It amazes me how many people tell me that they don't read- or even own a book. I can't relate to these people. Hell, I can't even date them. If I had a dating profile, the first line would read 'Must love books'.
My mom had a book plopped into my hands before I even had the dexterity to turn the pages by myself. By the time I was four, I could manage the simple ones- 'See Spot run', Sesame Street, etc. She instilled a love affair with the written word that has only deepened as I've grown older.
My mom has never been a novel reader, but she loves cookbooks, books on crafting and digital art. Whereas I prefer novels, short stories, unusual trivia, even an occasional graphic novel. My point being that none of these are better than another- as long as you are reading you are learning and broadening your horizons.
I have no idea how many books I own (hundreds, I'm sure) or how many books I have read (my library trips always involve a stuffed backpack). I have never read something because it was expected- the exception being the classics shoved upon us in high school. Some were good, some bad, and some were edited by our school before we were allowed to take the book home- which, in my mind, negates the purpose of reading the text.
I am by no means a literary scholar. I don't engage in debates about Byron or the content of e.e. cummings prose, but I can give you a lively arguement about 'Dracula' and 'Nosferatu' versus 'Interview With a Vampire' and 'Twilight'. Bram Stroker and Henrik Galeen would be turning over in their graves if they saw the prissy vampires of today...
But that's a topic for another day.
I suppose my love of reading is what lead me to write. The ability to create worlds and shape them any way I choose has always appealed to me. Being able to create a character that a reader can empathize with is a wonderful gift. My favorite books are the ones that have made me laugh, cry, or even turned me on.
Find a book like that and you will be hooked for life.
No comments:
Post a Comment