbie novel reader here's some of my favourites -
Savages by Shirley Conran
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins
The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
The Lesser Bohemians by Eimear McBride
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