I am the type of reader who sits with the book for a while, not in a rush but allowing each word to fulfill its purpose in the story. The type of reader who holds onto the book I’m reading and brings it to each place I go just in case there is time for reading or even if I know there is no time for reading I bring it along for I feel empty without a book nearby.
Though I love reading now, I was not like that before. I hated reading growing up, really I did not begin to enjoy reading until about two years ago. I had a learning disability and reading reminded me of that. Once I found a type of genre that spoke to me I realized reading was not about how fast I could read or how many times I had to reread a paragraph for it to make sense but what I was gaining for reading. I began my journey of always being in a book. Now after a couple of years reading mostly christain nonfiction I am extending my branches and ready to know and explore what rich culture is waiting for me. Knowing me I don’t think I will ever get into horror but I am okay with that, I will appreciate its art from afar.
I enjoy reading beneath a tree or in a tree. Under a warm comfy blanket by a crackling fire and coffee cup in hand. I like reading while eating soup. Reading while my toes are in the sand and the waves are coming and going is nice too. Reading gifts me with time to relax and slow down for a bit. When my body needs rest but my brain cannot sit still, a book is just what I need.
My favorite is when I can say “yes” to a line in a book. When it speaks so deeply to my heart apart I never thought someone would understand the book says “I understand you”. Seeing the world differently from a book’s eyes is so very refreshing. After I finish reading a book I always think of someone who could use this, the impact, the escape, the sense of understanding. I hand my book off to them, praying it will gift them something as well, and that one day it will gift another. The butterfly effect of a good book.
