A good book can be defined in many different ways by many different people. It doesn't have to be a book, either. To some, it can be as simple as a daily magazine. For others, it needs to be a super complex read that makes their mind work.
My dad instilled in me a deep love of reading. When we were young, he would sit up with my little sister and I and he would read us a story every night before we went to sleep. Soon we moved onto us reading bits and pieces. And eventually, I started reading on my own. Every night before I went to bed, I would stay up too long past my bed time, completely immersed in whatever book I was reading. I think back then I was addicted to the 'Thouroughbred' series. And it never ended because Mrs. Campbell just kept on writing them. Well over 50 books to the one series if my memory serves.
When I was in 8th grade I remember I had detention. Again. I loved to read, but I hated doing homework. Nor do I enjoy reading things that I have no interest in. My eyes read but my mind doesn't process the information. It's useless to me. But in 8th grade, I was stuck after school in this detention room. My homework was done. Sleeping wasn't an option. I had no book with me to pass the time. Detention was never a punishment for me because I would spend the time reading my books. Detention mearly provided me a quiet place to do so. (Parents: This is the reason that detention never phased me, or taught me any lessons. Just so we're clear)
I distinctly remember that I didn't have a book with me because I was 'between reads', meaning I had just finished my most recent book over lunch and hadn't started another. I glanced over and spotted a small bookshelf with a handful of novels. I picked through them, thinking I could find one that would suit me for the remaining hour, and found an extremely thick novel and on the scarred cover was a beautiful illustration of a field with horses in the distance, and a little cottage on a hill, and 3 woman with their arms around each other, looking in to the vast skyscape. They had me with the horses of course. It was titled "Montana Sky".
And so began my passion for Nora Roberts and her writing.
A co-worker of mine walked up to me today. She had seen the 965 page book that was sticking out of my purse and said "Are you reading that thing voluntarily?" I responded to her "This is the 3rd time I've read it!"
Throughout my whole life I have turned to reading as a source of comfort and calm. Usually it's Nora Roberts, but there are many other great authors I enjoy as well. I do become a little miffed when I finish a book and have to start over with a new one, which will introduce new characters and new places. With the speed at which I read, I don't like having to keep 'moving around'. So I started sticking with trilogies. NR's trilogies often have 3 or more people who are connected, and each book will tell each individual's tale, yet it keeps the people and the places together, so it's more like reading one really long story, just focusing on different people.
As I've grown older, I've begun to recognize how stress and anxieties affect me. I have some above average anxiety issues and I realize this now. People deal with anxiety in different ways. Drugs. Food. Alcohol. Work. Promiscuity. Anger. Depression.
I choose to read. It allows me to escape into another world where I don't have to worry about anything but flipping the page. Where for just that period of time, I don't really feel my own pain because I can revel in the joys and trials of the charactars in my book. And when I come up again, I am calmer and more reasonable. I can analyze things in a slower fashion and come back with a better result for me.
It's not about learning new things, at least not for me. It's not about reading as many books as I can, proven by the fact that most of the books I own I have read 3+ times. And because I have already read many of them, when the mood strikes to start another book, I can choose based on my moods. If I'm feeling broody, for instance, I can pick up one of her Irish pieces and know just where it will take me.
There is great value in a good book.
It's benefits are not to be underestimated.
2 comments:
Deep stuff for a friday! I used to read all the time too--my favorites were the Black Stallion and the Saddle Club. Pretty sure I read the Thoroughbred series too, though I can't recall what they were about. I almost never read anymore. Law school cured me of that!
Oh I loooooved the Black Stallion books!! I read some of the saddle club ones as well. Thoroughbred series was about horse racing. I was completely enveloped in the story and I loved that with every new book it just kept going.
But then as I was older and began to understand that most horse racing operations were not like that of my beloved fictional Thoroughbred books, I quickly dropped them and have despised horse racing ever since. I love the horses and the sport for what it is and the fact that those horses WANT to run. But I don't agree with the people in the sport. Its the sport of kings because it revolves around money. Thats what upsets me.
That is WAY too deep for a Friday! Wow! You're right. Lol! I need a beer.
I think if I had to take classes that required me to read what I didnt want to read, I would fail and hate reading. But when it's something that I really look forward to getting back to, I just can't get enough.
I spend my whole lunch hours reading in the lunch room. Its a nice, calming quiet time for me where I can just dive into my book and leave the world behind.
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