Reading Rainbow

Ok, so this was a replacement item, and it's the one that almost did me in. I was worried. But, like many other parts of my life this year, it all worked out in the end. 

Here's a little glimpse into my life as a reader. Books were always part of my life. I come from a long line of bibliophiles, the kind of people who have books in every room of their house, on shelves, nightstands and in piles on the floor. Books are passed down generation to generation in my family like fine jewels. I began reading at a very young age. Four to be exact. By the time I started school (at 6, in grade one because kindergarten was not part of the school system at the time. Yeah, I'm old), I was on to bigger and better things. While my teacher was teaching my classmates to read, she had me write stories which I then read to my class. I was the kid who hid under the blanket with a flashlight after my mother had told me 3 times already to put the book down and go to sleep.



My love of reading has continued into my adult life. I ALWAYS have to be reading something. I've started keeping a book in the bathroom, because even when I'm only in there for a minute or two, I need to be reading. I've been known to read shampoo bottles just to keep my mind occupied. Weird, I know. But nowadays, I always have several books on the go at any given time. I have countless books that I haven't read, yet I always want more.

Why do I love to read so much? I'm not entirely sure. There are so many reasons. Books open so many worlds to me, make the impossible seem possible, even more than movies can. A house with books makes me feel at home, and when I travel with a book, it's like I have a little bit of home with me, and my journey doesn't seem so lonely. And I have suffered that horrible book hangover, when you finish a really good book or series and have to go back to your everyday life. You can feel your life has been profoundly affected, and you can't quite figure out how to deal with the fact that the story is done (Harry Potter fans, am I right?).



I didn't read as much when I was with my ex. Again, he never said anything to prevent me from reading, but it was one of those things that fell by the wayside as I fought for my relationship. He didn't read, so it wasn't a priority (luckily, 29 loves to read and likes some of the same kind of books as me). When we broke up I went back to my reading. It was comfort, something I knew, and it helped me heal to read about other people overcoming huge obstacles to stand strong again.

I read 50 books in 2012. Book club and living with my book-loving mother definitely helped that. In 2013 I wanted to challenge myself even more, so I decided to read 55 books. Which would have been fine, except that in trying to get all my list items done, going on vacation and spending time with 29, my reading kind of tapered off. Before I knew it, I was 5 books behind the pace I needed to be reading at (thanks to the website 'Goodreads', which keeps track for you). 5 books behind. So I buckled down, read instead of watching TV or going on the internet, and lo and behold, I awoke on the morning of my birthday to find that I was 'on track' on my Goodreads account, with 29 books read. Quite a significant number. And I ended where I began. The last book I was reading as a 29 year old and the first book I read as a 30 year old was 'The Blue Castle'.

And so, I'm still on track, and in love with my books, every last one of them. I love to stare at my bookcase and see the variety of books I have, something for every mood. And I can now buy more, because 29 gave me an Indigo gift card for my birthday :-)