Reading

This is a chapter from my third book called Love letters

Ernest Hemingway once said that, "There is no friend as loyal as a book." I truly believe this but this was not always the case. Growing up I never projected that one day I would fall in love with reading books and writing. Imagine me now writing books and feeling like I cannot stop writing and reading to make me a better writer. In school English was my weakest subject. Literature and General Paper were the only two subjects that I did not get a grade A in on my secondary school leaving certificates. I had a logical mind as opposed to a creative mind. My love was reserved for the circuits and bits and bytes of the computer.

I source my books for reading freely from the "For the love of reading" stand at the cafe in my village. The cafe sells samosas and cakes and other eatables. My mom especially loves the rice halwa. The book stand was not always around and was once at the nearby pharmacy that eventually closed down. My eyes lit up and my heart overflowed with joy when I found out that the book stand would return to my village. I am currently reading Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. Through this book I learnt about Bill Joy who is an ace coder and who also like me scored a perfect eight hundred on the SAT Maths exam.

Books are good therapy. When I am reading a book the writer becomes my friend. The writer is bearing his heart and soul on the pages. The writer is saying what we might find hard to put into words or what we might not be brave enough to say. The characters in the stories become friends and acquaintances too. I often find myself cheering them on and wanting them to triumph. We become emotionally attached to them and this can make us feel less alone. The right books can heal the most wounded hearts, the most scarred minds, and the most broken souls.

When I lose myself in a book, the troubles of the world melt away. I am transported to other worlds, where I can experience adventures, explore new cultures, and gain new perspectives. I especially enjoy reading books that challenge my thinking and expand my knowledge. I remember coming across this beautifully written advice on Twitter, "Read to fill your mind, write to empty your mind." I want to be open minded and reading provides food for thought. My trips to the cafe provide eats for my belly and books for my mind. I am a book nerd that is reading for life. I love reading and I love a good book.

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