Books.
I love books. I could spend HOURS in a library or a bookstore just browsing, choosing new books to read. I can get lost in a book, oblivious to the world and people around me, and that is my happy place. A place of peace and contentment. It fills my bucket while allowing me to live through adventures, history, fiction or to explore new ideas.
Reading has been a favorite past time since I was young. I would read under my blankets with a flashlight, staying up later that I was supposed to trying to finish the next book. That is probably why as a girl who grew up loving Disney (judge me if you will, but I will own and LOVE that Disney-loving-can-sing-every-song-with-my-kids part of me) and that is probably why I adored Beauty and the Beast. Belle, the girl who LOVED to read, who was independent, smart and brave. And let's be honest, that library.....
I have dreamt of a library in my own home as long as I can remember, floor to ceiling books, a fabulous reading corner, a great cup of coffee and a window with a view. A fireplace wouldn't hurt either. My own little piece of quiet in this chaotic life.
I am still dreaming of that future library and reading voraciously. I may have a kindle, iphone, ipad and everything in between, but nothing will ever replace a book with pages. Flipping those pages is like therapy and a vacation all in one compact place.
I want to share that love of books with all of you. I want share the books that I love because they were fun to read, they taught me, they rekindled my soul, they made my heart sing.
Books can change us, make us better. I know they have made me better. I consider reading a crucial part of personal development in so many ways, so I am excited to announce a series on books I have read and want to share. And with that..
“Reading became my sanctuary,” Belle continued. “I found so much in those books. I found histories that inspired me. Poems that delighted me. Novels that challenged me…” Belle paused, suddenly self-conscious. She looked down at her hands, and in a wistful voice, said, “What I really found, though, was myself.”
― Jennifer Donnelly, Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book
