Worlds beyond here

"We read to know that we are not alone"   [C.S. Lewis]

As I take a break from my mundane writing, I turn to...writing. Naturally. I have this quote stuck in my head though, because it's pretty true.  Not everyone reads, I get it [thanks for reading this though], but once you start reading the more this quote makes sense.  

My relationship with books:

I have learned life lessons and truths from J.K. Rowling and her beautiful cast of characters.  Swirling in the midst of the madness, sadness, and adventurous story was the underlying theme of love and how it is the deepest form of magic.  Sure, Harry Potter isn't really real, but the story comes to life when the visions begin forming in my mind; when I begin riding along in the flying car or get emotionally invested in all the characters' well being.  

Then there was Shadow of the Wind; undoubtedly the best book I have ever read after Harry Potter.  Seriously, if a book can literally put me in tears, I think it deserves one or two more reads. The intricacy of the plot threw me into the streets of Barcelona and had me experiencing trials of Daniel Sempere. One of the best quotes I have ever heard--one that still gives me chills--is written in the introduction.  Zafon wrote a stunningly beautiful truth when he said that "few things leave a deeper mark on a reader than the first book that finds its way into his heart. Those first images, the echo of words we think we have left behind, accompany us throughout our lives and sculpt a palace in our memory to which, sooner or later—no matter how many books we read, how many worlds we discover, or how much we learn or forget—we will return"

Understand this: when life gets too hard and you just want to shut down, try seeking out a good book.  Reading is only a chore if you have the wrong attitude.  Each book holds a world unlike any you have ever witnessed; unlike anything you can experience elsewhere.  I've been to Middle Earth, Hogwarts, New York, Barcelona, and the Medieval Times.  I have dueled Death Eaters, witnessed my heroes die in battles for the betterment of mankind, and gone on missions to find elusive answers to life's harder questions.  At the end of the day,  reading is my therapy.  To enjoy something so precious is a wonderful thing.