Tuesday, April 12, 2011

How Reading Changed My Life

This is just a short story but it is packed with author Anna Quindlen’s feelings of love for and joys of reading books. Her love of books began as a young child and many chronic readers will say “Yes, yes, I did that too” or “That’s my favorite book as well.”  I enjoyed reading until the 5th grade; then it got less recreational and more educational.  I hated being forced to read; i'd rather sit on my bedroom floor and read Goosebumps.  Quindlen explains that the history of how the written word has changed governments and religion.  How it is a unifying factor which puts many diverse people on the same playing field.  I like this aspect.  She affirms that reading is not a dying art and books are not dead, they are strong and alive and the many book clubs that have formed throughout the world attest to that fact. Ms. Quindlen chose her career in writing partially due to the fact that “words on a page could make my father laugh and my mother cry.” She wanted to be a part of that world which she so deeply loved and others were so affected.  I know i've cried when reading books before, but I don't recall which ones.  Books make me laugh and think on a whole different level.  That's what makes books and literature so amazing.  If you can understand it, you can become emotionally affected. 
The coolest thing she said was “We read in bed because reading is halfway between life and dreaming.”
Though I don't find myself reading for pleasure as much as I'd like to, I am a crazy dreamer!  I have the weirdest dreams, I could seriously write a book about them.  I know during the day, if I could get my hands on a good book, it'd be like dreaming; which I love so much!

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