I have often written on my other blog about my love for books which has been around pretty much forever (in fact most of this post was written back in January at my other blog and I just re-wrote some things for this one). With being out of school now (yes, I am an official college graduate!!! Woohoo!!) and having more free time on my hands, I have found that love re-kindled and burning brighter and harder than ever before. All I long to do is lay in bed for days reading all of my new books (I have 9 on my shelf and many more on my Nook that I haven't even touched yet). But I know that I have responsibilities at work and in life. So that is what keeps me from giving into my bed and books. I know that I have a wedding to pay for, a credit card bill that comes every month (which unfortunately is very large lately with all of the wedding stuff) and student loans that will soon need to be paid on. I know that I have relationships with family and friends to invest in. I know that I have a GOD who longs to spend time with me right away, first and foremost, rather than waiting until I finish the next chapter or next book in whatever series I am currently reading. I know these things. But sometimes it's hard to not get lost in the words and pages.
One of my current favorite Disney movies is Beauty and the Beast. I watched it countless times on my internship in Peru and have watched it three or four times since coming home. Every time I watch it I feel like I identify more and more with Belle. In the first song of the movie the townspeople are singing about how strange Belle is. And some of the lyrics are as follows:
I am the girl with "a dreamy far-off look and her nose stuck in a book." And there is no denying it. I know that when I am on break at work if anyone was to watch me and try to talk to me, they would have to stand right in front of me and force me to put my book down. I also know that even while I am working, whether at Customer Service or up front, there are times when I space off and seem to just drift through my day. I can't help it sometimes. Part of it is just my way of coping with the large amount of people I have to interact with. Part of it is my way of trying to make my shift go by faster. And part of it is just my desire to escape to a world so very different from my own.
In January, I let myself get lost in the words and pages of Andrew Peterson's Wingfeather Saga. They are great books and very fun to read. They could be put in the same genre as Lord of the Rings (only on a more basic level for kids), Chronicles of Narnia, and the Eragon series (I haven't read those... but my brother has). They are full of adventure, life lessons and family values. Definitely books I would recommend to readers of all ages. I read the three that are out so far (I read them in less than 3 weeks and am now anxiously awaiting the release of the fourth). I really enjoyed Peterson's books. They were very intriguing and easy to get lost in. When I read them (as with most every other book I read), I was transported to the world being described. I found myself in the story as an onlooker and sometimes when I would try to sleep and dream after reading late into the night the book became real in my dreams.
I am now reading Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs. It is based on the story of Ruth and Naomi from the book of Ruth in the Old Testament. I love Liz's books. I read four of her historical fiction novels while on my internship and loved them! I read Thorn In My Heart, Fair is the Rose, Whence Came a Prince and Grace in Thine Eyes. They are novels based off of the story of Jacob, Leah, Rachel and Dinah from the book of Genesis in the Old Testament. But the twist is that they are set in 18th century Scotland. So incredible! The stories, the characters, the settings are amazingly well done. Vibrant, multi-faceted, unique and always changing. I found myself captivated as I dove into the stories of Leanna, Rose, Jamie and Davina (the female version of the name David). Liz Curtis Higgs has an incredible talent and her books are so very enjoyable. It's hard not to get caught up in the story and think that you yourself are in Scotland living life with her characters.
And that is part of why I love to read so much. Part of why I so often long to just get lost in the words and pages. Why I so often feel like I could be described the same way as Belle in Beauty and the Beast. A girl "with a dreamy far off look and her nose stuck in a book."
Comments
Post a Comment