Books and Reading
I remember staying up way too late reading the latest Harry Potter book release, with every page getting closer to the twist ending where everything finally all comes together. I loved the world that was created and thought it was a fun escape. How I wish so much that magic was real. I know there was a lot of controversy about the series but if you actually read it, you can see that good had a hand over evil the whole time. It was not a pro-evil series at all. Though I really wanted to have a spin off or something more on Tom’s backstory. I feel like there was not enough.
Though the Harry Potter series will always have a special
place in my heart, my favorite series is called Vampire Academy. I was the
perfect target audience when Twilight came out so I was obsessed. Then when I
read this other vampire series and realized how much better it was as a whole. The
main character Rose is way more badass and with more personality than Bella
could ever manage. It actually has an overarching plot instead of just a drama-filled
love story. Though still some cringy moments, the main character does start out
very immature, like we all do. I think many people were tired of vampires after
twilight so it didn’t get as much attention, but the world is totally
different. I like that there were two different kinds of vampires- one good and
one bad. And magic! Re-reading I realize how much I actually am like Lissa,
though I wish I was more like Rose.
“The greatest and most powerful revolutions
often start very
quietly, hidden in the shadows. Remember that.”
~Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
Reading takes you to another world as a way to escape from
the limitations of your own life. It allows you to immerse yourself in another world.
I think that is why fantasy and science fiction is so popular, honestly. It
helps to escape the mundane world we live in. There is this series my husband
grew up reading called the Animorphs series where a group of kids have to
defeat this alien race that is hijacking humans. In the series they get to transform
into a bunch of different kinds of animals and creatures, experiencing what
their life is like, even what is going on in their brains. It can get crazy
sometimes and there is a time limit so not something to mess around with. I
feel like they get it really accurate how it would be to live as that creature.
It seems like there are more and more people who don’t understand how something
can affect you until it happens to them or someone they care about. Why is
this? I think if more people read then that would not be a thing. Reading allows
you to immerse yourself into another world and read the thoughts and feelings
of different characters.
I didn’t always love reading until I took this special class
in elementary school and then something clicked. Being obsessed with horses I found
this book in middle school called the Unicorn Chronicles (later figured out
that was the series name). In the book this young girl gets thrown into this
other world that parallels our own called Luster with this amulet given to her
by her grandmother. From there you have magic, unicorns, and other creatures
that lead into a series plot. I remember my grandmother reading parts of it to
me and using a funny voice in one part and I would laugh so hard over and over
again. I remembered another book that I read that was a ghost/mystery book,
which I ended up finding both series in a used bookstore. I love to re-live
moments of the past by re-discovering memorable books I read in the past.
I have never been afraid to read books about tough things, similar to TV shows I watched like Degrassi (so many favorites and memories) and One Tree Hill. They were not afraid to tackle the issues that were relevant to growing up as a teenager in my generation so I never shied away from reading about dark things like suicide, loss, addiction, abuse, etc.. I really enjoyed books by Ellen Hopkins, especially Identical. She doesn’t mind going there with topics and I love how she writes, though I have to be in a certain mood for it.
“The good news is that you may have created my past and
screwed up my present, but you have no control over my future. You don't know
me at all.”
~ You Don't Know Me by David Klass
It makes me sad that some people do not like to read or
cannot read and will never get to experience that. I love the twists and
anticipation of what is going to happen next. The excitement and push to keep
reading into the night until you find out how it ends because it is that good.
That was me reading The Girl on the Train, before the movie came out. Wow that
one had me on the edge of my seat. I remember being glued to the pages, so
focused on the next turn of events, in a way I hadn’t in a while.
Reading is one of the first things my husband and I connected
over and is such a huge part of my life I included it as the theme in our
wedding. My announcement was a bookmark with symbols from our favorite series and
the invitation was a ‘book’ about the wedding itself, including
Acknowledgements. We also took our wedding announcement photos at a local used
bookstore where we would frequently lose time browsing in. We both really love
reading so it only made sense to have it be the theme. We incorporated references
to both of our favorite series; we even have named some of our animals after
characters from them! See post on the Spooky Boy.
