Joys of Reading

I love reading.  I really love it a lot.  I talk to many people who rarely, if ever, read and it boggles my mind.  Reading is something that calms me.  It centers me.  It helps me focus and expands my horizons.  I love the weight of a book, the feel of the cover, the smell of the pages.  Yes, I may be a bit of a freak.  I just really love it.  The fact that I read fast does not hurt.  At times I would like to be a slower reader.  To have more time to savor the story, but alas I am a fast reader. 

My kids all love reading too!  I am grateful that that love is something that I could pass on to them.  Archer's favorite series is the Ranger's Apprentice series by John Flannagan.  His favorite author is Eoin Colfer.  Angel's favorite books are the Nancy Drew series.  She started reading them with her Grandma and hasn't stopped.  Picasso loves anything that has to do with tigers or dragons.  He is not overly picky there.  Princess is currently into the Junie B Jones books.  They hurt my head, but I do laugh listening to my husband or Archer reading them out loud with her.  It is hilarious listening to the voices they do. 

I have really enjoyed watching my kids learn to love reading.  I love reading out loud to them.  I love listening to them read to me.  I love listening to them read to each other, especially when they start doing silly voices. 

Books are awesome!

Read, Read, Read

“Read. Read. Read. Read the word of God in sacred books of scripture. Read from the great literature of the ages. Read what is being said in our day and time and what will be said in the future.”
~ Gordon B. Hinckley

I love to read!  One of my favorite authors, Clive Cussler, recently asked his readers on Facebook to fill in this blank - I read to ______.   My immediate thought was I read to live.  Reading is a solace to me.  A place to calm my mind, expand my horizons, make me think about things I might not otherwise.  It is a quest for knowledge and wisdom.  Or sometimes just a quest for adventure and fun.  If I were unable to read I might very well go crazy.  Or at least become a much more onery person.

I will read most anything.  I prefer not to read horror books or romance books.  That is not to say that I don't like a little romance, or even horror, in my books; I just don't want it to be the main focus of the story.  I normally read three or four books at a time.  One of those books is always the scriptures.  Currently one is a biography, one is a young adult book, and one is a fun adult fiction.  I normally keep one book in my car for drop off and pick up at the school.  One is normally kept next to my bed.  The other is normally kept near my computer.  That way I always have a book on hand. 

I do love reading the scriptures with my children every night.  If we forget the kids definitely remind us.  It's not just reading them though, it is studying, discussing, and taking something away from them.  Not only are my children, hopefully, learning something; I am learning something. 

One of my favorite things to do is curl up with my kids, a book, possibly a blanket, and read out loud.  I'm grateful that even as they are getting older they still crave that time.  It is something special to share that time together. 

If I can instill a love of reading in my children, then I feel I will have done my job as a parent.  Or at least one of them.