My 2018 - This is my Hobby: Reading Books

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Yes, I know I'm no fun person but really, reading books is what I love to do when I've got some free time. When I was still a kid I remembered that I already love reading because even if we do not have so much that time or to put it frankly even if we were poor, I did have lots of children's story books in the house as gifts from friends of my parents and relatives. I even remembered that during those days we used snail mail to communicate with our relatives who were living in the city and every time I wrote to my Aunt during those times, I always mentioned that I would love to receive children's story books as gifts.

I was introduced to reading long novels when I was around 12 years old. In school during those times, my English teacher was my favorite teacher because even if she was strict, I believe that her ways brought out the best in me as a student because her criticisms became my challenges to improve myself to be better. So, my favorite teacher required as to read and make a review of any Nancy Drew novel. As we all know, Nancy Drew novels are series of books about the adventures of a young detective Nancy Drew. Detective stories really work for me to trigger my love for reading because who can sleep well if your mind is buzzing with curiosity not knowing if the detective catches the bad guys and let them pay the punishment. From then on, my love for reading really blossomed.

I already mentioned that I was born and raised from and by a poor family right so we do not have much books really. Even my hometown had no public library I guess during those times. So, what I did back then was to borrow books from our neighbors who also did not have enough books with them. So, I guess as a child I was already reading romance novels like those released by Harlequin Romance and Mills and Boon because these are the books available from my neighbors.

Luckily, in High School, I was accepted in a Science School, a top-notch school in our province and since it was the number 1 High School in our province, my classmates are also the brightest and smartest students in our place and here I met friends who shared the same hobby of reading books. So, from Nancy Drew to Harlequin and Mills and Boon romance, the list of books that I was able to read grew to include Sweet Valley High series, Danielle Steel, Sidney Sheldon and some historical romance books. Still, some books that I read during those times were not really fit for the eyes of a teenager but those are all I had. I guess during those times, you can throw any book on my face and I can read them really fast.

Back then, we use a mosquito net when we sleep and I actually read even under this mosquito net. Lucky for me my eyes are still good without specs up to this day. Sometimes when my father woke up at the middle of the night, he used to turn off the lights and so my reading sessions also ended for the night.

My High School days were also the time when the famous and phenomenal Harry Potter series were first released and I became an immediate fan of course.

As I moved to the university, book resources were becoming more accessible and during those times I have added several and more meaningful books on the list of books that I’ve already read. Excluding the classics and books required by professors, my standout and favorite reads were from Paolo Coelho, Mitch Albom, John Grisham and more romance novels I guess. During those years, The Lord of the Rings movie franchise was also released and I can proudly say that I have also read this book series as well though up to now I have not finished with the last book yet which is the Return of the King because I guess my patience just ran out to the end because it is really too long to my liking and it is no longer exciting as I’ve already seen the movie and I think Frodo does not really have much personality to make the book a fun read. By far his personality is way too boring when compared to his Uncle Bilbo Baggins personality of The Hobbit book installment that is also one of my favorites.

I’ve laid low with reading when I got busy with my love life and work I think but from time to time I did some short reads of swoon-worthy romance novels that I’ve seen on the bestsellers’ list. Of course, I’ve also read The Fifty Shades series by E.L. James and the other similar erotic romance reads that were released right after the success of this series. I also read Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander Book series but I’ve finished up to Book 3 I think to date because each book in the series is really a very loooong read and no longer as exciting as the early installments. As a short introduction, it tells a story of Claire who travels in the past through the standing stones in Scotland and met her love of her life there who is Jaime Fraser. I guess I am turning to the TV series to know how this series progresses as I do not have much time to read a novella of up to more than 1000 pages for each installment with limited and not so exciting characters and setting anymore on top of my duties as a mother, wife and a law student.

Up to now, my interest in reading books does not dwindle. I still regularly check the popular books in the New York Times Bestsellers and other book blog sites to find another exciting read.

*My son and myself last week when I was rereading Book 1 of Song of Ice and Fire. Please excuse my pregnant face. :) My son does his own thing when I'm reading so he is supportive in a way for giving me some me-time to read.

Before ending this essay, it is imperative to mention my other most favorite book series which is of course the Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin where the phenomenal Game of Thrones TV series was based. Though I was a late bloomer when it comes to being a fan of this series because I have only started watching it after the release of Season 3, I did not waste time of course in diving into the books to have a better experience and understanding of the series and thinking that reading the books will cure my impatience in waiting for the next season of the TV series. But, I was clearly wrong because after Book 5, George R.R. Martin is clearly testing every readers’ patience in taking so much time releasing the next installment. I do wish I would still live to see the release of Book 6 otherwise I will come back from the dead to just read it once it is released. LOL!

Reading is my hobby and I’m very passionate about it. For persons like me who do not have much wealth to spend for more expensive hobbies, reading is something that lets me live thousand lives, travel to different places, meet the brightest, most amazing and in some cases the queerest characters and learn life lessons that surely add to my experience and wisdom. I’ve also came to learn that people who read are the best people to talk to and have a conversation. For some people, reading can be boring but for me this is where all the fun comes and the best thing about it is it can be free and rewarding.