Why I Read

      I have always loved reading: and I mean loved it. My mother told me that in kindergarten I was reading books at a second grade level. Once I think about it, when asked why I read, many answers come to mind because there are just so many reasons why I read.
      First of all, I read for the escape. The ability to be able to launch yourself into a new, exhilarating, and enchanting world by simply opening a book (literally) is amazing.
      I also read because I love engaging in the characters of the story. The characters are what make the story for me personally, not the setting, not the plot, but the characters. I put in my Student Information Sheet that my guilty pleasure is the Twilight series because author Stephenie Meyer is able to add such vivid and raw details to the characters that draw me in. One of the things that I love the most about John Green's The Fault in Our Stars is his characterization of Hazel because it gives you a one-on-one insight into the life of someone with a terminal illness; especially a young person.
      I also read to relate and to learn something new. Reading is such an immensely important part of our education because it allows us to learn new words and concepts as well as enables us to create our own future and be inspired. John Green, as well as many other authors, do an incredibly good job in teaching through their books with symbolism and themes. Books can also allow us to feel nostalgia, maybe remembering a certain place, time, or feeling we had when we were reading this book.
      Last but not least, I love reading for just the simple pleasure of it. I love the ways authors craft imagery and characterization as well as figurative language. It is fun to enter a new world whether it exists or it doesn't.

                                            
                             This is one of my favorite lines from The Fault in Our Stars- so poetic!