A new book.

I enjoy the simple things in life - caramel apples, chapstick, thunderstorms, daisies, soft socks, making random playlists on iTunes (like the Deep Thoughts one I totally just made), dancing like Miley Cyrus - but something that I am confident will never cease to give me the chills is a new book. Yes, I am aware of how completely nerdy that sounded. I don't care.

I've loved to read since I was 4 years old. Four you say? Yes, my mother taught me to read, and I attribute the bulk of my extremely high intelligence to that. (Thanks Mom!) My first chapter book was A Bridge to Terabithia (thanks for the help, Miss Keifer!) and since then I have fallen in love with reading. I went through a Trixie Belden phase, a Baby Sitters Club phase (remember that Becca?), a Gossip Girls phase, and a books-being-made-into-movies phase. And along the way, I've learned so, so much, even if they're just small things like the names of cities in foreign countries or the names of expensive stores on 5th avenue. That's one of the best things about reading: every book offers something new to discover.

A new book is like a drug. I'm being totally serious right now. I get euphoric when I curl up in my bed at night with a book I'm just dying to get into. I love that swept up feeling, the idea that a book can literally transport my mind to a place I've never been or to a place I've never thought of. It's astounding. It's this feeling that I can't even describe. It's just the new book feeling. And it makes me happy.

So today when I opened my new book I Capture the Castle, I did what I always do. I looked at the cover (which by the way is very important, don't let anyone tell you not to judge a book by its cover) because that's the first impression of the book, I get a sense of what the book is trying to tell me just by looking at it. Then I read everything that's not actually part of the book - reviews, acknowledgments, summaries, etc. It's this idea of sort of getting to know the book before I actually proceed with reading it. Because, if you think about it, every new book is like a new person to meet. And that's what we do when we meet new people, we gauge them from all angles. Reading an entire book is a big commitment, you know. I don't want to devote hours to something that isn't going to be influential at all. So that's what I do. I get to know the book before engaging in any sort of deeper relationship. Which makes perfect sense.

And there's more. Sometimes I peek at the last page just to see the interesting things I have to look forward to. I'll admit that's cheating. There's no denying that. But I'm human right? And like I said, if I'm going to devote hours to something, I want to know it'll keep my attention up until that last sentence. The last sentence and the first sentence, those are the important ones. The first pulls you in and introduces you to the characters and scenery and conflicts while the last leaves an impression on you, leaves you with something permanent, poignant.

But the fact is, some books just don't say much at all. They may be entertaining or funny, but you'll forget them. It's the books that make your heart drop or that make you cry or that compel you to read them over and over that stay with you forever. Books like that are more than hundreds of pages bound together by a flashy cover. They aren't just objects anymore, they say something. Books like that change us, they give us a new perspective, something to carry with us as we continue our lives. It is truly a fantastic feeling to have a book touch your life in such a way that you feel as though it never ends. The scenes replay in your mind, and the lines reverberate in your ears. The words stay with you, because once you are touched by a new book, it truly becomes a part of you.

I just don't understand those people who say they hate reading. And I think that everyone can appreciate what reading has to offer, if only they find that one new book that has the ability to open their minds. And if reading a book is like meeting a new person, it's sort of sad to think about how many amazing, inspiring people we are missing by not reading. Just as each person has a story that deserves to be heard, each book has a message that deserves to be read. It's just a matter of getting to know them.

(PS: Gracias to Lindsey Ann Gemmer for providing me with the lovely insight of comparing books to people! You go girl.)