I finally finished the last book in the A Court of Thorns
and Roses series today and overall, it had many parts I really liked but it
became a little more about politics/war games in parts that lost me. I just
remember the beginning immediately grabbed my attention- faster than any series
since Vampire Academy. It is very spicy and very adult so not for teens but I
can see why it is so popular. I found myself really identifying with several
different characters in the series in different ways, which was kind of cool to
me. First with the courageous Freya then delicate yet resilient Elain and
lastly with tough as nails Nesta. That is also something that it also had in
common with Vampire Academy. I remember thinking it was going one way and then
it took a turn I almost didn’t realize. I think that might be a Sarah Maas
thing though. I have yet to finish the Throne of Glass series as I am not
identifying so much with it and it drags in parts, including court/politic
drama I don’t care for. Apparently, I am a bit pickier on the series I read as
I get older. I have noticed it becoming harder to finish some series and figure
out if it’s the series and what about it I don’t like or if its me just not in
the mood for this type of series or what. Maybe I need a break from series for
a bit so I read a few one offs.
Every now and then I get into a non-fiction kick and read
several in a row or mixed in as a break from fiction. I read one about a
cartoonist named John Callahan which really enlightened me into living as a
quadriplegic in America and how his life is totally dependent on a caregiver
and the system. I have realized through the book that just how many things that
you take for granted as an able-bodied person. There is a movie based off the
book of the same name that I have not seen yet with Joaquin Phoenix, who is
amazing, called He Won’t Get Far on Foot’. I got the E-Book but it really
should be read in hardback or physical form as it has cartoons in it and I love
it. Another that really opened my eyes into being a female actress in America
is Rebel Wilson’s and Jennifer Grey’s book on their life. I really wished more
people would branch out and read something different to get a new perspective.
I am hoping to not get too restrictive in what I read so I stay open minded.
But in all my therapy over the years and all my talking to
friends and
all my social media–ing, I’ve determined that just about everyone
feels left out;
it just comes down to how you handle it.
~ This Will Only Hurt a Little by Busy Philipps
I have also started reading non-fiction witchy books, which there is quite a selection to choose from. The one I am reading on Kindle is a nice introductory for people who are still a little skeptic called ‘The Witching Hour- A Memoir of Earnest Fumbling Through Modern Witchcraft’. I have enjoyed experiencing another’s first time digging into Witchcraft as mine was overwhelming at first realizing how many options you have. But sometimes I get too caught up in needing to have structure that it takes the fun out of it. After 2020, I now believe there is magic in spontaneity and the unknown. In not having everything planned out to a T. I have learned that magic and good is not always in fiction stories. Fear, anger, and disgust are easy ways the media can manipulate you if you don’t keep a balance on what you look at and how long.
The whole debate of which is better a physical or E-Book or
audiobook is no real debate to me because it’s always better to read a physical
book. The smell, the look, and feel of an actual physical book (preferably
hardback) is absolutely more desired but it is not always convenient and I want
to keep my books nice more than I care about that. My kindle is great for
reading in bed, out of the house, or laying down. I can hold it with one hand
better while laying down or reading on the couch. If I am at home and have the choice,
I always go with the hardback to read or buy. If it is cheaper to start out
with the kindle version I will and then if I really like the book, I might buy
it later like I did with the A Court of Thorns and Roses series on hardback.
Sometimes I read faster on the kindle and sometimes faster
with the actual book. I find that the attributes of holding a book to read (especially
if it smells good) encourages me to read it more but sometimes I get more
chances to read with my Kindle because I can read with the lights off since I
have the Paperwhite. Sometimes I do not feel like turning on a light enough to
read a physical book so I have to read my kindle. I really wished that the
E-book copy came with every physical book purchased but we can’t get everything
we want.
I think your attractions can also change like the tides.
I
think you shouldn’t have to label your sexuality, and even now, I still don’t
wish to label mine.
Labels are for packages, not sexuality.
~Rebel Rising by Rebel Wilson
I have decided to stop buying books from Amazon and from now
on picking out my own book at a local bookstore instead. I am afraid stores
like Barnes and Nobles will go away and I do not want that. I get my E-Books on
Amazon but the last physical books I got was last month which was not at my
local bookstore so I had to order it online anyway. I have been very
disappointed in the condition of books shipped from Amazon which if I had
picked out myself would not happen and another reason why I have decided this.
Plus, there is the excitement of going to the actual book store to buy it and
not waiting for it to arrive to look forward to, which just means you can skip
to reading the book faster.
One thing that will never change- my to-be-read list will always be growing. I swear I keep finding more and more series lately that seem so interesting. I don’t know how I am going to choose what to read or find the time to read all the books I want to read. It seems like, thanks to Tik Tok, books and reading have become popular again as I have seen a resurgence in books being released with very interesting plots and neat designs on the pages. It makes me hopeful though that more and more people will start reading and that bookstores and libraries will never go away. Reading keeps me sane and I love that I can pick whichever book to open and jump into the world.
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