Books = Life

This week in my media class, we are supposed to write about our favorite books as a child and now. Good question. I don't have an answer for that. I read SO much, but I don't have A favorite. I have several favorites. You can check out all my favorites (that I've read since summer 2007) on shelfari.

But, there is one book (series) that holds a special place in my heart. This picture represents what this book means to me. And peeps, I wish we could go again (aka, I wish we could all afford to go again). I'd like to share what I wrote about it in my paper.

I quit reading for years. Even now when I think about it, I find it surprising. I had children, and as many women can tell, it's easy to lose yourself. I did lose a sense of who I was, and I didn't just quit reading. I became depressed. One symptom was that I didn't read much anymore. My mom passed on a few books over the years, but nothing stood out. Then, a few years ago, she loaned me a book called Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer. I don't know why that book was different from any other, but suddenly, I wanted to read more. I read the next book in the series, then my youngest sister showed me the author's website, and I read the excerpts she had posted there. That was my first (non-email) experience online. Suddenly, I realized how much information was available at my fingertips, and I visited a fansite. Then the third book in the Twilight series came out, and after reading it I started chatting with other fans online. I got to know other adult fans in Utah, and met some, making friends with others who were craving the same interaction I was. I became friends with a fabulous group of women, and we still meet regularly for book chats, author signings, movie events, baby showers, and any other reason to have a party. We took a trip together, meeting other women who we had met online. (Picture: Dorks in Forks) Now, I'll be the first to admit Twilight isn't the best book of all time. It gets a lot of teasing. It has become a fad. It's not the best reading I've done in the last three years. And most the friends I've made and met because of Twilight feel the same. We're not obsessed with the series like many (mostly teenage) fans. But it was a catalyst, waking me up to the life I forgot while becoming lost in my children. I still love my children, but I've remembered how to love myself, as well. I still meet regularly with my friends who have more in common than liking a book. We've bonded over good and bad life experiences. I still chat online weekly with other friends around the country (and world) that I've come to love, even if I haven't met all of them in person. Lastly, becoming an active participant in life made me want to go back to school and helped make it a reality. So although I wouldn't say Twilight is my favorite book, it did make the biggest impact in my life, so it will always have a special place in my heart.